Isaiah Briscoe (Committed to Kentucky)

[Matrim55]

1. UConn owns the Garden? Google maps says that UConn is 138 miles and 2 hours 30 minutes from MSG. More like a rental when they played there back in the old Big East.

UConn has won more big games at MSG than St. John's and the Knicks combined.

 

[Rico444]

1. UConn owns the Garden? Google maps says that UConn is 138 miles and 2 hours 30 minutes from MSG. More like a rental when they played there back in the old Big East. Any team that is really good at the time will draw fans there. When SJ is good like in 2011 the place was packed full. So don't pat yourselves on the back too much. St. John's whether we are #1 or #320 is the only school to play in MSG for college hoops as our home court. It's a big perk and I understand why you hate that. It beats playing on farms in Storrs.

2. IB most likely will not want to go to UConn since you already have guards. He doesn't want to share. But who knows? Lots of coaches are grimy recruiters. Maybe they try a last second offer like hiring one of his coaches like Seton Hall did with Whitehead.

3. UConn does not have a national TV deal. St. John's does. And you may talk about the ratings (even though it just had 1 year), but the point is that all of his family members and friends who can't make the games in person can watch at home from anywhere. That is bigger than you might think.

4. Storrs is not exactly the center of the universe like NYC.

5. I actually agree in being surprised that Baron's quote has not hurt him recruiting. He also is definitely not the greatest in game coach or player developer but he somehow gets those top recruits to come. That's all that matters. Other coaches can help develop. If we do get Briscoe and we still don't make the tourney though, I'd think Lavin gets fired.

6. I think you guys made the right decision. Football is definitely your sport and where you make your mark. 1-6 (0-4) in the mighty AAC featuring stalwarts like Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, etc. I have to say I was wrong about UConn. You guys are set to be the northeast version of the U from the 80's! No but seriously it cracks me up that people still think UConn is a football school. Once you run out of money from your football program we will leave the door open for ya.

LOL

 

[Stinger92860]

Hi John, lovely campus you have there in the center of NYC. The Korean BBQ places nearby are really good though. Enjoy all of your nationally televised games and let me the next time the Johnnies sell out the garden like we do.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

1. UConn owns the Garden? Google maps says that UConn is 138 miles and 2 hours 30 minutes from MSG. More like a rental when they played there back in the old Big East. Any team that is really good at the time will draw fans there. When SJ is good like in 2011 the place was packed full. So don't pat yourselves on the back too much. St. John's whether we are #1 or #320 is the only school to play in MSG for college hoops as our home court. It's a big perk and I understand why you hate that. It beats playing on farms in Storrs.

2. IB most likely will not want to go to UConn since you already have guards. He doesn't want to share. But who knows? Lots of coaches are grimy recruiters. Maybe they try a last second offer like hiring one of his coaches like Seton Hall did with Whitehead.

3. UConn does not have a national TV deal. St. John's does. And you may talk about the ratings (even though it just had 1 year), but the point is that all of his family members and friends who can't make the games in person can watch at home from anywhere. That is bigger than you might think.

4. Storrs is not exactly the center of the universe like NYC.

5. I actually agree in being surprised that Baron's quote has not hurt him recruiting. He also is definitely not the greatest in game coach or player developer but he somehow gets those top recruits to come. That's all that matters. Other coaches can help develop. If we do get Briscoe and we still don't make the tourney though, I'd think Lavin gets fired.

6. I think you guys made the right decision. Football is definitely your sport and where you make your mark. 1-6 (0-4) in the mighty AAC featuring stalwarts like Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, etc. I have to say I was wrong about UConn. You guys are set to be the northeast version of the U from the 80's! No but seriously it cracks me up that people still think UConn is a football school. Once you run out of money from your football program we will leave the door open for ya.

Awww, cute. I remember my first beer.

 

[UconnU]

1. UConn has won more big games in the garden than St. Johns ever will.

2. I agree he's not coming here.

3. AAC has a national TV deal with ESPN. With exception of a few early instate games which will be on SNY. Every Uconn game will be on CBS or ESPN 1 2 U

4. Storrs is the center of the college basketball universe

5. Correct.

6. I don't think any one mentioned that we're a football school, we don't like to talk about our football program.

Corrected.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

He's a St John's fan so the delusion should be expected.

They have a crowd of 11,500 at the Garden and it is something great. We play there in front of 18,500 and all Johnnie fans talk about is the 1,000 empty seats for our game there. All anyone needs for evidence of who really attracts fans to MSG is watch the 1999 UConn-St John's game. The last true quality season they've had (they made it to the elite eight that season) and their home game was 65% UConn fans.

I had to chuckle at his comment that St John's was good in 2011. Evidently it doesn't take a whole lot to qualify as good in his eyes (have they won a tournament game this millenium?). If St John's did anything that would remotely resemble what we did this past spring at MSG St John fans would brag about it for the next half dozen decades, claiming it was bigger than anything any NCAA tournament had ever seen. If there is any question as to whether we own the Garden, ask Tom Izzo his opinion.

 

[UConn3432]

If Lavin doesn't make tournament this year he's likely fired. One tourney in 5 years (0 wins) going into the last year of his deal he might just quit. The next coach would undoubtedly be a better coach, but might not be able to keep a Briscoe commitment. Lavin is recruiting for his life because Briscoe plus even a first round tourney loss probably gets him the extension. Even with Briscoe that program is very weak in the talent department.

UK could be very attractive or an ugly scene next year depending on the success of the platoon. Briscoe ideally wants to be there for one year then jump to the pros but if the playing time situation looks bleak I can't see him going there.

The Champs have a lot of bodies but nobody has proven they can run the point. Jalen Adams could play off the ball this year on a Brewster team with 10 point guards. He's being anointed as the next Shabazz but even Shabazz didn't have to run a team his first year and wasn't very successful his second year when he took the reins. Cassell seems like a combo guard and less of a facilitator but time will tell. Samuel hopefully takes a big step this year and prove he can run a team, but doesn't have the pedigree and could plateau as a 10-15 minute backup and defensive specialist. I hope not, but we'll see. If everything clicks there is absolutely no need for Briscoe, but if it doesn't there is no better situation for a kid to come in and run a team for one year.

Even if he commits to one of these three I can't see him signing An LOI and its extremely possible he ends up changing his commitment after the season.

 

[jrazz12]

Oh look, a St Johns fan! Much like the ancient Minotaur, there were occasional rumblings of their existence at the far edges of the known universe, but yet here one is, right in our very midst. Hang on a sec, need to call CNN

 

[Johnny]

I disagree. I have seen numerous UConn fans talking about football like you guys are one of the big boys in that category. You talk about a bowl game you made once. Cool. That was 1 year and you've been FBS for what like 15 years? I said it before and I'll say it again. UConn looks much more evenly matched vs. Villanova and SUNY Buffalo in football than Ohio State or Florida State. Even so, many UConn fans seem to hold onto the dream that you will become Ohio State somehow. Like that guy who went into business thinking he'd be a millionaire someday but stayed at about 45k never moving up.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I realize that it is the wet dream of most fans of PC, St John's, Seton Hall, et al for UConn to give up on football, return to the BE and carry the conference once again. Unfortunately that ship has sailed. You will need to find some other school whose success you can live off of.

 

[aceboon]

Lol @ UConn doesn't have a national TV deal, I guess all those games on ESPN/2/U last year didn't happen. St Johns could put their games on MSGVarsity and probably still pull the same ratings they get on FoxSports.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

There's a quote from Briscoe on ESPN.com:

"Playing at the Garden is exciting, while staying home and having the whole city behind me is something that runs past my mind everyday..."

The whole city????...Ummmm...he realizes he'd be playing for St John's, right???

I don't think he does. His tweet said Dream Big (after naming St John's, Kentucky & UConn). If St John's is in his dreams he need to dream much bigger.

 

[Johnny]

FS1 gives us more money than UConn is getting. And SNY is not national. FS1 is. So even if it's just a few games on SNY that's not national. More money plus national TV is clearly better than the deal UConn has with ESPN. Not bragging or anything just stating facts. The ratings will go up once FS1 becomes more of a name brand and the teams perform better. They don't blow up overnight and neither did ESPN. It takes time to build a brand and get a following in pop culture.

 

[Johnny]

The truth is that regardless of how successful SJ is, the draw of NYC/MSG is very real for recruits. Recruits don't always look at who just won a national championship. It has to be the right fit. I know if I were Briscoe I would not like the fact that UConn plays teams like Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, Houston, SMU, UCF, USF, etc. Sure you can get a few big OOC games but being affiliated with those schools. Yuck.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The truth is that regardless of how successful SJ is, the draw of NYC/MSG is very real for recruits. Recruits don't always look at who just won a national championship. It has to be the right fit. I know if I were Briscoe I would not like the fact that UConn plays teams like Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, Houston, SMU, UCF, USF, etc. Sure you can get a few big OOC games but being affiliated with those schools. Yuck.

Yes, that does kind of suck. We are pretty used to this however, in the past we were playing teams like St John's, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Providence.

 

[aceboon]

That money isn't going into your pockets so why are you so pressed? The SNY/ESPN3 games are no different than what UConn has played in the past so there isn't any change there, those games are only a few and out the way before conference play hits. As for you carrying the FS1 banner, nice effort being a lackey but Fox has been down this road before and it flopped the first time, the same thing is already happening now.

FS1 gives us more money than UConn is getting. And SNY is not national. FS1 is. So even if it's just a few games on SNY that's not national. More money plus national TV is clearly better than the deal UConn has with ESPN. Not bragging or anything just stating facts. The ratings will go up once FS1 becomes more of a name brand and the teams perform better. They don't blow up overnight and neither did ESPN. It takes time to build a brand and get a following in pop culture.

 

[Johnny]

Yes, that does kind of suck. We are pretty used to this however, in the past we were playing teams like St John's, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Providence.

Right, because teams that have been to Final Fours, been ranked recently, and won Big East tourneys recently are in the same ballpark as Tulane and their ilk. We've already been through this. From top to bottom the Big East craps on the AAC. The bottom Big East teams would be mid-tier AAC teams and knock off some of the top teams. Remember that Seton Hall beat Villanova a top 10 team. St. John's beat #12 Creighton and a bunch of top 25 teams in the past 5 years. SHU was also ranked just a few years back and just got a 5 star PG. PC just won the title. So these are the schools you compare to Tulane and ECU?

Did you ever think you'd be defending fellow conference mates Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, UCF?

 

[UConn3432]

I live in Manhattan and married a St. John's fan. There have been several StJ (not smart enough to protect SJU) games the last few years that were not on television. I can't remember the last time I couldn't watch a UConn game on television IN NEW YORK CITY.

 

[Johnny]

I live in Manhattan and married a St. John's fan. There have been several StJ (not smart enough to protect SJU) games the last few years that were not on television. I can't remember the last time I couldn't watch a UConn game on television IN NEW YORK CITY.

Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but St. John's uses SJU officially now. They rebranded. And just because UConn has some alumni locally who witnessed them win numerous rings recently does not mean that UConn has anything in common with NYC. I've been to Storrs before. It's the sticks. So to hear people act like UConn runs NYC is hilarious. Might as well say that Kansas owns NYC.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I remember Tulane dismantling a St John's team in the NCAA tournament more recently than any final four appearance by any of the three schools I mentioned. Houston alone as nearly as many final four appearances as the three BE schools in question (exactly as many if you reduce the time frame to the past fifty years.

I have no clue what you've been watching but the three schools I've mentioned haven't done a damned thing of substance in recent memory (you have to go back a quarter century for the most recent final four appearance) yet you are speaking of them as if they are Indiana, Kansas and Duke. When was the last time one of those schools won a game in the NCAA tournament? How many games in the tournament have we won in that time span?

 

[Johnny]

I remember Tulane dismantling a St John's team in the NCAA tournament more recently than any final four appearance by any of the three schools I mentioned. Houston alone as nearly as many final four appearances as the three BE schools in question (exactly as many if you reduce the time frame to the past fifty years.

I have no clue what you've been watching but the three schools I've mentioned haven't done a damned thing of substance in recent memory (you have to go back a quarter century for the most recent final four appearance) yet you are speaking of them as if they are Indiana, Kansas and Duke. When was the last time one of those schools won a game in the NCAA tournament? How many games in the tournament have we won in that time span?

You keep raising the standards. Strictly comparing Tulane, ECU, etc. to schools like SJ, PC, SHU is just fighting a losing battle. And it's not close either. When's the last time ECU beat ranked teams consistently like St. John's? We have beat top 5 teams, top 10 teams, and top 20 teams. Schools like UConn, Duke, Nova, Cincy, Pitt, Notre Dame, Creighton, etc. Has Tulane even beaten a ranked team in a decade? Or ECU? Forget winning a game in the tourney how about MAKING the tourney at all?

Success is subjective. In the national scheme of college hoops making the tourney makes you a success. Being ranked whether you are #1 or #25 is a success. Neither of those bum programs have done either. And don't even get me started on recruiting. SHU, SJ, PC, etc. have all had top 15 recruiting classes recently. SJ was #2, PC was in the teens, and SHU is #8 last I checked. Again…what about Tulane and good ol' ECU?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

You still haven't answered my questions: When was the last time one of those schools won a game in the NCAA tournament? How many games in the tournament have we won in that time span?

I will give St John's (actually your head coach) credit for one thing, Lavin's wife seems well suited for the soft core Youtube videos she used to make (well suited for them as well) which in itself may help with recruiting.

 

[aceboon]

You're bragging on a #2 recruiting class that has yielded 0 NCAA tourney appearances...

You keep raising the standards. Strictly comparing Tulane, ECU, etc. to schools like SJ, PC, SHU is just fighting a losing battle. And it's not close either. When's the last time ECU beat ranked teams consistently like St. John's? We have beat top 5 teams, top 10 teams, and top 20 teams. Schools like UConn, Duke, Nova, Cincy, Pitt, Notre Dame, Creighton, etc. Has Tulane even beaten a ranked team in a decade? Or ECU? Forget winning a game in the tourney how about MAKING the tourney at all?

Success is subjective. In the national scheme of college hoops making the tourney makes you a success. Being ranked whether you are #1 or #25 is a success. Neither of those bum programs have done either. And don't even get me started on recruiting. SHU, SJ, PC, etc. have all had top 15 recruiting classes recently. SJ was #2, PC was in the teens, and SHU is #8 last I checked. Again…what about Tulane and good ol' ECU?

 

[caw]

Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but St. John's uses SJU officially now. They rebranded. And just because UConn has some alumni locally who witnessed them win numerous rings recently does not mean that UConn has anything in common with NYC. I've been to Storrs before. It's the sticks. So to hear people act like UConn runs NYC is hilarious. Might as well say that Kansas owns NYC.

St Johns is branded as SJU officially? Please provide a link to something official? I looked and couldn't find any. SJU.edu is St Joseph's and they seem to own that branding. I'm really curious on this. Have see SJ but not SJU on official things for St Johns.

Sticks versus Queens (and the crappy part of Queens), meh. SJU probably owns a lesser share of NYC then UConn right now but neither dominates.

 

[Johnny]

To be totally honest I wonder if Lavin's wife has seriously been used in recruiting efforts. If any UConn fans haven't seen her they should google her. It's worth it. Anyway, again you keep changing the standards. You can't say SJ hasn't beaten ranked teams, and you can't say they haven't been to the tourney recently, and you can't say they don't recruit well, so you have to pick something they haven't done in a while to make your point: winning while in the tourney. You can pick and choose and find stats that make anyone look bad. Why can't you just admit the obvious: that Tulane, Tulsa, and ECU cannot compete with the tourney berths, final fours, ranked wins, or recruiting levels of SHU, SJ, PC, etc.? I mean everyone knows that. You don't have to be stubborn just admit it.