UConn St John's rivalry

[HooperScooper]

Did Johnnie’s get the spot in the Champions Classic thing against Kentucky next year instead of us? That’s what I heard Jerry Recco and Al Dukes say on their show today. Disgusting and disappointing if true.

Yes, announced yesterday.

I do wonder if UConn turned down the invitation because they need to do home and homes instead. Would love to know if CBS really took St. John's over UConn. The story with Pitino vs. Kentucky is a good one so maybe they went for that.

St. John's replacing UCLA in 2025 CBS Sports Classic: Rick Pitino set to coach vs. his former team, Kentucky

Pitino vs. his pupil, Mark Pope, in what could be a top-10 matchup the weekend before Christmas. An elite game just got added to college hoops' calendar

www.cbssports.com

 

[freescooter]

Again, Georgetown is Cuse's rival. UConn doesn't have a true rival, their "rival" is the other best program for that given time.

If you think UConn playing Syracuse right now would have more juice and be a bigger rivalry game than UConn playing St. John's right now you're out of your mind.

You don’t change rivals like you do socks. Just because you are good at the same time two teams aren’t rivals either. The Red Sox and Yankees don’t cease their rivalry when 1 is in the World Series and the other finished under .500. The Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t rivals because the Rays put together a World Series contender and beat the Yanks one year. St John’s had a good year last year. Bully for them. They are our Tampa Bay Rays.

 

[BrassBonanza]

Position	UConn	St John's	Advantage
PG	Silas Demary Jr	Ian Jackson	UConn
SG	Solo Ball	Oziyah Sellers	UConn
SF	Jaylin Stewart	Joson Sanon	St John's
PF	Alex Karaban	Bryce Hopkins	UConn
C	Tarris Reed Jr	Zuby Ejiofor	St John's
Bench
G	Malachi Smith	Dylan Darling	UConn
G	Braylon Mullins	Lefteris Liotopoulos	UConn
F	Jayden Ross	Sadiku Ibine Ayo	Even
F	Jacob Furphy	Dillon Mitchell	St John's
C	Eric Reibe	Ruben Prey	UConn

These are definitely 2 of the top 5 teams in the country, but I think UConn has the advantage and matches up pretty well. Maybe a slight advantage to St John's for the starting 5 even though I have it as 3-2 UConn because the gap between Sanon and Stewart is larger than any of the gaps at the other 4 spots. I think our bench is where the advantage comes from, I'm not sold on most of the guys St John's has coming off the bench

Bryce Hopkins scares the hell outta me, if at 100% he is possibly the best player in the BE. But his health and mindset remain to be seen.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yes, announced yesterday.

I do wonder if UConn turned down the invitation because they need to do home and homes instead. Would love to know if CBS really took St. John's over UConn. The story with Pitino is a good one so maybe they went for that.

St. John's replacing UCLA in 2025 CBS Sports Classic: Rick Pitino set to coach vs. his former team, Kentucky

Pitino vs. his pupil, Mark Pope, in what could be a top-10 matchup the weekend before Christmas. An elite game just got added to college hoops' calendar

www.cbssports.com

It could have been any of a number of reasons, including Kentucky's preference.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about this as it is only one game. We need to think in far longer terms than the handful of years pitino has left.

 

[Old blue]

Can someone explain to me why 4 transfers fom the likes of utah, north texas seton hall and usc + 2 x50ish freshman recruits warrant a top 5 preseason ranking? I don't see it.

 

[dennismenace]

The city will be fine. When the West goes dry and the South gets too hot people will be flocking to upstate NY and the rest of the rust belt.

I hope the BB program has a turnaround as well so we can play a competitive game with them but I'm not as optimistic

Even the Erie Canal could not keep people in upstate NY.

 

[dennismenace]

Bryce Hopkins scares the hell outta me, if at 100% he is possibly the best player in the BE. But his health and mindset remain to be seen.

I agree with you on that. A healthy Bryce Hopkins on a good to very good team with Pitino could be very formidable. I was really hoping Hopkins could have a great senior year but now that he is with Pitino I've changed my desire on that and just hope he stays healthy and can go on to a good pro career. Kid's a winner.

 

[mussels]

You don’t change rivals like you do socks.

You might if you don’t have one.

 

[metsfan2323]

You don’t change rivals like you do socks.

So you are saying UMASS is still our top rival?

Rivalries actually come and go based on performance and league composition. Met's / Cardinals was a great rivalry in the 80's, not so much anymore.

 

[Magic32]

I still consider St. John's a rival. Games vs them at MSG are so wild. They could be down 20+ and their fans are still talking non-stop crap about how much better they are while wearing a jersey and multiple chains and spilling their beers. Even after the loss they will still yap.

 

[Waquoit]

I do wonder if UConn turned down the invitation because they need to do home and homes instead.

I really can't seeing the UConn Brand saying no to this.

 

[HooperScooper]

I really can't seeing the UConn Brand saying no to this.

I hear you but I remember what Benedict said recently in that Register article.

 

[DRBackup]

To be fair, it isn't. Not yet. "Rivalries" require some kind of sustained period in which both teams were good if it isn't a natural rivalry like Michigan / Michigan St, which this isn't.

And as others have pointed out, other potential opponents in such fledgling rivalries, like UMass, haven't fared so well. Considering the history, I'll believe SJU will sustain a level of relevance into the future when they pull it off, and they haven't, yet. I get the notion that NIL will change that for them, but again, seeing is believing.

 

[DRBackup]

The city will be fine. When the West goes dry and the South gets too hot people will be flocking to upstate NY and the rest of the rust belt.

I hope the BB program has a turnaround as well so we can play a competitive game with them but I'm not as optimistic

LOL!!! Absolutely hilarious. I won't engage in the political side of this, but there is some real chance that the I-81 project will have some positive effect on the city of Syracuse, though I suspect orders of magnitude less than it was sold under. Kinda like the Boston Big Dig, but on a smaller scale.

 

[jibsey]

To be fair, it isn't. Not yet. "Rivalries" require some kind of sustained period in which both teams were good if it isn't a natural rivalry like Michigan / Michigan St, which this isn't.

And as others have pointed out, other potential opponents in such fledgling rivalries, like UMass, haven't fared so well. Considering the history, I'll believe SJU will sustain a level of relevance into the future when they pull it off, and they haven't, yet. I get the notion that NIL will change that for them, but again, seeing is believing.

When Pitino goes they go back to being just another team. Horrible ugly location, gym and campus.

 

[DRBackup]

This guy has been waiting since 2017 to talk trash

Why 2017 ? I'd say, in reality, anyone wanting to talk trash to UConn has been waiting since UConn has been nationally relevant, because while UConn was winning 6 national championships, SJU was doing literally nothing of note whatsoever.

 

[DRBackup]

Personally, I don’t care about regular season titles. That’s the stuff the Providence level programs brag about.

I said they had a better year. Not by a ton. And you just want to argue so you’re harping on something meaningless and boring without anything statistical or factual to support your position (whatever that is).

Go yell at the clouds.

Don't you mean "St. John's level programs" ??

 

[DRBackup]

The UConn/PITT rivalry was pretty cool for a few years….

It was. Though Pitt's style of play was similarly ugly.

 

[DRBackup]

Easily solved. You’re ignored.

Uh... RUDE! LOL

 

[upstater]

LOL!!! Absolutely hilarious. I won't engage in the political side of this, but there is some real chance that the I-81 project will have some positive effect on the city of Syracuse, though I suspect orders of magnitude less than it was sold under. Kinda like the Boston Big Dig, but on a smaller scale.

People who live up here know that whenever that stuff happens in the rest of the country, the icemelt will back up into the Great Lakes and make it colder in upstate NY -- for a long while.

 

[MJ1]

When Pitino goes they go back to being just another team. Horrible ugly location, gym and campus.

Don’t be so sure about that, with Respole’s money if they bring in a half way decent coach they will be able to afford the best transfers available. A good coach will keep them in the upper echelons of college basketball.

 

[HooperScooper]

Don’t be so sure about that, with Respole’s money if they bring in a half way decent coach they will be able to afford the best transfers available. A good coach will keep them in the upper echelons of college basketball.

How is Repole going to pay for transfers? Isn't that going to be illegal once revenue sharing starts this summer?

 

[MJ1]

How is Repole going to pay for transfers? Isn't that going to be illegal once revenue sharing starts this summer?

It just bookkeeping, he will continue to donate money to St. John’s like all boosters at the SEC schools do to make their teams relevant. NIL will still be alive and well, as well as donations. Either way St. John’s may be here to stay. That’s not a bad thing.

 

[HooperScooper]

It just bookkeeping, he will continue to donate money to St. John’s like all boosters at the SEC schools do to make their teams relevant. NIL will still be alive and well, as well as donations. Either way St. John’s may be here to stay. That’s not a bad thing.

I don't know how the revenue sharing rules will work but I remember reading they were closing loopholes that would let donors buy players. You may be right that it will be hard to do but I'm curious what the language is.

NIL will be much different than it is currently. Any NIL deal over $6,000 will have to be approved by an outside consultant as "market" for the work being done. Repole doesn't own either of the companies he started so does he still have influence there for them to hire St. John's players? Anyway, the NIL money is going to be much less than today's system.

Put me in the camp that says when Pitino leaves then St. John's won't be as good. And to think about it what are we even talking about when St. John's has had one good season? Let's see what they do for at least a few years before we crown them. Any team can have 1 to 2 excellent seasons. Remember St. Joe's in 2003-2004? Where did that get them?

 

[huskymedic]

Don’t be so sure about that, with Respole’s money if they bring in a half way decent coach they will be able to afford the best transfers available. A good coach will keep them in the upper echelons of college basketball.

Traction..

St. John’s University Receives Largest Philanthropic Gift in University History

St. John’s University announces today that Chair of the Board of Trustees William J. Janetschek ’84CBA, ’17HON, retired Partner and Chief Financial Officer, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., already a generous and longtime University benefactor, has gifted a $32.5 million donation—the largest...

www.stjohns.edu

-> This gift launches the construction of a new, cutting-edge, basketball practice facility at the Queens, NY, campus for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. Mr. Janetschek’s support directs approximately $25 million toward the construction of the basketball practice facility and $7.5 million toward student scholarships. <-