Sports Poets Society

http://nypost.com/2015/12/31/marcus-lovett-jr-wont-play-for-st-johns-this-season/ By Zach Braziller December 31, 2015 | 12:42am    St. John’s fans will have to wait until next season to see Marcus LoVett Jr. in action. The talented point guard from Chicago — the only true point guard on the Red Storm roster — has opted not to pursue litigation against the NCAA after being ruled a partial qualifier, meaning he only can practice, a source told The Post . The 6-foot-1 LoVett, a four-star recruit ranked among the top 50 of incoming freshmen nationally, was initially ruled a partial qualifier and subsequent appeals were turned down. Nevertheless, after extensive dialogue with the NCAA, St. John’s was under the impression that if LoVett fared well in his first semester classes, he would be cleared. But despite LoVett “doing everything he was asked to do,” the source said, that didn’t happen. A nagging knee injury that would have kept him out a few more weeks if cleared ...

http://nypost.com/2015/03/30/chris-mullin-hired-as-st-johns-coach/   By Zach Braziller and Howie Kussoy,  March 30, 2015 | 4:57pm    Chris Mullin is coming home. Thirty years after leading St. John’s to the Final Four, the legendary Brooklyn native will try to bring his alma mater back to prominence, agreeing Monday to become the Red Storm’s next men’s basketball coach, according to multiple sources. A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday to formally announce Mullin as the 20th coach in school history. He is scheduled to fly to New York on Tuesday from Sacramento, a source said. Mullin was St. John’s president Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw’s first choice to replace Steve Lavin , who parted ways with the school on Friday after two NCAA Tournament bids in five years, three 20-wins seasons and an 81-55 record. Mullin — who will be charged with getting St. John’s its first NCAA Tournament win since 1999 and more — had been whispered as a potentia...

Scouting St. John’s  St. John’s is 7-6 on the season, including a 6-2 mark at home (5-2 at Carnesecca Arena), but have lost 3 in a row ( Incarnate Word , NJ Institute of Technology and South Carolina ) heading into league play since a win over Syracuse .  Freshman Federico Mussini leads the Red Storm in scoring (14.0 PPG), assists (2.7 APG) and steals (1.3 SPG) per game , while also draining a team-high 30 three-point baskets and topping the club in free-throw percentage (82.9%).  Durand Johnson, a graduate transfer from Pitt , is second on the team with 11.6 points per contest, 16 steals and 19 three-point baskets .  Three others average in the neighborhood of 8 points a game, Ron Mvouika (8.8 ppg.), Christian Jones (8.5 PPG) and Yankuba Sima (8.4 PPG). Sima is tied for the national lead with 46 blocked shots .  SJU had all 5 starters depart from last year’s NCAA Tournament team that finished 21-12 . Scouting Creighton Crei...

http://www.coxhub.com/articles/ranking-the-big-east-teams-in-two-sentences-or-less By Daniel James — 12/29/15 2:07 PM The names on the front don't change, but the names on the back certainly do, and with the way things have shaken out in the OOC, there's even more to consider than what was thought in the original preseason predictions. But while anyone could spend eons talking about the in's and out's of each team, how many can do this ranking with a minimalist style? Here's how I'm ranking the Big East teams, in two sentences or less. 1. Xavier:  Way underrated in the preseason , which is scary because they were not that underrated to begin with. Five guys averaging double digits, a deep (DEEP) bench, and a top-level coach has me very scared of the Musketeers. 2. Villanova:  A solid team that, despite a few early losses, is terrifying-good when their game is clicking , and still better than most when it's not. I don't need to go ...

12/8/2013 11:05:00 PM Billy Bluejay is the official mascot of the Creighton University Athletics Department. Creighton is a private, Jesuit NCAA Division I school in Omaha, Nebraska founded in 1878.   Prior to 1924, with no official athletics nickname, University publications and news media often referred to Creighton athletic teams by the school's colors – the " White and Blue ," or vice versa. Because of Creighton's location atop a bluff, the team was occasionally designated unofficially as the " Hilltoppers ," but the name lost favor because at least six other teams in the country went by the same nickname . At the behest of Creighton's Athletics Board and Alumni Association, the Omaha Bee newspaper coordinated a public contest in late 1923 to select a nickname and mascot for Creighton University athletic teams. After reviewing 200 entries, the Athletics Board decided upon "Bluejays" because the color of the bird was in keeping with ...

Sept. 29, 2009 According to several written sources and many an old tale, a group of St. John's University students led by Walter Bruce (Class of 1939) and Michael McNichols (Class of 1931) went out and found the original Redman mascot standing in front of a cigar store.   "Chief Blackjack" made his first public appearance in his new position at the St. John's-Catholic University football game at Ebbets Field. When the underdog Redmen went on to a 22-0 victory, there was no turning back . Bruce later admitted that he and others returned and paid for the pilfered mascot. The decision was made to change the "Redmen" nickname in 1994 . At the time, colleges nationwide were becoming more sensitive to mounting Native American concerns in reference to collegiate and professional team nicknames that reference Native American culture.  Although the nickname "Redmen" was instituted because the athletes at St. John's wore red, and did not...

Oct. 6, 2015 6:41 PM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — First-year St. John's head coach Chris Mullin has completed his coaching staff, naming fellow Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond a special assistant and Greg St. Jean an assistant. Richmond, a six-time All-Star, played 14 seasons in the NBA, three with Mullin on the Golden State Warriors. Like Mullin he was a two-time Olympian (1988, 1996) and Richmond averaged at least 21.0 points in each of his first 10 professional seasons becoming one of just 10 players in NBA history to do so. A former NBA director of player development, for the past two years Richmond worked with the Sacramento Kings as special assistant to the general manger. St. Jean, the son of former NBA coach Garry St. Jean, spent the last two years working for the Sacramento Kings, most recently serving as the assistant player development coach. He spent two summers working with the Brooklyn Nets.

College Basketball: Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 2:00 pm (Carnesecca Arena) The Creighton Blue Jays will travel to Carnesecca Arena to take on the St. John’s Red Storm this Thursday afternoon in College Basketball action. The Creighton Blue Jays won their 2nd straight game and improved to 9-4 on the season after defeating the Coppin State Eagles, 102-77, this past Monday, December 21st .  The Blue Jays had their offensive flowing in this one and had little trouble getting the victory after taking a 56-36 lead at halftime.  Creighton shot an impressive 60.7% from the field and 52.2% (12-23) from beyond the arc in the victory.  The Blue Jays held the Eagles to 42.4% shooting from the field and was outrebounded by Coppin State by a 42-20 margin.  Leading the way for Creighton was Geoffrey Groselle who had 16 points on 8-8 shooting while pulling down 9 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.  On the season, the Blue Jays have been led by Maurice Watson...

Incredibile ma vero, la 17 giornata della Liga si era aperta così, coi fischi dei quasi settantamila al Bernabeu contro il loro simbolo prima ancora che iniziasse, Real Madrid-Real Sociedad. Fischi che il club ha cercato di coprire alzando a palla la musica dagli altoparlanti dello stadio. Neanche fosse una contropropaganda alla campagna anti-florentino, denunciata in conferenza stampa alla vigilia, da rafa benitez per difendere il real, sin qu, mai stato davvero suo. I fischi sono piovuti poi anche al primo di due rigori regalati ai merengues, dopo che CR7 lo ha sbagliato. Non succede spesso, ma succede: a Cristiano Ronaldo era già capitato il 1 ottobre 2014, in Champions contro il Ludogorets. Anche stavolta, sbagliato il primo, ha freddamente trasformato il secondo. Pure questo un cadeau natalizio, seppure fuori tempo massimo, del senor José Luis González. Una volta sbloccata la pratica, Cristiano - più che il Madrid - è tornato se stesso.  E il suo classico "Eu estou aqu...

Red Storm Hosts Creighton for Conference Opener at Carnesecca Arena  http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/123015aaa.html QUEENS, N.Y. (Dec. 30, 2015) – The St. John’s men’s basketball team will kick off BIG EAST action Thursday at Carnesecca Arena against Creighton (9-4) as part of the conference’s New Year’s Eve twinbill on FS1. Tip-off for the Red Storm’s first league opener in Queens since 2011 is set for 2:15 p.m. Justin Kutcher and Donny Marshall are on the call for the national telecast which is also available via FOX Sports Go . St. John’s IMG Radio Network broadcast can be heard on 970 AM WNYM, SiriusXM channel 81 or through the TuneIn app . St. John’s (7-6) looks to get back on the winning track and maintain its unblemished record versus the Bluejays in New York City on Thursday. After winning seven of the first 10 contests, including a marquee victory over Syracuse at MSG, the Red Storm was sidetracked in its last three games all within a five-d...

FRESH START 1 - The Red Storm got off to a solid start to the non-conference portion of the schedule, despite having to rapidly recruit nine scholarship players after the new coaching staff arrived in April . St. John’s won seven of its first 10 games , which included a marquee victory over Syracuse before 13,473 fans at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13.   Due to the roster overhaul, the Red Storm freshmen have had the opportunity to play big minutes and make significant contributions already in their young careers. They have accounted for nearly 50 percent of the team’s scoring offense and more than one third of the squad’s total rebounds .  Federico Mussini continues to impress as the 6-foot-1 guard from Italy leads the team and ranks 12th in the BIG EAST with a 14.0 scoring average.   Classmate Yankuba Sima is quickly developing into one of the premier centers in the league . His defensive talents have put him on the national radar as he leads Division I with ...

St. John’s hosts its BIG EAST opener for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, which was also the last time the Red Storm won a conference debut defeating Providence 91-67 on Dec. 27, 2011 in Queens. The Red Storm is 6-2 at home this season and has held teams below 60 points in 5 of the 8 contests. Freshmen Federico Mussini (13.8 ppg) and Yankuba Sima (9.8 ppg) are two of the team’s top three scorers at home .  Mussini has hit 20 of his 30 3-pointers in home contests while Sima is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. Only 4 players on St. John’s roster have experienced BIG EAST competition .  Among the team’s newcomers, Durand Johnson is the only player to have previously faced a BIG EAST opponent. As a freshman in 2012-13, Johnson played in all 18 regular-season BIG EAST games at Pitt , which included a season-high 13 point effort at Villanova. St. John’s is tied for fifth in Division I averaging 6.5 blocks per game.  Freshman center Yankuba Sima leads the cou...

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS  BACKCOURT B-  FRONTCOURT C-  BENCH/DEPTH C-  INTANGIBLES B+  LOCATION   Queens, NY CONFERENCE   Big East  LAST SEASON   21-12  CONFERENCE RECORD 10-8 (5th)  STARTERS RETURNING/LOST 0/5 NICKNAME Red Storm  COLORS Red & White  HOMECOURT  Madison Square Garden (19,979)/Carnesecca Arena (5,602)  COACH Chris Mullin (St. John’s ’85)  RECORD AT SCHOOL First year  CAREER RECORD First year  ASSISTANTS  Barry Rohrssen (St. Francis [N.Y.] ’83) - Matt Abdelmassih (St. John’s ’07)  WINS (LAST 5 YRS.) 21-13-17-20-21   RPI (LAST 5 YRS.) 28-156-91-82-52  2014-15 FINISH Lost in NIT first round.  Chris Mullin has returned home . Last spring, Mullin, the Naismith Hall of Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist who spent 16 years in the NBA , took over the head-coaching position at his alma mater, St. John’s....

http://www.omaha.com/creighton/creighton-s-watson-limiting-miscues-after-tough-run/article_fe04abb1-66a6-5465-888a-7486d571028c.html By Steven Pivovar / World-Herald staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 1:00 am Watson limiting miscues after tough run After struggling to adjust early this season, Creighton transfer guard Maurice Watson has 31 assists and 5 turnovers the past four games. Creighton figured it was getting a player in guard Maurice Watson who knew how to distribute the basketball. In 2 seasons at Boston University, Watson recorded 410 assists. As a sophomore during the 2013-14 season, he ranked third nationally in APG (7.1) and AST (248). Five games into his first season with the Bluejays, Watson was still dishing out assists at a high rate. He also was committing turnovers at an alarming rate, raising concerns in some corners about his ability to transition to a higher level of competition. One group that never lost faith in him was his teammates. “We ...

Trenta contro trecento. Facile, troppo facile, leggerla così: con i milioni di pounds a disposizione,rispettivamente, di Ranieri e Pellegrini. Il campo ha detto, anche, altro: molto altro.  Per esempio che il piccolo Leicester City se l'è giocata alla pari con il grande Manchester City; che certo ha fatto "di più" la partita, e ci mancherebbe altro. Ranieri ha rischiato l'overcoaching: 433 con Mahrez e Albrighton alle ali dietro l'unica punta Vardy, e Inler schermo difensivo per mettere fuori partita David Silva come aveva fatto Wenger piazzandogli addosso Flamini. Trucco durato 67 minuti, prima di tornare al prediletto, collaudato 4-4-2, seppur corretto in corsa con Ulloa accanto a Vardy (che quando è al meglio occasioni così non le sbaglia). E con Inler in panca. Là dove Pellegrini ha richiamato, subito dopo, sia Aguero sia David Silva: nello stesso ordine, come contro l'Arsenal. A differenza della gara con i Gunners, stavolta gli Sky Blues un...

On the season thus far: “Overall I’ve been pretty pleased with our team’s effort. We have a lot of new players , a whole new roster. The effort has been good. We’re just trying to gain experience each and every day. Whether it’s a game or practice, each and every day is a new experience for our guys. We’ve been patient and stressing skill work, fundamentals and playing together. Overall we’ve won some games that we didn’t necessarily play well and I thought we’ve lost some games that we played pretty well. I’m trying to be very upfront with the players about their performance and their effort level. From an analytical standpoint and effort standpoint, we just try to be upfront with these guys and let them know what it takes to win college basketball games and how to win in the BIG EAST.” On the matchup against Creighton : “They play a nice fast paced style. They have a really quick guard that ignites everything. Defensively it’s going to be very important we get back in transition . A...

Doubleheader : due partite, e che partite, live, una dietro l'altra. Sarà il San Silvestro del basket NCAA su Fox Sports. Si comincia alle 18.00 con Villanova-Xavier e si prosegue dalle 20.00 con St.John's-Creighton. Lo spettacolo è garantito. Vero, la Big East non è più la conference di una volta, ma i Wildcats di coach Jay Vaughn la vincono da due anni; e i Musketeers di coach Chris Mack sono i più seri candidati a sfidarli in finale. Altrettanto complicato prevedere come finirà tra Red Storm e Bluejays. St. John's ha cambiato tutto, a partire dall'allenatore: non c'è più il colorito Steve Lavin, ora analyst per Fox Sports U.S. Al suo posto è arrivato una leggenda locale, quel Chris Mullin che, da sublime tiratore, St John's l'ha portata alla Final Four nel 1985 prima di diventare una leggenda della NBA e olimpica per i due ori (uno con il Dream Team). Mullin deve costruire un programma che riparte dal talento atletico di Durand Johnson, att...

Quattordici. Sono i punti che separano il Leicester City capolista dal Liverpool, nono in classifica. Il mondo alla rovescia in questa Premier tanto divertente quanto imprevedibile.  Nessuno, a inizio stagione, avrebbe mai potuto pronosticare la squadra del nuovo arrivato Claudio Ranieri prima in massima divisione al Boxing Day, evento mai successo in 131 anni di storia del club. "I think it is a fantastic achievement (to be top of the Premier League at Christmas).  If I understood very well, never was Leicester, at this time, top of the league.  We are very happy.  When the manager and the players make happy the fans, it is fantastic." E nemmeno si poteva pensare che il Liverpool, fallita la gestione-Rodgers, dovesse avviare con Jurgen Klopp e la rivoluzione di ottobre, l'ennesima ricostruzione. Si arriva così al big-match di Santo Stefano con il leicester City che ha vinto 18 delle sue ultime 26 partite, con 6 pareggi e 2 sconfitte. Nel...