I give UConn a lot of credit, they played an awesome second half. As others have said, I'm very proud of this team. There is a lot of uncertainty now as to what is going to happen with RP and, I suppose, some players. Whatever happens, I will always love our Iona Gaels.
Thanks for an enjoyable season.
Go Gaels!!!
Yes, I have enjoyed this season thoroughly, and getting to converse with such a good fanbase.
Will be interested to see who escapes out of this loaded West region. I predict the NCAA champ will prevail from this region, be it UConn, UCLA, Kansas, Gonzaga. I hate that we were thrown into it, but the Gaels played a first half worthy of champions.
Guys I’m frustrated in the fact that we may never see this mid-major win an NCAA game. We have a good program but never can win a tournament game. Now with coach Pitino rumored to be leaving (many of you will be thrilled especially 70) we’re stuck in the MAAC and recruiting will be tough as well as winning a NCAA Tournament Game
It'll happen. Would've happened this season, but drew one of the best teams in the country. A 1 or 2 seed masked as a 4 seed.
Losing RP wouldn't be the end of the world. The NCAA pretty much hates him, has for a long time. The only coach to ever have a title vacated should tell people something. They stuck it to him with UConn in this first draw. He'll always have a target on his back, won't be given any breaks as long as the current people running the show continue running it. So if an NCAA win is the top goal for Gaels fans, honestly, someone other than RP wouldn't be the worst thing at a mid-major like Iona.
The more I think about it, the more I think it would be good for RP and good for Iona if he ends up going to the Big East. He needed back in the game, Iona gave him that opportunity. Some younger blood to take what's he's built with the majority of these players coming back could be a win-win for all, and RP back in a Power 5 is more in his wheelhouse, as he'll need all the help he can get when it comes to March.
Sorry, I don't agree with just about anything of your post. IF they screwed Iona by dropping UCONN a seed. Doesn't that mean they also screwed UCONN, by making them play a 13 seed, instead of a 14 or 15?
Exactly what is it that he's built? He leaves now, it's no different than before he came.
Look I want Pitino to return because I think the 10 returning players deserve a shot at running it back at Iona next year. They dealt with injuries, off the court distractions and still gave Iona and Pitino everything they had.
Do I think he comes back? Slight chance of happening, but when I read comments from Masiello saying his plan is to be on Pitino's staff next yr that makes me believe he's gone
It'll happen. Would've happened this season, but drew one of the best teams in the country. A 1 or 2 seed masked as a 4 seed.
Losing RP wouldn't be the end of the world. The NCAA pretty much hates him, has for a long time. The only coach to ever have a title vacated should tell people something. They stuck it to him with UConn in this first draw. He'll always have a target on his back, won't be given any breaks as long as the current people running the show continue running it. So if an NCAA win is the top goal for Gaels fans, honestly, someone other than RP wouldn't be the worst thing at a mid-major like Iona.
The more I think about it, the more I think it would be good for RP and good for Iona if he ends up going to the Big East. He needed back in the game, Iona gave him that opportunity. Some younger blood to take what's he's built with the majority of these players coming back could be a win-win for all, and RP back in a Power 5 is more in his wheelhouse, as he'll need all the help he can get when it comes to March.
Sorry, I don't agree with just about anything of your post. IF they screwed Iona by dropping UCONN a seed. Doesn't that mean they also screwed UCONN, by making them play a 13 seed, instead of a 14 or 15?
Exactly what is it that he's built? He leaves now, it's no different than before he came.
Look I want Pitino to return because I think the 10 returning players deserve a shot at running it back at Iona next year. They dealt with injuries, off the court distractions and still gave Iona and Pitino everything they had.
Do I think he comes back? Slight chance of happening, but when I read comments from Masiello saying his plan is to be on Pitino's staff next yr that makes me believe he's gone
They didn't just drop UConn a seed, they dropped them two seeds. If the NCAA is not going to honor the NET, they shouldn't use it. UConn should've been a 2-seed, at worst. (And while the committee doesn't use KenPom, it's still the best metric in the game, and by KenPom, UConn would've been a 1 seed). Yeah, it wasn't fair to the Huskies, but is was way more unjust to the 13-seed. Iona would've beaten the likes of Virginia, Tennessee, Xavier (a 3-seed), et al. And UConn, being a true 1 or 2 seed, and one of only two teams ranked inside the Top 20 of offense and defense per KenPom, isn't going to be fazed by a 13 seed. So it screwed the 13 seed way, way, way, way more.
He's "built" one helluva team. That's what I meant by that. Every key player (except BJL) would be returning. If RP leaves and takes any player with him, I think that's just plain wrong, ethically and professionally. If he departs, he needs to start over fresh wherever he goes. His son, Richard, took Mashburn, Jr., with him to New Mexico. However, Richard was fired, so different circumstances. Carey hired RP when no one else would touch him with a 10-foot pole. You don't pillage the team if you go, you don't take even one player. You leave it in tact. That's if he leaves. Maybe he stays. I have no clue on that front. From what I've gathered from this board, St. John's sounds like a dump.
...just thought I'd add, if I'm RP, I return with the roster I have. He wants to get to another Final Four, next year's his best shot. I still maintain this team could've run to the Final Four had it been in any other region. It ran into a buzzsaw.
If I'm RP, I return, and work all offseason on my half-court defense, and have nothing but a Final Four or more as the team goal next year. It's very rare when you have such a collection of players returning. I think he'd be crazy to leave it.
Sorry, I don't agree with just about anything of your post. IF they screwed Iona by dropping UCONN a seed. Doesn't that mean they also screwed UCONN, by making them play a 13 seed, instead of a 14 or 15?
Exactly what is it that he's built? He leaves now, it's no different than before he came.
Look I want Pitino to return because I think the 10 returning players deserve a shot at running it back at Iona next year. They dealt with injuries, off the court distractions and still gave Iona and Pitino everything they had.
Do I think he comes back? Slight chance of happening, but when I read comments from Masiello saying his plan is to be on Pitino's staff next yr that makes me believe he's gone
They didn't just drop UConn a seed, they dropped them two seeds. If the NCAA is not going to honor the NET, they shouldn't use it. UConn should've been a 2-seed, at worst. (And while the committee doesn't use KenPom, it's still the best metric in the game, and by KenPom, UConn would've been a 1 seed). Yeah, it wasn't fair to the Huskies, but is was way more unjust to the 13-seed. Iona would've beaten the likes of Virginia, Tennessee, Xavier (a 3-seed), et al. And UConn, being a true 1 or 2 seed, and one of only two teams ranked inside the Top 20 of offense and defense per KenPom, isn't going to be fazed by a 13 seed. So it screwed the 13 seed way, way, way, way more.
He's "built" one helluva team. That's what I meant by that. Every key player (except BJL) would be returning. If RP leaves and takes any player with him, I think that's just plain wrong, ethically and professionally. If he departs, he needs to start over fresh wherever he goes. His son, Richard, took Mashburn, Jr., with him to New Mexico. However, Richard was fired, so different circumstances. Carey hired RP when no one else would touch him with a 10-foot pole. You don't pillage the team if you go, you don't take even one player. You leave it in tact. That's if he leaves. Maybe he stays. I have no clue on that front. From what I've gathered from this board, St. John's sounds like a dump.
Have to agree to disagree as far as UCONN. I love Iona hoops, constantly supporting and defending, but sorry just can't say Iona would have beaten all those teams you listed. Unfortunately today was the same old same old for Iona. Play a solid 1st half and fold in the 2nd. Sucks. But is what it is.
They didn't just drop UConn a seed, they dropped them two seeds. If the NCAA is not going to honor the NET, they shouldn't use it. UConn should've been a 2-seed, at worst. (And while the committee doesn't use KenPom, it's still the best metric in the game, and by KenPom, UConn would've been a 1 seed). Yeah, it wasn't fair to the Huskies, but is was way more unjust to the 13-seed. Iona would've beaten the likes of Virginia, Tennessee, Xavier (a 3-seed), et al. And UConn, being a true 1 or 2 seed, and one of only two teams ranked inside the Top 20 of offense and defense per KenPom, isn't going to be fazed by a 13 seed. So it screwed the 13 seed way, way, way, way more.
He's "built" one helluva team. That's what I meant by that. Every key player (except BJL) would be returning. If RP leaves and takes any player with him, I think that's just plain wrong, ethically and professionally. If he departs, he needs to start over fresh wherever he goes. His son, Richard, took Mashburn, Jr., with him to New Mexico. However, Richard was fired, so different circumstances. Carey hired RP when no one else would touch him with a 10-foot pole. You don't pillage the team if you go, you don't take even one player. You leave it in tact. That's if he leaves. Maybe he stays. I have no clue on that front. From what I've gathered from this board, St. John's sounds like a dump.
Have to agree to disagree as far as UCONN. I love Iona hoops, constantly supporting and defending, but sorry just can't say Iona would have beaten all those teams you listed. Unfortunately today was the same old same old for Iona. Play a solid 1st half and fold in the 2nd. Sucks. But is what it is.
Purdue just proved my point. They were not a No. 1 seed by any metric. Purdue's coach is a clown, who has never done anything in the Big Dance. Ditto for Tennessee's coach and Xavier's coach, and except for one lucky year, Virginia's coach. Iona would've beaten all of those teams.
They need to rename this the Worldwide Wes Invitational, because the two teams he's connected at the hips with (Kentucky and Duke) were handed cakewalks to play in his building. I'm done with this year's tournament. The way it was seeded and set-up was criminal for too many teams.
Iona should consider giving Walter McCarty a call. Not sure if he has any interest in coaching, but he was impressive in his short stint as a head coach...the only coach to ever lead a true mid major (Evansville) to a win over a No. 1 team on its home floor (Kentucky). He'd also be good with this roster, as he was a longtime assistant on RP's bench at Louisville, and could keep the same system in tact. He was also an assistant under Brad Stevens with the Celtics. Some weird title nine thing took him out of Evansville, though I heard it was hearsay and never checked out, fwiw.
Iona should consider giving Walter McCarty a call. Not sure if he has any interest in coaching, but he was impressive in his short stint as a head coach...the only coach to ever lead a true mid major (Evansville) to a win over a No. 1 team on its home floor (Kentucky). He'd also be good with this roster, as he was a longtime assistant on RP's bench at Louisville, and could keep the same system in tact. He was also an assistant under Brad Stevens with the Celtics. Some weird title nine thing took him out of Evansville, though I heard it was hearsay and never checked out, fwiw.
No thanks. Pitino was "cleared", look what it got Iona. If Pitino does shit on Iona and the players, why would Iona want anything to do with anybody connected to Pitino.
Hope you're right, but not sure why you think this roster sticks together.
There were rumblings a couple guys might leave even if Pitino returns
