Johnny Jungle

The 6th Man of St. John's Basketball

For the die hard St. John's fan.
The unofficial 6th man. est. '07
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The Road to St. John’s Basketball: Justin Burrell Before the Red Storm

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Image for MaxPreps Video.

With his enormous frame and ability to do his will in the paint, Justin Burrell has been a physical presence since high school.

During his senior season at Our Savior Lutheran High School, as he is seen in the video above, he averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game.

Burrell took a prep year at Bridgton Academy (ME) and dominated again, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He then signed with former head coach Norm Roberts to head back to his hometown of New York City and play for the Red Storm.

(Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
In his sensational freshman season with St. John’s, Justin Burrell established himself as a big-bodied enforcer who came ready for the physicality of the Big East.

As a freshman, Burrell averaged nearly 11 points and 6 rebounds per game, earning the honor of being on the Big East All-Freshman Team.

Unfortunately, in late December of his sophomore season, he suffered a facial fracture and saw a slight drop in his minutes and production. He finished the season averaging 9 points and 4.5 rebounds.

His number dipped more in his junior season, but was still a major contributor, including his 14 point, 8 rebounds performance in a blowout win over Louisville at Madison Square Garden.

Under new head coach Steve Lavin in his senior season, Burrell took on a different role, but he fit in seamlessly and made an impact off the bench. His 6 points and nearly 5 rebounds per game earned him the Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award, bringing his career full-circle. He began his four years with the Red Storm by being recognized by the Big East, and he finished it that way, too.

He is now listed at 6’8″, 244 pounds, with shoulders like an NFL linebacker. Especially this past year, in his senior season, he has learned to harness his physical gifts and make himself a force on the block and on the glass. As a complement to Dwayne Polee II off the bench, he showed he understood and was willing to rebound and play defense to help his team to the NCAA Tournament.

Burrell has signed with Diamond Sports Agency and has worked out for the Clippers and Bobcats, among other teams. Video of Burrell’s workout with Charlotte can be found here. His size and bulk down low will be most attractive to pro teams and reports are that he performed well in his workouts.

Indications are that he will not get drafted, but he could make an NBA team as a free agent or have a bright future waiting for him overseas.

The Week That Was: College Basketball News, Week of June 13, 2011

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(Photo: wnymedia.com)
June 15th: First Day to Call 2013 Recruits

Though some teams don’t have their 2011 recruiting classes rounded out, Wednesday brought the first day coaches could call 2013 recruits.

Take a look at JohnnyJungle.com’s 2013 recruiting database here.

Matt Prehm of 247Sports.com has a roundup of some West Coast prospects in 2013.

(Photo: Newsday)
Dwight Hardy Will Work Out for New Jersey Nets

Adam Zagoria of SNY is reporting that Dwight Hardy will work out for the Nets on Monday.

JohnnyJungle.com looks at Hardy, along with fellow St. John’s graduate Sean Evans, in a pre-NBA Draft feature.

NBADraftBlog.com takes a look at all facets of Dwight Hardy’s game and where he may land in the draft.

Dwayne Polee II Will Transfer to San Diego State

JohnnyJungle.com reported that the former Red Storm forward would be headed out West to play for the Aztecs.

Mike Miller of NBC Sports writes about what it could mean for head coach Steve Fisher’s rebuilding program.

(Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Kentucky Will Vacate 42 Calipari Wins

Kentucky, who celebrated John Calipari’s 500th victory on February 26th, is working with the NCAA and vacating 42 of John Calipari’s wins that he had at UMass and Memphis.

Wildcat blog ASeaofBlue.com has some commentary on the decision.

St. John’s will take on Kentucky at Rupp Arena on December 5th, 2011, as was reported last month.

(Photo: DoorstepNews.com)
CBS and Big Ten Conference Reach Agreement

The deal means Big Ten basketball will be broadcast on the network through 2016-2017.

Minneapolis Daily has the details here.

(Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Arkansas Denying Rotnei Clarke Transfer

The Hogs’ leading scorer from last season has requested a transfer, but has been denied, despite two other players being granted their release.

Matt Jones of WholeHogSports.com elaborates.

Scouting St. John’s: Are Dwight Hardy and Sean Evans ready for the NBA?

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In the lead-up to the NBA Draft, JohnnyJungle.com continues to look at the graduating St. John’s seniors and how they could fare at the professional level. Today, Dwight Hardy and Sean Evans.

(Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Dwight Hardy

Hardy was the national face of the revitalized and reenergized program in 2010-2011. Beginning with his dominant performance against Georgetown to kick off Big East play, the ball kept rolling from there. The Bronx native ended up averaging just over 18 points per game and was named to the All-Big East First Team.

Now post-graduation, the next phase of his basketball career begins.

Hardy recently returned from Europe, where he worked out for teams in France. Also, Adam Zagoria of SNY is reporting that Hardy will be working out for the New Jersey Nets on Monday.

During his college career, Hardy was a pure scorer, both during his time at Indian Hills and at St. John’s. The key to his game, especially during his senior season with the Red Storm, was his ability to score in any number of ways. His dribble penetration was his biggest strength, getting to the rim, especially in the clutch.

Head coach Steve Lavin compared Hardy to Miami Heat guard Eddie House at the beginning of the season, and that is the role he could play in the NBA. Off the bench, he could be a 3pt shooting sparkplug that can put up points in a hurry. Questions still remain about his capacity to be a true, distributing point guard, which is why he may need a few seasons to develop his game overseas before making his way to the NBA.

(Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Sean Evans

If there was one thing Sean Evans did relentlessly in his time with the Red Storm, it was offensive rebound.

Much like fellow St. John’s graduate Justin Burrell, Evans 6’8, 259 lb. frame is something NBA teams would covet.

He was inconsistent on the offensive end in his time at St. John’s, but had flashes of strong work in the post. He is also working to harness the physical gifts that he already has. This past season showed another part of Evans: his hard work.

Early in the year, he was seeing very little time on the floor, playing less than 5 minutes in six of the first eleven games. Lavin stressed that each practice was a chance for players to fight for time, and Evans did just that. Down the stretch, he was an integral part of the Red Storm rotation and chalked up a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Big East Tournament.

Recently, he has been working out independently on the West Coast, including workouts with fellow Philadelphia natives Marcus and Markieff Morris.

Projections show Evans, too, will not get drafted, but his size could be an asset to him as he looks for pro teams in perhaps Europe, or elsewhere. As he continues to work on finishing around the rim, he could be a contributing big man at the professional level.

St. John’s Adds ESPN Game Against Detroit Mercy, Titans to Honor Dick Vitale

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Just one St. John’s recruit from the Class of 2011 is on campus, but the Red Storm have added another nationally-televised game to their schedule for 2011-2012.

The Red Storm will be taking on Detroit Mercy on December 5th, the night that the Titans are to honor their former coach, current ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, by naming their court at Calihan Hall after him. The game will air on ESPN2.

“Dick is an icon and legendary hoops ambassador that clearly deserves the continued recognition for his endless contributions to the game of basketball,” said head coach Steve Lavin. “No one has worked harder and dedicated more time than Dick in an effort to elevate the popularity of college basketball.”

St. John’s travels to Detroit just four days after they are scheduled to take on a reloaded Kentucky team at Rupp Arena on December 1st on the ESPN family of networks. That would mean two nationally-televised game in less than a week, a great deal of exposure for one of the youngest teams in Division I basketball history.

“Our matchup against the experienced Titans in a hostile environment will provide our young team with both a challenging and valuable learning experience,” said Lavin.

In addition, the Red Storm will take part in the 2K Sports Classic in November, another high-profile tournament, taking place at Madison Square Garden.

Dick Vitale is entering his 32nd year calling games with ESPN, long enough to have called the first college hoops game on the network, a 90-77 DePaul victory over Wisconsin. Previous to his television work, Vitale coached Detroit Mercy for four seasons, including one NCAA Tournament appearance and an overall winning percentage of .722.

St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin is a former colleague of Vitale at ESPN and the two have worked together with Vitale’s V Foundation, which benefits cancer research. Lavin famously wore white Nike shoes for the majority of the 2010-2011 season, which benefited Coaches vs. Cancer.

God’sgift Achiuwa Arrives on Campus

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The last member signed to Steve Lavin’s highly-ranked recruiting class becomes the first to step on campus in Queens.

God’sgift Achiuwa, the junior college transfer from Erie CC (NY) is enrolled in summer classes at St. John’s and has begun working out with the Red Storm coaching staff.

The Nigerian-born Achiuwa has officially begun his St. John's career. (Photo:
“It is a very nice experience being around these great coaches with great minds and I am very happy to be around them,” the Nigerian native said in a press release. “I am learning a lot from them, so I am taking advantage of the opportunity to be around them.”

The 6’9”, 240 pound big man was named to the NJCAA All-America First Team for the second consecutive season after averaging nearly 22 points and 12 rebounds per game. When he signed with the Red Storm in late April, he garnered national interest; not only for his unique name, but because he could perhaps be the missing piece for this already-talented 2011 recruiting class.

With the loss of Justin Burrell to graduation, Achiuwa could settle into the role Burrell had last season, as a powerful forward off the bench. The two have a similar physical build, and Achiuwa’s size and bulk complement the length and lankiness of other big men in this St. John’s class.

Achiuwa will, mostly likely, be competing for minutes with freshman Norvel Pelle, though they could both see starts and switch roles throughout the year. The two may even be on the floor at the same time, if the Red Storm feature a larger, post-oriented lineup.

Following his signing, Achiuwa made the rounds in the media, including an appearance on ESPN’s First Take. Fans can get a closer look at Achiuwa here, in St. John’s first video blog for the Class of 2011.