Daniel Martin

Kennedy Out “Indeterminate Amount of Time” With Torn ACL

March 11, 2011 by Daniel Martin 1 Comment

In a season that has been full of ups, the Johnnies have undoubtedly been dealt their lowest low.

Senior forward DJ Kennedy has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee that will keep him out for “an indeterminate amount of time”, the team announced Thursday evening. The injury will require surgery, with a recovery time that could be between six and eight months.

Kennedy went down with just over 14 minutes remaining in the first half of St. John’s loss to Syracuse at the Garden Thursday, falling to the ground after making contact with a Syracuse player on a drive to the basket.

Immediately after going down, Kennedy motioned for the trainers to tend to him while in visible pain. After being examined, he was helped off the floor by teammates Kevin Clark and Jamal White.

“I’ve wanted to play in the NCAA Tournament since I picked up a basketball in grade school, and this is a real blow,” Kennedy said. “I am disappointed on a personal level, but I am happy that I will be with my teammates on the road during the tournament, supporting them the way they always support me.”

Kennedy was taken to the Hospital for Special Surgery for an MRI, which revealed the torn ligament.

NCAA BASKETBALL: JAN 30 Duke at St. John's — Kennedy tore his ACL in St. John's loss to Syracuse Thursday afternoon. (Photo: Icon/SMI)

“This is a tough time to lose both a leader and vital member of our team,” said head coach Steve Lavin. “Our basketball family is determined to bring an inspired effort to pay tribute to D.J. Kennedy for his outstanding contributions to our program. Our players recognize we would not be participating in the NCAA Tournament without D.J.’s efforts. He will continue to add value as we continue our postseason journey.”

The 6’5” swingman from Pittsburgh, PA has been a key contributor in all four seasons with the Red Storm, including leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, three-point and free throw percentage, steals, and minutes played last season. This season, in a more balanced offense that highlighted Kennedy’s versatility, he averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.

His 17 points, including 11/12 from the free throw line, helped St. John’s get a key road win early in the year, on the road against West Virginia. He also tallied back-to-back double-doubles late in the year, including 12 points and an impressive 14 rebounds in a win over #14 Villanova.

This group of nine seniors, which will always be remembered in St. John’s history as the team that revitalized this storied program, has stuck together since their first day in Queens and, as Sean Evans echoed in the press conference following Thursday’s loss, they are more than a basketball team.

“D.J. is a big part of this team, and this hurts me because we’re close on and off the court. It’s not many times you see D.J. and you don’t see me, or you see me and don’t see D.J., so it’s going to be hurtful but I think it’s going to be fuel to the fire and we’re going to have to step up,” said senior forward Sean Evans. “I’m going to play as hard for D.J. and for all my teammates.”

After being knocked out of the Big East Tournament with their loss to Syracuse, the Johnnies will await Selection Sunday when their seed in the NCAA Tournament will be announced.

Big East Honors Burrell, Hardy

March 7, 2011 by Daniel Martin 1 Comment

One day after Dwight Hardy was named to the All-Big East First Team, the accolades continue to roll in for the Johnnies.

The Big East Conference honored Red Storm seniors Justin Burrell and Dwight Hardy on Monday, with Burrell receiving the Sixth Man Award, and Hardy being named the conference’s Most Improved Player.

Averaging 17.9 points per game, up from 10.5 in his junior season, Hardy has been the catalyst for the Johnnies all year, putting up scoring performances of 20 points or more 13 times and reaching the 30 point mark four times.

“With so many great players in the Big East, it is a privilege to be considered the ‘Most Improved Player,” Hardy said. “I spent many hours in the gym working on my game, and this award recognizes the progress I’ve made. My coaching staff and teammates really believe in me, and have helped to make me a better player.”

Burrell, who has returned to the hard-nosed style of play on display during his freshman season, has been a rebounding and defensive force off the bench for the Red Storm.

Averaging 6.6 points and 5 rebounds per game on the season, Burrell was key in St. John’s 80-68 victory over Marquette February 15^th, notching a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

He also had a big performance against #4 Pittsburgh, taking advantage when Pitt big man Gary McGhee was on the bench, tallying his second-best scoring game of the season with 15 points and 6 rebounds.

“This is really exciting, getting this award was one of the goals that Coach Lavin and I talked about from the beginning of the year,” said Burrell. “This could have never happened without my teammates and our unbelievable coaching staff. Coach Lav and Coach Dunlap have been with me from the beginning of the year, and they deserve the credit.”

As a team this week, following a loss to Seton Hall and a win over South Florida, the Red Storm fell from #15 in both polls to #17 in the AP Poll and #18 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, St. John’s is ranked as a #4 seed, slated to play a fellow metro-area team, Iona.

The Big East Tournament begins Tuesday and St. John’s will be watching, as they take on the winner of Seton Hall/Rutgers on Wednesday at 2pm.

Hardy Named to All-Big East First Team

March 6, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

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In a season full of team achievements, the individual honors are beginning to roll in for the Red Storm.

Senior guard Dwight Hardy has been named to the All-Big East First Team, becoming the first St. John’s player to be named to the team since former Red Storm big man Lamont Hamilton in 2007.

“It’s a real honor to be named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Obviously some of the best players all-time at St. John’s, in the league, and in the NCAA are in that company, and I’m very fortunate to join them,” Hardy said. “I want to share this award with my teammates, because you don’t get awards like this without being on a great team.”

Along with Hardy, Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough, Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, Georgetown’s Austin Freeman, Providence’s Marshon Brooks, and Pittsburgh’s Ashton Gibbs received the honor.

Dwight Hardy, John Shurna — Hardy has found his way into the national spotlight with a breakout senior season. (Photo: WordPress)

Hardy, a Bronx native, contributed off the bench last season for the Red Storm before bursting onto the national scene this year, averaging nearly 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the regular season.

Since Coach Steve Lavin made the move to play Hardy predominantly at point guard, the 6’2″ guard has flourished, scoring over 20 points in 13 games this year. He has also set a career high in scoring four separate times, including 33 points in a win over #9 UConn, and 34 in an important road win over #14 Villanova on February 26^th.

There has been no shortage of heroics, either.

Hardy hit a tough reverse lay-up with under a minute to go against Georgetown on January 3^rd to help the Johnnies to their first marquee win of the year. Then, against #4 Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden, he performed the most famous pirouette in the history of St. John’s basketball, dancing the baseline and hitting a layup with 1.2 seconds to give the Red Storm the victory.

“Dwight Hardy is as deserving of the All-BIG EAST Conference recognition as any player I’ve coached,” said coach Steve Lavin. “The dominating performance and leadership Dwight has provided over the course of his senior year has been a catalyst in St. John’s successful season.”

With the Big East Player of the Year award will be announced Tuesday and Hardy remains in the running, though latest updates show Providence’s Marshon Brooks in the lead.

St. John’s is back in action Wednesday at 2pm, as they take on the winner of Seton Hall/Rutgers in the second round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Johnnies Look to Black Out Bulls

March 5, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

Following a road loss to Seton Hall Thursday night, the St. John’s Men’s basketball team returned to Queens Friday for a full day of practice and meeting with the media.

The mood in this press conference preceding the Red Storm’s match-up with South Florida had a different tone. Coach Steve Lavin and the players conveyed a very business-like, learn-and-move-on attitude, putting Thursday’s loss aside and looking forward to Senior Night at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday.

“Big picture, it’s the Big East Conference. If Seton Hall can go into the Carrier Dome and win by 20-plus points, they can clearly beat us on their home court in a late season game,” Lavin said. “The nature of this conference is, if you don’t bring an A-level effort, you’re gonna get beat.”

NCAA BASKETBALL: FEB 05 St. John's at UCLA — Justin Burrell will play a big role in guarding USF's best post player, Augustus Gilchrist (Icon/SMI)

As a team fueled by a metro-area rivalry and the energy of playing spoiler, the Pirates shot significantly better from the field (64%) and from 3-point range (67%) than their season averages (41% and 28%, respectively). That impressive team performance, highlighted by senior guard Jeremy Hazell’s 31 points and freshman Fuquan Edwin shooting 5/6 from long distance, helped to lessen the impact of the 18 turnovers Seton Hall committed. That fact, coupled with a lack of energy and a loose zone defense from St. John’s ultimately led to the upset victory for the Pirates.

A few tense moments at the end of the game showed the Johnnies’ frustration, including two technical fouls on Lavin that led to his ejection, and a hard foul and taunt by forward Justin Burrell that led to his ejection as well.

The Big East will take no further action and will not hand down a suspension to either Lavin or Burrell.

But, much like the loss to Fordham earlier in the year, the coaching staff has used this defeat to highlight key lessons moving forward.

“If the lesson resonates, and there’s a powerful take-away that helps you elevate your level of play, then there are times that a setback can be a springboard for better basketball,” said Lavin.

The Red Storm hope to springboard into a victory on what is sure to be a memorable Senior Night Saturday versus South Florida. A sold out crowd of over 6,000 will look on as these nine seniors take the court for the final time at Carnesecca Arena. Not only is it Steve Lavin Bobblehead Night, but fans will receive free black t-shirts to have a “blackout” at Carnesecca.

St. John’s players will be wearing their alternate black jerseys to complete the occasion. The Johnnies are 0-5 when wearing the black uniforms, including a loss earlier this year to Fordham. For trying to turn the tide, Lavin credits the decision to wear black to Justin Burrell.

“The black jerseys are awesome. I love them. They’re probably one of my favorite ones,” said Burrell. “And also because we haven’t gotten a win in those jerseys, so it would be great to go out winning in those jerseys in front of our home crowd.”

This will be bittersweet night, brightened by the fact that this will not be the last game together for this large group of seniors. Still, many memories will be left on the floor at Carnesecca.

“From day one, from us being freshman coming in, there have been a lot of sweat, blood, tears into this building and on the floor at Carnesecca [Arena] and Taffner [Fieldhouse],” said senior guard Paris Horne. “So it’s a special night for us.”

And, once the ceremonies end, the Johnnies will see that South Florida has come to play.

The Bulls (9-20, 3-13) lost last year’s star and leading scorer Dominique Jones to the NBA and have struggled since his departure. With the loss of Jones’ scoring ability, the Bulls put up just 61.9 points per game as a team, with leading scorer Augustus Gilchrist averaging 13.1 points per game.

Gilchrist is a big, muscular junior forward from Clinton, Maryland who originally signed with the Maryland Terrapins coming out of high school, before transferring to USF. His 6-10, 245 lb frame draws attention down on the block and he has displayed solid rebounding skills, averaging 6.2 rebounds per game this year.

South Florida is not a team that beats opponents with one superstar and some help from the supporting cast, as they did last season. Their three Big East wins came over DePaul (twice) and Providence, so they lack a marquee in-conference win, but the Johnnies are still preparing as they would for any other game. Much like St. Bonaventure snuck out of Carnesecca Arena with an upset victory earlier this season, the Bulls are looking to do the same. But, these seniors are determined to keep that from happening.

“We have to come compete for 40 minutes every game,” said senior forward Sean Evans. “Any team can beat any team on a given night.”

In practice, Coach Lavin stressed “revisiting the essentials” that win games at this point in the year; those essentials that have gotten the Red Storm victories over six Top 15 teams and at least a 5-seed in the Big East Tournament. Moving forward, Lavin is keeping his perspective grounded:

“If it takes a sock in the mouth, or smelling salts, or getting beat by Seton Hall to awaken for the tough road ahead, then it may end of up being a blessing in disguise.”

Johnnies Set Sail to Take on Pirates

March 2, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

Even with all the attention surrounding the #15 St. John’s Red Storm, players say only a few small things have changed.

“I’m sitting in class, the girl I’ve been interested in for the whole semester kind of gives me a smile that on a different day when I walk in, probably wouldn’t have gotten one before,” forward Justin Burrell joked. “The lunch lady gave me a couple extra fries in the bottom of the bag. Stuff like that.”

That relaxed, “take-things-as-they-come” attitude continues to pervade the St. John’s locker room and keep them from being caught up in the glitz and glamour that comes with being the 15^th ranked team in the country.

After moving up 10 spots in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll this past week, the Johnnies are heavily favored in their two remaining regular season games, Thursday at Seton Hall and Saturday versus South Florida at Carnesecca Arena.

These two final regular season games force the Red Storm to switch gears. Coming off an important road win over #14 Villanova, the Red Storm must take care of business against two sub-.500 opponents to secure a double-bye in the Big East Tournament.

“These games are actually harder,” Burrell said. “If you see throughout college basketball when a team that…is supposed to win a game, if you see those games, it’s sometimes close because teams overlook or don’t come out with the same intensity.”

Thursday’s match-up with Seton Hall at the Prudential Center will be an interesting one for St. John’s because, though the Pirates have won just five Big East games (with four of those wins coming over DePaul, Rutgers, Providence, and USF), they traveled to the Carrier Dome in late January and beat Syracuse by 22 points.

“We’re a real mature team. In this league, anyone can beat anyone,” said senior forward Sean Evans. “We’re going to go in there, same focus as if we were playing the number one team in the conference or the last place team in the conference.”

Senior guard Jeremy Hazell, who missed 13 games for the Pirates this year with a broken bone in his left wrist, is a volume shooter who can put points up in a hurry. Now healthy, Hazell is averaging 18.5 points per game, including outbursts of 28 points in their big win at Syracuse, and another 28 early in the year in a win over Cornell.

Last year at Carnesecca Arena, Hazell dropped 10 points on 4/6 shooting in the first 12 minutes before leaving the game with a deep cut in his right hand. Despite Hazell’s absence, Seton Hall won 59-50 behind 16 points from forward Jeff Robinson.

Along with Hazell, junior forward Herb Pope can play impact basketball on the inside, averaging almost a double-double, with 10 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Guarding Pope, who also happens to be a friend of Justin Burrell’s off the court, will be the duty of St. John’s Big 3 forwards: Brownlee, Burrell, and the reemerging Sean Evans.

“To this point, there hasn’t been any indication of a letdown,” said Coach Steve Lavin. “I think, in a lot of our losses, it was more confidence, or not understanding how to salt a victory away, or not counter-punching when a team made a run on us and the inability to come back late in a game.”

“Every game we come out, we’re going to try to win and our goal is to win a national championship, as is any other college team in the country.” -Sean Evans

It seems the Johnnies have struck a balance between a short term vision and clear recognition of long term goals. Lavin has called every game “the most important game of the year”, but the team is still cognizant of their national rank and NCAA Tournament prospects.

“We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position and we don’t ever want to forget the brick and mortar, the fundamentals, and the degrees of focus that it took to get to this point,” said Lavin.

And as the Red Storm rolls into Newark Thursday night, they will be bringing the brick and mortar, hoping to build their way to a national title run.

“We don’t play just to play, we play to win,” said Evans. “Every game we come out, we’re going to try to win and our goal is to win a national championship, as is any other college team in the country.”

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