Daniel Martin

Onward They March

February 28, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

“The higher you climb on the mountain, the thinner the air gets,” Steve Lavin said before last week’s win over DePaul.

And the upward trek continues for the Red Storm, as they gain ten spots in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll and eight spots in the AP Poll to settle in at #15/15 in the nation this week.

After a convincing win over DePaul at Carnesecca Arena Wednesday night, the Johnnies proved they could win on the road against a ranked opponent, traveling down to Philadelphia and beating #14 Villanova by 13 points.

DJ-Kennedy — DJ Kennedy is breaking out of his slump. He had a double-double (12pts, 14rebs) in Saturday's win over Villanova. (Photo: The New Pittsburgh Courier)

Dwight Hardy, with his 21 points against DePaul and career-high 34 against Villanova, was named to the Big East Honor Roll. Providence’s Marshon Brooks and his incredible 52 points versus Notre Dame was most likely the only thing standing between Hardy and a third straight Big East Player of the Week.

With six wins in a row and eight in the last nine games, St. John’s finds itself in prime position for a double-bye in the Big East Tournament and an increasingly higher projected seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Storm has risen from a 13-seed a few months to a 4-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology.

“A leap in the polls this late in the year provides further evidence that our group is truly galvanized in their purpose to finishing the regular season with momentum,” Lavin said after the polls’ release. “Our seniors are looking forward to completing their final campaign with a postseason run.”

Just weeks ago, it seemed the Red Storm would be on the NCAA Tournament bubble coming down the stretch, but this strong run has changed the season’s outlook entirely. With the win Saturday against Villanova, St. John’s has beaten more Top 15 teams this season than anyone else in the country. They will be favored in remaining regular season games versus Seton Hall and USF, making a 20-win season a strong possibility. It would be the first for the St. John’s program since 2002.

National media attention continues to pick up with the rise in the polls. In the past week, Coach Lavin has appeared on Rome Is Burning, Boomer and Carton on 660AM The Fan, as well as 1070 ESPN Radio in Indianapolis. In his appearance on Pardon the Interruption on ESPN, when asked whether his team could win it all, Lavin responded with something short, yet pithy, “Obviously our goal would be to win the national title. Why wouldn’t it?”

St. John’s takes on Seton Hall Thursday in Newark.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered?

February 23, 2011 by Daniel Martin 2 Comments

Steve Lavin is getting advice from an unlikely source.

“The FedEx guy who delivers packages to my place was raving about Dwight Hardy, as if I hadn’t seen the game,” Lavin joked, with a smile. “He’s a big basketball fan so he gets excited. He says stuff like, ‘Watch out for Rutgers, Coach. They’re tough.’”

St. John's Madison Square Garden — Madison Square Garden has come alive and St. John's fans are the ones who have been awoken.

Whether it was that bump from the postman that has pushed this St. John’s team over the top or something else entirely, the Johnnies stand at #23 in the AP Poll as they face DePaul (7-19, 1-13) at Carnesecca Arena Wednesday night.

In front of a projected sell-out crowd, the Red Storm will be playing with a numbered ranking next to their name for the first time in a decade and the buzz on campus is palpable. “It’s been crazy,” said guard Paris Horne. “It’s been a lot of pats on the back.”

Even with the recent success that has brought national media attention, a spot in the Top 25, and a reenergized fanbase, the Johnnies know they walk a tight rope. With two games this week, a single loss likely means falling from the rankings once again. But, Coach Lavin says it comes with the territory. “You play with a bigger bull’s eye on your chest. The higher you climb on the mountain, the thinner the air gets.”

Filtered through Lavin’s frequent metaphors, the message is still clear: it is solely about basketball at St. John’s. The team discussed possible distractions in practice and is taking things as they come. With such an experienced, senior-laden team, this is the best possible time for this program to have media attention thrust upon it. The sudden spotlight that includes frequent exposure on ESPN, CBS, and major sports radio has made for some interesting circumstances. Both Coach Lavin and the players have become increasingly grateful for unlimited cell phone plans.

“From the court [after the win over Pittsburgh] to the locker room, I had 56 texts messages on my phone,” forward Justin Burrell said. But, that number just scratched the surface of Lavin’s, who said he received between 400 and 450 messages in the 8 hours following the win.

After five wins over Top 15 teams and important road wins over West Virginia and Marquette, the Johnnies enter their game against the Blue Demons in an unfamiliar position: as favorites. First year head coach Oliver Purnell and his team have struggled this season. Inheriting a program that has not had a winning season since 2006-2007, DePaul is still not a team to be taken lightly.

As guard Paris Horne explained, “We still have a lot at stake. [The Blue Demons] have nothing to lose, so why not come out and try to beat us?”

And that is exactly what they will try to do.

Led by 6’8” Big East Freshman of the Year Candidate Cleveland Melvin (14.2 ppg, 5 rpg), DePaul has just one win in Big East play, but has taken a few quality teams down to the wire. After getting their first conference win over Providence on February 17^th, the Blue Demons lost in overtime to #14 Villanova by 2. Previously, they have lost by just 2 points to West Virginia, 3 points to Cincinnati, and 4 points on the road to Louisville.

Melvin, a Baltimore native, is a long, athletic swingman who runs the floor well and plays his best basketball when he can showcase his athleticism in the open floor, scouts say. He can also be a force on the defensive end, rotating off his man to alter shots, averaging 1.5 blocks per game.

The Red Storm will find themselves in a situation much like Villanova did when the Wildcats met DePaul February 19^th: a ranked team, perhaps looking past DePaul to a match-up with a ranked team on the horizon. The Blue Demons are perfect for the role of spoiler, especially with St. John’s coming off a big win over Pittsburgh.

The key for the Johnnies will be setting the pace of the game from the outset. It has worked against NCAA powerhouses and the formula stays the same against a team like DePaul. It seems clichéd at this point, but the Red Storm will stay focused on controlling the basketball, working the clock, and forcing turnovers on the defensive end.

After the loss to Fordham earlier in the year when St. John’s blew a 21 point lead on the road, the Red Storm began using an offensive set primarily to consume clock and conserve big leads. This typically includes running the shot clock down to as little as 15 seconds before running a play. “We slow the game down and make them play our pace,” Horne explains. “We run our pace and try to get a good shot every time.”

That controlled pace has translated into success and prime position heading toward selection Sunday.

The often-literary Steve Lavin put the above success into poetry this week by distributing Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” to each of his players. The line that opens the second stanza reads, “If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;/If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;” and concludes with “…. you’ll be a Man, my son!”

The Johnnies have tournament dreams that could soon be realized, so long as they do not let those dreams become the only thing they see.

Storming Top 25

February 21, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

It’s been a long time coming.

For the first time since November 28^th, 2000, the St. John’s Red Storm are ranked in the Top 25.

After almost cracking the polls last week, settling in at number 31, the Johnnies beat Marquette on the road and scored another big upset at Madison Square Garden by beating Pittsburgh to make their way to #23 in the national AP Poll and #25 in the USA/ESPN coach’s poll.

Many things have changed since the last time St. John’s cracked the Top 25. On November 28^th, 2000, Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women, Part 1” was the biggest song in the country. Jim Carrey’s holiday hit “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was #1 at the box office. Florida was still sorting through ballots to declare a winner in the 2000 Presidential Election.

Now, a decade later, the Johnnies have shaken the monkey from their backs and put themselves in a position to control their own destiny with less than 3 weeks until Selection Sunday.

On a team that is essentially the same from last year, returning all five starters and over 90% of their scoring, much of the credit for this season’s success seems to belong to the coaching staff.

And deservedly so.

Steve Lavin has been just the coach this program was looking for when they hired him last year. Icon/SMI

Steve Lavin has been worth every penny thus far for St. John’s. Inheriting a team that had trouble last season closing out games down the stretch, Lavin has been the play-caller in last second victories over Rutgers, Georgetown, and Pittsburgh. Those games, had they gone the other way, would mean the difference between the position they sit in right now and watching another NCAA Tournament from home.

But the most important part of Lavin’s time in Queens has been off-the-court. He has been a superb ambassador for the St. John’s program, becoming the wind to push them from the doldrums, back into the national spotlight. Lavin has made the rounds in the New York and national media, appearing on 660AM WFAN and 1050 ESPN Radio New York, as well as Sportscenter and his appearance today alongside Dwight Hardy on ESPN First Take. He has reformed the program’s image from “fallen powerhouse” back to legitimate contender in the Big East and a tough matchup come tournament time. And, with the second-ranked recruiting class in the country, the Red Storm want to cement themselves in this spot for a long time to come. Most importantly though, he has earned the respect of his players, leading by example.

“He’s calm. He’s the calmest out of everybody, just sitting there smiling and tells us we’re going to win the game and to stick with it,” the normally soft-spoken Hardy said of the first year head coach. “He talks to each of us individually as the huddle breaks. He tells us what he wants from us and to play basketball the way we’ve been playing since we were five years old. He’s a wonderful coach.”

Dwight Hardy has been the driving force behind the Red Storm’s success all season, averaging over 17 points and tallying 10 games of 20 points or more. Since Coach Lavin made him the starting point guard during an injury-plagued early season for starter Malik Boothe, Hardy has flourished.

After dropping 20 points, including a magical reverse lay-up with 42 seconds left, to sink the 13th ranked Georgetown on January 3^rd, Hardy has taken his game to another level. On January 30^th, at the Garden against 19-1 and 3^rd ranked Duke, Hardy played all 40 minutes and led the Red Storm to the program’s most meaningful victory in a decade. He scored 26 points on 9/13 shooting and committed just one turnover to stun the reigning National Champions.

He has set and broken his career high for points three different times this season, dropping 30 in a loss to Fordham, 32 on the road at UCLA, and 33 the next game in St. John’s upset over #9 UConn on February 10^th.

Dwight Hardy sunk #4 Pitt with a baseline layup February 19th. Anthony Gruppuso/US Presswire

And the latest installment of Hardy’s heroics came Saturday at the Garden, when he danced along the baseline and hit a tough lay-up with 1.2 seconds left to beat #4 Pittsburgh. He finished the game with 19 points and just one turnover, on his way to being named Big East Player of the Week for the second week in a row and third time this season.

His transformation from a contributing bench player last season to a headlining superstar is a big part of the reason the Johnnies are in position to going dancing in March. Lavin’s move to put Hardy at point guard means the ball is in his hands every play, where it is most likely to be a problem for opposing defenses. Hardy’s ability to create off the dribble, especially in clutch situations, opens up the floor not only for himself, but for everyone else around him.

Recent wins by the Red Storm have put them exactly where they want to be, in control of their own fate coming down the stretch. With four games to go before the Big East Tournament, St. John’s could finish with its first 20-win season since 2001-2002. Of the four remaining games, they will undoubtedly be favored in three (vs. DePaul, at Seton Hall, vs. USF) and have an interesting and winnable match-up with Villanova on the road this Saturday.

“I am really proud of our kids to be able to win two games in a three day stretch, which is very difficult to do in the Big East,” Lavin said after the Johnnies’ win over Marquette on Wednesday. “The quick turnaround and having to play two high quality opponents…gives you the opportunity to rehearse for NCAA Tournament conditions.”

If St. John’s succeeds in making the NCAA Tournament, there will be serious talk about Coach Lavin being named Big East (or perhaps even National) Coach of the Year, to which he will most likely respond with at least one reference to a sports or film figure (as he often does in interviews). Dwight Hardy will also make a strong case for Big East Player of the Year, which he would accept in all his humbleness, were he to win. But, regardless of awards and accolades any one individual may attain on this team, the chatter and speculation is quickly turning into fact: college basketball is back in New York City.

Showdown in the Capital

January 25, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

The chatter has to be getting louder, right? As ESPN’s Jay Bilas said during Monday night’s broadcast of the Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh game, “Because conferences like the Pac-10 and SEC are down this year, there is a real possibility that the Big East will become the first conference ever to send double digit teams to the tournament.”

Though, at this point, it is nearly complete speculation, multiple outlets project St. John’s either in the NCAA Tournament or on the bubble. So, as the Johnnies head to Washington DC to play their 7^th straight game against a ranked opponent in #21 Georgetown (14-5, 3-4), the question presents itself, are tournament projections and post-season dreams beginning to slip into the back of their minds?

“You know, I’ve got roommates, I’ve got friends. Everybody’s watching and telling us about it, so I know I’m going to hear it no matter what,” said senior forward Justin Burrell. “I’m really trying to focus on what we can do and what we have control over.”

Dwight Hardy led the Red Storm with 20 points in their January 3rd victory over Georgetown (AP)

This is the new reality in which the St. John’s Red Storm find themselves. For the first time since 2002, the NCAA Tournament is within sight, but a tough remaining Big East schedule stands in the way of this team and what Coach Steve Lavin has dubbed “The Promised Land”.

When the Johnnies take the floor at the Verizon Center Wednesday, they will have a chance to sweep the season series with the Hoyas and add to an already-impressive Big East resume that includes two big wins on the road, and another two victories over then-Top 15 opponents.

In the first meeting between these two teams this season on January 3rd, the Red Storm prevailed at Madison Square Garden 61-58 behind 20 points from senior point guard Dwight Hardy. At that point, St. John’s was thrust into the national spotlight, sitting atop the Big East with a 3-0 conference record and being talked about as a legitimate threat to the powers that be.

Some things have changed since early January.

While still maintaining a Top 25 ranking, the Hoyas lost to both West Virginia and Pittsburgh at home to fall to 1-4 to begin the Big East season. But, they have rebounded to win two games against Rutgers and Seton Hall to pull to 3-4 in conference and 14-5 overall.

“What they do is pretty consistent,” said Coach Steve Lavin of Georgetown’s style-of-play. “The key defensively is containing the ‘Big 3’: Freeman, Wright, and Clark.”

Moving away from the prototypical Hoya gameplan that, in the past, had run through skilled big men like Ewing, Mourning, Hibbert, and Monroe, this team thrives or struggles on the play of these “Big 3”. Collectively, they account for 58% of the total scoring offense for Georgetown and, almost like Christmas lights, when one goes out, the whole team seems to go out.

In that game on January 3^rd, senior point guard Chris Wright scored just 7 points, including shooting 1/7 from 3-pt range. Subsequently, preseason Big East Player of the Year Austin Freeman had 6 points, going 2/10 from the field and Jason Clark had 7 points.

Much of the success defensively was credit to the St. John’s match-up zone, which closed out on shooters quickly and forced Georgetown to end up 4/17 from distance. The place where they need to tighten up, though, is on the boards. Against a team that is 235^th in the nation in rebounds per game, the Red Storm were outrebounded 31-20. “They have been able to counteract the lack of big man by collectively hitting the boards,” said Lavin. This means, especially in the zone defense, forwards Justin Brownlee, Justin Burrell, and Dwayne Polee II are going to need to find a man and box him out, because too many solid defensives possessions have been wasted this year for lack of a defensive rebound to close it out.

The Red Storm (11-7, 4-4) come into this game off a tough 2 point loss to Cincinnati at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday. Going 12/26 from the free throw line, including a rare miss on the front end of a one-and-one by Dwight Hardy as the game wound down, the game came down to variables that were very much within their control, but there was a lack of execution.

“When we lose games, it’s because we’re lackadaisical,” said Burrell. “We shot ourselves in the foot with the free throw situation.”

When St. John’s comes out with energy, confidence, and defensive pressure (see: at WVU, vs. G’Town, vs. Notre Dame), they are a very different team than when they come out flat and lacking aggression (see: at Louisville, at Notre Dame). Coming off two straight losses and with games against #3 Duke and #5 UConn looming on the horizon, this road game against a team the Johnnies have already beaten becomes even more important. “From Day 1, every game is crucial,” said sophomore guard Malik Stith. “This game is a must win for us after losing tw0 straight.”

For Steve Lavin’s squad to leave Our Nation’s Capital with a win, a few things will have to come together. Firstly, the defense will once again have to limit Freeman, Wright, and Clark because the Hoyas put up nearly 76 points per game and, as mentioned before, these three guys are the reason. Secondly, St. John’s will have to win the battle on the boards. Second chance opportunities for a Top 25 team usually spell trouble. And, finally, the Johnnies must make every possession count. This means limit turnovers, use the clock, and make Georgetown play a low-scoring game, much like at the Garden earlier this year. If they can make it a “First to 60 Points Wins”-type game, that is their best chance to come out with the victory.

“I expect them to come out and be aggressive and attack,” said Burrell in closing. “But we’re seniors, we understand what it takes to win the game.”

Polee’s Progress: Halfway Point

January 25, 2011 by Daniel Martin 1 Comment

Coming into the 2010-2011 season, two major storylines surfaced for this St. John’s team. The first, most prominently, was that of this senior-heavy class, trying to make one final push into the NCAA tournament in, this, their final season. The other, one that was somewhat of a wildcard, though still tied to the ultimate success of this senior class, could be found in the lanky, 6’7” frame of freshman Dwayne Polee II.

Even before he stepped on the court for the Red Storm, expectations were high. Committing just weeks after Steve Lavin was named head coach, Polee II was one of the most coveted unsigned players in the Spring signing period, ultimately turning down offers from Oregon and Georgia to join the Red Storm. Because of the quick series of events that landed Polee II in Queens, fans knew little more about him than the video of the high-flyer they had seen in online mixtapes or heard about through blog chatter.

Now, at the midpoint of his first year in Queens, the Los Angeles native has had his ups (16 pts in his college debut vs. St. Mary’s) and his downs (0 pts on 0/3 shooting in just 7 minutes vs. St. Bonaventure). He has certainly shown flashes of brilliance, his first game against St. Mary’s being his most well-rounded game, getting into the passing lanes on defense, shooting from distance, and topping it off with a sensational dunk in transition that gave fans a taste of what the future holds. But, at other times, he has seemed out of rhythm, as during his 2/7 shooting night in only 8 minutes vs. Wagner. Overall, he has put up solid numbers for a contributing freshman, averaging 6.0 points a 3.0 rebounds per game.

Dwayne Polee II has established himself as the most exciting dunker on the Red Storm.

“Like every freshman, at times he’ll hit a wall and regress before he breaks through and makes progress,” said Lavin of Polee II. “He’s right on track, as far as we’re concerned.”

In addition to the work of the Red Storm coach staff, his development at the college level has had much to do with this group of 10 seniors who surround him. In what has become a mutually beneficial relationship, Polee II becomes another helpful piece as these seniors pursue their first NCAA Tournament, while, at the same time, the mature, seasoned upperclassmen have helped Polee II along with aspects of the game that he cannot overcome with his pure talent alone.

“The team has really embraced him,” said Lavin. “You’ll see that in very subtle ways. Whether it’s guys pulling him aside when they huddle at the free throw line, or down under the basket, they’re like coaches out there on the floor.”

If there is one undeniable positive that Polee II has brought to the floor this season, it has been his athleticism. At any one point during the game, chances are he will be the single most athletic player on the floor. With how effortlessly he gets off the floor, Lavin has affectionately referred to him with nicknames like “Bambi” and “Stretch Armstrong”.

But, through different stages in the season, there have been times on both ends of the floor where Polee II has and has not harnessed this natural athleticism.

Offensively, he has developed an effective jumper from 8-10 feet out, usually dribbling across the lane to a jump-stop and knocking it down with relative consistency. On the fast break, where most expected him to flourish, he most certainly has. He has become such an electrifying force in transition, fans have begun to hope for long rebounds on the defensive end, in expectation of a Polee II thrown down in the open floor.

The place where he must continue to improve, though, is ballhandling, especially when in traffic. In the half-court, Polee II has yet to show the consistent ability to take his man off the dribble and attack the rim, or create for others on the floor. Though that responsibility has fallen mainly on the shoulders of senior guard Dwight Hardy, having a long, 6’7” wingman with the ability to stretch the defense off the bounce would add another facet to the Johnnies’ offense. Because of his lack of a completely well-rounded game, he fell into a slump early in the season, settling for jump shots that seemed forced at times.

On the defensive end of the floor is where Polee II has been strong throughout the year.

With his length and jumping ability, he has been an effective piece of Coach Lavin’s match-up zone. Closing out on shooters and rolling to the ball to block shots, Polee II has shown an instinctive nose for getting in passing lanes and putting pressure on his man.

As has been the criticism of Polee II since coming to St. John’s, he needs to add bulk to his lanky frame, which will come with time. His underdeveloped strength is most apparent when he plays man defense on the block or needs to box-out a larger rebounder. Fortunately for him, his superior athleticism allows him to out-jump a lot of bigger post-forward types. This season, it has mostly been a matter of if he is in position.

“With Dwayne, we sometimes use the old Woody Allen adage,” said Lavin. “’Half the battle is showing up.’ If he gets in position to rebound, a lot more are going to fall his way.”

Moving into the second half of the 2010-2011 season, expect Polee II’s role to stay relatively the same. Even during his shooting slump, he has done a good job of not trying to do too much, avoiding bringing the rest of the team down with him. As he becomes more comfortable with the style and pace of Big East basketball, this year and in the rest of his career at St. John’s, he’ll find ways he can more readily contribute and carve out a role that both he and the team benefit from. The game will slow down for him, decision-making will become more fluid, and he’ll be able to make more plays on his own.

“At this point, I’m just trying to be more aggressive and work on my game,” said Polee II.

This is a fortunate time for a young player in a rising program, though. With so many seniors on the roster this season, Polee II is learning what he’ll need to be one of only two returning players next season. Senior leaders like guard Dwight Hardy have left him with lessons he can carry forward.

“I told him, don’t put your head down. If you do that, you can’t focus on the next play,” said Hardy. “He’s a great player and a great kid.”

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