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St. John’s Steals Win on Road Against Cincinnati on Harkless Putback

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This is what St. John’s and its fanbase needed.

With Steve Lavin still gathering energy to return to the sideline and the ups and downs of the recruiting game taking their course, victories like this help to retain the energy upon which St. John’s rode into the 2011-12 season.

Behind 18 points from freshman D’Angelo Harrison and another double-double, including a game-winning putback as time expired, from freshman Moe Harkless, St. John’s took down the Cincinnati Bearcats, 57-55, on Saturday afternoon, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.

At points, it wasn’t pretty (consider 22 offensive rebounds for the Bearcats and 19 Red Storm turnovers), but St. John’s did enough on the road to get the win and improve to 8-7 on the year and 2-2 in the Big East.

JohnnyJungle.com takes a look at the key points in St. John’s second win of the Big East season.

Lasting Impressions

Transition Game Is Comfortable

Against teams like Kentucky and Connecticut, St. John’s tried to use the half-court set to burn clock and avoid foul trouble. In that attack, the Red Storm had difficulty creating shots with a short shot clock and had stretches where their offense stalled.

Today against Cincinnati, Harrison, Pointer, Harkless, and Greene all led the break at different times, allowing the Red Storm athletes to work in what head coach Steve Lavin has called the “scattered court.” By converting in transition, there was more confidence when forced into the half-court set.

D’Angelo Harrison: “The New D-Buckets”

Last year, Dwight Hardy was the engine that drove the Red Storm. This season, that responsibility has fallen to Harrison, who is the volume scorer that St. John’s looks to anchor their scoring attack.

Harrison had 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but hit 3-of-8 from distance and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Also, on the Red Storm’s final possession, his dribble-drive into the lane freed Moe Harkless up for his game-winning putback.

Turnovers and Offensive Rebounding Still and Issue

The Red Storm turned the ball over 19 times on Saturday afternoon, and that, in part, can be blamed on the increase in tempo, but it should still be an area of concern.

On the other hand, Cincinnati only turned the ball over six times. The Bearcats biggest problem was their shooting percentage, going just 20-of-76 from the floor. This allowed them to grab 22 offensive rebounds.

Moving Forward

The Red Storm take on No. 20 Marquette on Wednesday night, another tough road matchup.

This game is a confidence-builder for Amir Garrett, who had an efficient and passionate 8 points, on 3-of-4 shooting. As he continues to settle into the offense and the college game slows for him, the Red Storm will add another strong piece off the bench.

St. John’s ability to grind it out on the road, having been down at halftime, helps to prove to themselves that they can hang in the Big East.

The reality is this, and it has been echoed the entire season: there will be growing pains. With a team so young and lacking depth on the bench, by virtue of circumstance, losses will happen. But victories like this, a mild upset on the road against Cincinnati, builds confidence, moving forward, and continues to build a solid foundation for the rest of the season and into the future.

Bridgton Academy’s Darrick Wood Decommits from St. John’s

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St. John’s commit Darrick Wood (Bridgton, ’12) has reopened his recruitment, according to Jeremy Bauman of Five Star Basketball.

“It was based off me wanting to make the right decision for my future, me being patient with the whole recruiting process and just putting myself in the best situation,” Wood told Five Star. “My AAU coaches and parents just told me to take it slow and make the right decision for me. Last time, I jumped into it because I thought the situation was right for me.”

Wood becomes the next in line, following JaKarr Sampson, Norvel Pelle, and Ricardo Gathers, to choose to keep their options open, after initially choosing the Red Storm.

Amir Garrett, who joined St. John’s in December, played alongside Wood for a semester at Bridgton Academy in Maine.

“Me and Amir are cool. We played a few games together and we have that St. John’s bond,” Wood told JohnnyJungle.com in October.

In that same interview, Wood expanded on his relationship with Ricardo Gathers, saying the two had become friends and communicated through text message on a semi-regular basis.

The underlying theme to the recent decommitments of Sampson, Pelle, Gathers, and now Wood, along with the transfer of sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsey, are lingering questions about head coach Steve Lavin’s health and how soon he will return to the sidelines.

Many recruits emphasized the connection to the coaching staff as a reason for choosing St. John’s, so Lavin’s absence has made for a reassessment of their options.

“My big concern was my mom being comfortable with where I was going and St. John’s felt like one big family and they welcomed me in,” Wood told JohnnyJungle.com, in October.

Wood transferred from the embattled NIA Prep before the start of the 2011-12, following the ill fates of two graduated teammates, as they tried to pass the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Academics may also have been in question and contributed to Wood’s decommitment.

But in October, his new coach, Whit Lesure, had nothing but good things to say about his guard.

“He’s off to a good start. He’s adjusted fine academically,” Lesure told JohnnyJungle.com. “He’s a good kid, a ‘yes sir, no sir’ kind of guy. Teachers and advisors really like him.

“On the court, he flips the switch and he’s emotional and competitive, which are two great things to have as an athlete. In addition to athleticism and bounce, he has a great motor.”

Before his commitment to St. John’s, Wood was considering Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, and South Florida.

Former St. John’s guard Quincy Roberts Makes Home at Grambling State

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The old adage goes back to the 19th century. Modified a bit to fit the circumstances of former St. John’s guard Quincy Roberts, it seems to hold true:

“Go south, young man.”

After two and a half years and forty-one total games in a St. John’s uniform, Roberts filed his papers in December of 2010 and decided to transfer, settling in Louisiana at Grambling State.

“I still don’t understand it, but everything is a process,” Roberts said of his split with St. John’s and decision to head to Grambling. “Me and Steve Lavin still have a good relationship, but [the coaching staff at Grambling] made me feel comfortable, and you have to be comfortable to play.”

Roberts’ story of why he chose St. John’s was not atypical.

As a standout at Harrisburg High (Pa.), Roberts originally committed to Miami (Fl.), but decommitted and chose St. John’s.

“I liked the location because it wasn’t too far from home,” says Roberts, who says former Red Storm forwards DJ Kennedy and Sean Evans also influenced his decision. “They made me feel comfortable there. Also, I knew about the St. John’s tradition, which I liked.”

Norm Roberts, now an assistant at Florida, was a good friend, says Quincy, but the departure of the former as head coach, following the 2009-2010 season, did not initially affect the future of the latter.

“Once [Roberts] got fired, I wanted to stay. I was just starting to become a part of [the program],” says the now-junior, who had a medical redshirt his sophomore season at St. John’s. “It wasn’t working out well on the court. I feel like they were making it hard on me. Playing-wise I felt like I should have been playing more. “

And that road has led Roberts Grambling State.

“Before I even decided what college [out of high school] I wanted to go to, I said I wanted to go to a black college,” says Roberts. “I enjoyed being around the [Historically Black Colleges and University] atmosphere. But, out of high school, I was recruited as a high-major.”

“I never took a visit. I just called the coach and he said, “Are you serious? You really want to come?” Roberts recounts of his conversation with Grambling head coach Bobby Washington. “Being in the Big East and coming down to the SWAC, he was glad to welcome me.”

Because of transfer rules, Roberts had to sit out the first semester of this season, watching his Tigers play seven of their first eight games on the road and falling to an 0-8 record.

But, in his first full game back, coming on the road at TCU on December 22nd, Roberts unleashed the potential he saw in himself at St. John’s, scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a loss to the Horned Frogs.

His debut should bring some much-needed scoring to a team that is ranked 345th in the country in that department, putting up just 44 points per game.

For Roberts, this college path through Grambling State has the game set of goals as when it led through St. John’s: play professionally.

“I have a lot of peers that play professionally. It’s not really an exposure thing,” he says. “I have to show my talents, more than play in a big conference. Why don’t I go somewhere where I can show my talents?”

“Coming out of high school, when you’re one of the best, you don’t really have to work as hard, or you feel like you don’t have to. If you want to be a pro, you have to have a mindset,” he says, attributing the quote to former St. John’s assistant coach Fred Quartlebaum.

“I’ll always be a St. John’s fan. St. John’s will always be in my heart,” says Roberts. “I don’t look at any of this as negative. All of this is going to work out. My dream is to play professional basketball. I want to graduate and play professional basketball. Hopefully I’m in a spot here at Grambling where I can lead my team to a championship.”

Amir Garrett Debuts, St. John’s Outlasts Texas-Pan American

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Amir Garrett’s first field goal as a member of the Red Storm came, fittingly, on a dunk.

On a drive with just over eight minutes left, God’sgift Achiuwa drove to the basket and dished it off to the high-flying, 6-6 freshman, who then threw it down, giving him the second and third points of his St. John’s debut, a 66-61 win over Texas-Pan American on Wednesday night.

St. John’s trailed by as many as 12 in the second half, but was sparked by 12 straight points in a six minute span by freshman guard D’Angelo Harrison to get within striking distance, and eventually move ahead, avoiding an upset loss.

JohnnyJungle.com takes a look at some lasting impressions from the Red Storm’s 66-61 win on Wednesday night.

You Can See the Potential, but Garrett Needs Time

With all the rough patches that St. John’s has hit in the first half of the 2011-12 season, Amir Garrett’s debut stood as the possible shot in the arm that could revitalize this team. In 15 minutes against Texas-Pan American, Garrett had three points and two rebounds on one-of-two shooting.

He just recently stepped on campus, enrolled, and began practicing with the team. It will take time for the coaching staff to unlock and implement his full potential, but it is clear that he is built for high-major basketball. In the short-term, his ability to eat minutes will be important, considering the short bench.

Harrison Coming Into His Own

Assistant coach Mike Dunlap said, prior to Saturday’s game with Fordham, that the coaching staff was looking to develop D’Angelo Harrison in the same way Dwight Hardy was molded last season. Both known as high-scoring guards, Hardy was used as the primary ballhandler in his senior season.

With the departure of Nurideen Lindsey this season, St. John’s is looking to D’Angelo Harrison to assume that role. He showed up on Wednesday night, going 7-of-13 from the field for 21 points and one assist.

Looks remarkably similar to a strong Dwight Hardy statline, doesn’t it?

Early-Season Gift Returns

The God’sgift Achiuwa that showed himself early in the season returned on Wednesday night, as he went for 22 points and nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.

After struggling against Detroit and playing an efficient (but not primary) role against Fordham, Achiuwa led the way on Wednesday night and solidified the paint on the offensive end for the Red Storm.

He was back to his bullying ways, throwing his weight around down low, but also stepped out into the mid-range to hit a few jumpers. As long as he sticks with the post as his primary option, extending out into the mid-range could be another added feature to his game.

Three-Point Shooting Kept UTPA In The Game

There are no other areas of the stat sheet that UTPA led. They had only one offensive rebound (the problem against Northeastern), only two blocks (the problem against Kentucky), were -5 in the turnover margin (a key factor all season), but 10-of-24 from beyond the arc kept the Broncs in this one until the end.

At times, St. John’s looked as if chasing the ball while in the match-up zone, and even switched to a man defense to combat the cause. There were still difficulties with leaving shooters open after the ball was swung around, though, which translated into such a high percentage from distance.

Because the Red Storm were forced into the half-court and only had 66 points, the impact of the opposition’s three-ball were amplified.

Without Nurideen Lindsey, St. John’s Moves on to Face Fordham

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As out-of-the-blue as the news seemed to everyone else, Nurideen Lindsey’s departure was equally as unexpected to his teammates.

“It was a total surprise to us,” said junior forward God’sgift Achiuwa. “We never expected one of our teammates to leaving, knowing the condition we’re in now.”

And “the condition” went from short-handed to almost historically short-handed, with only six scholarship players remaining in the regular rotation. Against Fordham on Saturday, it is likely that walk-on-turned-scholarship-player Jamal White could see his first primetime minutes of the year.

But help is on the way.

Amir Garrett is reportedly in New York and his academic packet has been submitted to the NCAA Clearinghouse for review. He will not be eligible to play on Saturday against Fordham.

In the mean time, with Lindsey gone and a vacancy left in the Red Storm backcourt, his minutes will be delegated to both freshmen Phil Greene and D’Angelo Harrison.

“The coaches have great confidence in me to perform,” said Greene. “My teammates are supporting me and I know it’s a big responsibility, but I’m ready for it.”

Much the same way that former Red Storm Dwight Hardy was used as a shooting guard during his junior season and moved to the point guard spot his senior year, assistant coach Mike Dunlap says the same may happen with Harrison.

“D’Angelo can play that slot, which means he’s a scoring point [guard],” said Dunlap. “Last year, a lot of people say Hardy as a “two” and we saw him as a “one” and as we brought him along….boy, did he develop quickly. We think we can do the same thing with D’Angelo.”

St. John’s will face a struggling Fordham team at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, a team that has already tallied losses of 34 (to Manhattan) and 15 (to Monmouth), both on the road.

As they have been the last two season, the Rams are led by forward Chris Gaston, who is averaging nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

In the backcourt, Devon “Fatty” McMillan and Branden Frazier combine for over 21 points per game.

From what has been said, Lindsey’s transfer will be more about adjusting personnel questions than handling any intangible variables.

“I haven’t seen one ounce of [a drop in team morale],” said Dunlap. “That’s just what we’re supposed to do with fine wine. It’s supposed to age nicely and it is. These are young guy who want to win.”

NOTES
– Steve Lavin watched 2012 recruiting targets Ricardo Gathers and Jaren Sina at the City of Palms tournament today.
– Sina is a point guard from Gil St. Bernard’s in New Jersey and recently decommitted from Alabama
– Ricardo Gathers reportedly holds offers from St. John’s, LSU, NC State, Florida, USC, California, and Baylor