44th Outrigger Hotel’s Rainbow Classic

After suffering a terrible loss at home to Niagara, St. John’s hopes to get back on the winning track in the Aloha state. This will be the third ever appearance for St. John’s in the Rainbow Classic. They placed fourth in 1969 and fifth in 1976, and own an overall tournament record of 3-3. I thought at the start of this season the Johnnies would own a record of 5-1 at the very least, as I was optimistic about being 6-0. But after two bad losses, this team finds its way to Hawaii with a 4-2 record. With the Holiday Festival immediately following this tournament, the Redmen will play 5 games in a span 10 days.
This could be a way to boost our record and give this team some confidence going into Big East play, or it could demoralize the players and fans if we have a poor showing. Thankfully, Mason Jr. and Rob Thomas return to action for the opener of the Rainbow Classic. Both players are capable of providing a boost to this team, although it might not happen immediately. Mason has been out for all but 20 minutes this season, while Rob hasn’t played organized basketball in 2 years. Let’s hope they can shake off the rust as quick as possible and avoid any further injuries the rest of the way. This year’s Rainbow Classic features 7 other schools from across the country. The favorite would have to be the previously nationally ranked St. Mary’s Gaels (#24), who had an upset of Oregon earlier this season, as well as a victory over Seton Hall. Their loss to Southern Illinois dropped them out of the rankings this week, but still come to Hawaii with an overall record of 7-1. The rest of the field includes: Ohio, Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulane, East Tennessee State, Georgia, and host Hawaii. With what I have seen recently from this team, it might be better off that these games are not televised. The 5 hour time difference might help in convincing me to just turn the dial off on the radio as well. But, maybe Mason Jr. brings some continuity and flow back to the offense and Rob Thomas surprises some people and contributes right away. Let’s just hope this trip to Hawaii is a safe and scandal free one for our players and we come away with the experience of having played 3 games with our full roster, if nothing else. REMEMBER ALOHA MEANS HELLO OR GOODBYE
-The Tournament-

The 44th Outriggers Hotels Rainbow Classic will be played from Wednesday December 19th thru Saturday December 22nd at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The St. John’s Red Storm open up against the Bobcats of Ohio on Wednesday at 5:00 PM HT (10:00 PM ET). All games played by St. John’s can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.
St. John’s (4-2)

With Mason Jr. and Thomas out of street clothes, this team can have a completely different look to it. We immediately add size and depth to this team, which could reduce the minutes of certain players in the long run. As for right now, it is hard to expect much from these two right away. It will be interesting to see if Norm starts Mason on the bench, as he did when he returned for the game against LIU. I don’t expect Thomas to start, but if Jasisulionis can’t play many minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more of Rob than most expected. We match up pretty well with Ohio and I expect it to be a close game throughout.

-Projected Starting Lineup-

PG – #4 Eugene Lawrence Senior / 6-1 210lbs / 11.2 points, 5.5 assists
SG – #5 Larry Wright Sophomore / 6-2 172lbs / 13.8 points, 1.7 rebounds
SF – #10 D.J. Kennedy Freshman / 6-6 208lbs / 12.0 points 9.2 rebounds
PF – #24 Justin Burrell Freshman / 6-8 235lbs / 14.0 points 9.5 rebounds
C – #11 Tomas Jasiulionis Junior / 6-11 249lbs / 2.3 points 2.8 rebounds

-Keys to a Successful Tournament-

40 MINUTE PRESS. St. John’s need to come out and be the aggressor we have a full roster so stamina and foul trouble shouldn’t be concerns for Norm Robert’s squad. We’ve shown that we can be a very good defensive team but we haven’t shown it enough. Points off turnovers could be the best offense we see all season so why don’t we give it a try.

ATTACK THE RIM AND GET TO THE LINE. Settling for three point basket attempt isn’t going to propel this team to double digit wins. We are a better outside shooting team but it still isn’t a strong point nor should it be the focal of our offense. We’ve gotten out shot on the free throw line by our opponents by an astonishing number this season and this is due to our reluctance to attack the basket off the dribble. If we attack the rim expect to see an increase in free throw attempts, this isn’t rocket science.

RULE OF 15. This number is an imperative number for the team success. We must get Larry Wright and Justin Burrell 15 shots each in order for this team to be successful on offense. Give them the ball and run plays designed for them. Secondly we must shoot the ball from three no more than 15 times a game. We have no business shooting more threes than this and should be attacking the rim(wonder where I got this idea from?). Thirdly we must turn the ball over less than 15 times a contest in order to have a chance at being in the game. Finally you might say I thought this was going to be about #15 Dele Coker and well between him, Tomas, Justin, Sean it would be nice to see less than 15 fouls a game.

STAY HEALTHY AND AVOID TROPIC TEMPTATION. Unfortunately this team has been plagued by injuries and we’ve been waiting so long to have Mason Jr and even more so Rob Thomas get out on the court that we want them to return so we will be able to see them out on the court. Also we must avoid the temptations of the tropics whether that be belly dancers or too much time in the sun we must stay focused on the task at hand. The boys shouldn’t be forced to stay within the confines of their room or the gym 24/7 as they should go out and experience the great island of Hawaii but also remember why you’re there.

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St. John’s vs Miami University

After racking up four wins on their home court against the weak NEC, the Johnnies will face their first true test of the season this Sunday at The U. There were two big stories following the LIU game: the re-injured ankle of Anthony Mason Jr. and the fact we came away with a W despite some very sloppy basketball. Let me just say that if we shot the way we did Wednesday night in a game last season, we don’t win that basketball game. Thankfully, Justin Burrell is not Lamont Hamilton, and was able to dominate the paint and the glass against an undersized Blackbird squad. Add in the clutch shooting in the closing minutes of the gimpy Larry Wright, along with another all-around stellar performance by DJ, and we are able to survive. At the end of the day, the most significant outcome of the game was not the score, but the fact that Mason Jr. was in the trainer’s room when the horn sounded. I thought bringing him back for the LIU game was a smart idea. Let him shake off the cobwebs by playing 10-15 minutes against a weaker opponent, this way he would hopefully be ready to go on Sunday. Instead he plays 20 minutes in a game where he was essentially a non-factor, as he threw up brick after brick from the outside, and then re-injures himself in the 2nd half. Unfortunately, we no longer have Yung Mase’s services for Sunday’s road opener at Miami, as it is expected that he will be out for at least another 3 weeks. So we are forced to see what are freshman class is really made of, as they will be leaned on heavily against a legitimate D-I team on their home court. Miami is 6-0 on the year, which includes a win over fellow Big East foe Providence in the Championship of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The fact that we are playing our first game away from the friendly confines of Carnesecca Arena will have undoubtedly an impact on our young freshman. But I wouldn’t consider the Bank United Center a hostile environment by any means. The Hurricanes have an average attendance of 2,161 (capacity = 7,000) in their 3 games thus far at home. Maybe the fact we are a Big East team will attract more people to the game, but I wouldn’t count on it. The 0-11 Dolphins will still be the focus of attention for Miami sports fans on Sunday as the Jets come to Dolphins Stadium. However, this game is still a great measuring stick for this team. We have seen how the freshman can handle NEC competition without Mason Jr., but let’s see how they handle some ACC ball. LONG LIVE THE JUNGLE.

-The Game-

On Sunday December 2nd, St. John’s will travel south to take on the University of Miami Hurricanes. The game is scheduled for 4:00 PM at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Florida and can be seen live on the MSG Network.

-The Lineups-

ST. JOHN’S (4-0)

We enter this game as banged up as we have been all season. Tomas is clearly suffering from ankle problems, as he painfully moved around the court even slower than normal in his limited action. Larry Wright suffered a bruised hip during the game, which forced him to play only 8 minutes in the first half (19 total minutes). But Larry Legend showed us how much he has grown as a player and a man over the summer, as he was able to fight through obvious pain and come off the bench and hit clutch shots down the stretch to seal the victory. I expect Larry to start on Sunday and get his usual minutes. Tomas is a question mark, but we could definitely use his size against a physical Miami team. Even if he is able to go, we are still going to need solid minutes from Coker and Evans, as it is clear Tomas can’t handle the load up front on his own right now.

PG – Eugene Lawrence Senior / 6-1 210lbs / 12.0 points, 6.0 assists
SG – Larry Wright Sophomore / 6-2 172lbs / 15.8 points, 1.8 rebounds
SF – D.J. Kennedy Freshman / 6-6 208lbs / 13.0 points 9.5 rebounds
PF – Justin Burrell Freshman / 6-8 235lbs / 15.3 points 9.8 rebounds
C – Tomas Jasiulionis Junior / 6-11 249lbs / 2.5 points 2.5 rebounds

Miami University (6-0)

The Hurricanes definitely have the most size and depth of any team we have faced so far this year. They have 10 players who average 13 or more minutes per game, as Head Coach Frank Haith loves to substitute. Unlike the teams from the NEC, Miami can match our size at every position. Experience is also clearly in the Canes favor, as they only have one freshman and three sophomores. Miami does have its own problems on the injury front, as leading scorer Jack McClinton has missed the last two contests with a sprained left thumb. He has been wearing a soft cast on his left hand and is listed as day to day. McClinton is their go-to scorer and Miami will struggle to score points if he does not go. I think St. John’s has to prepare for the Canes injured star to play on Sunday as he has had 2 weeks of recovery time. Senior Center Anthony King is their second option and it will be imperative for our big men to stay out of foul trouble and crash the boards, or this guy can really hurt us.

PG – Jack McClinton Junior / 6-1 185lbs / 14.3 points, 2.5 assists
SG – James Dews Sophomore / 6-3 198lbs / 11.0 points, 3.2 rebounds
SF – Brian Asbury Junior / 6-7 214lbs / 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds
PF – Jimmy Graham Junior / 6-8 245 lbs / 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds
C – Anthony King Senior / 6-9 242lbs / 11.5 points, 9.7 rebounds

-Keys to Victory-

QUICK START. I think we will be able to tell from the first 4 minutes of this game if St. John’s is going to compete against Miami. If we come out the way we did against FDU or LIU, we are not likely to stay in the game long against a much better Miami team. It is important to come out and shoot the ball well from the perimeter and play tough defense. If we can build a quick lead, it will give our younger players confidence and make them feel more comfortable in their first road game. Plus, Miami has come out slow in their last three games, averaging only 25 points in the 1st half. I like our chances a whole lot better if I see the Johnnies fired up at the start.
REBOUND. Miami has the size to compete down low with our team. They average 43.0 rebounds per game to our 40.5. It will be important for our front court players to rebound the basketball, especially Coker and Evans. I expect Burrell to continue to produce double-double numbers, but you can’t lean on DJ to do the rest of the boarding. Miami has the athletes to match up with Kennedy, unlike the NEC teams we played in our first four. If we can clean the glass and limit second chance scoring opportunities we will stay in this game.
STAY OUT OF FOUL TROUBLE. Granted the zebras who officiated the LIU game are better suited doing intramural games at Taffner, we need to stay away from the silly fouls. Coker needs to be a factor in this game, especially if Tomas is unable to log many minutes. For him to do that, he needs to stay on the court. We committed a lot of fouls last game by reaching in and not moving our feet on defense. In the end, we had four players with 4 fouls (Lawrence, Burrell, Coker, Boothe). Hopefully we never see officiating as poor as that again, but that hasn’t been an excuse for Coker as he has averaged 3 fouls a game.
THE SENIOR. I feel as Geno goes, this team will go. Last game was by far his worst of the young season. Although he only had 2 turnovers, he seemed to be out of control at times, not running the offense as smoothly as he did in the first three games. He only had 2 assists and his shot was off, going 2-8 from the field and 0-4 from 3 point land. Our captain even lost his cool and was charged with a technical during the 2nd half. It is important that he bounces back with a big game on Sunday. We won’t beat many teams this season when Geno plays the way he did against LIU. More importantly, he needs to use his experience and leadership skills to get the freshman through their first road game. I believe if our Captain shows up, which I think he will, St. John’s is going to hang with the U all game.

-Prediction-

My ability at predicting these games so far has been about as effective as the Knicks on the road. This game will be even harder, as I feel the status of McClinton can play a huge role in the outcome of this game. If he doesn’t play, the Hurricanes will be missing their playmaker and leading scorer. That will open the door for St. John’s to be able to control the tempo of the game a lot easier. But, even if he does play, I feel the Johnnies can compete with this squad. This game could give our young Johnnies so much confidence going to Hawaii, granted they take care of business at home versus Niagra. I expect a big game out of Geno and for the Redmen to remain perfect on the year in a tight contest:

St. John’s 77 – Miami 72

The Notes: The St. John’s Women’s Volleyball team begins their quest for an NCAA Championship Friday night @ 8pm when they host LIU in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Storm is a number 12 seed in the tournament and has the opportunity to play 2 games in CA. If they win, they play Saturday night @ 8pm against the winner of Delaware and Princeton…..Immediately following the basketball game, a candlelight vigil will be held on the Miami campus in honor of Sean Taylor…..Hurricanes guard Jack McClinton prepped a year at South Kent in Connecticut in 2003-04, the same prep school that both Rob Thomas and Dele Coker attended…..In the previous meeting between the schools on 1/14/04, which was the last BIG EAST contest between the teams, the Hurricanes won 70-64 in Queens. This game was the 7th coached by Kevin Clark, who took over on an interim basis after Mike Jarvis was fired. Freshman Darryll “Showtime” Hill filled up the stat sheet with a 14 point, 6 assist, and 4 rebound effort. Darius Rice had 14 points for Miami in a winning effort.

By: Garrett Knieste Johnny Jungle Senior Writer

St. John’s vs Long Island University

After what can only be decribed as a “quiet” 92-67 victory over Farleigh Dickinson before 3,190 at Carnesecca, this young team is proving to be a lot stronger offensively then many first thought they would be. AP report lists that Anthony Mason, Jr. is expected to play vs. Long Island University, in which the Johnnies will look to stretch their win streak versus NEC teams to 4. The Blackbirds may prove to be the only formidable team we face from the conference. LIU is 3-1, with a loss at Notre Dame in the opener, followed by consecutive wins over Army, Columbia, and Canisius.Freshman Kyle Johnson was named NEC Rookieof the week this past week, in which the guard averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 2 games last week.Johnson is from Canada, take that as you will. Other notable players are a pair of senior forwards Kellen Allen who averages 14 and 5, and Eugene Kotorobai, who averages 12 and 6. I look for us to run on this team again, and I am somewhat excited
to see what Mase can bring to this already steady offensive flow we
have had the past 3 games. SEE YOU IN THE JUNGLE.

-The Game-

On Wednesday, November 28th St. John’s will host the Long Island Blackbirds at Carnesecca Arena. Opening tip is at 7:30 ET and can be heard live on Bloomberg Radio 1130-AM.

-The Lineups-

ST. JOHN’S (3-0)

It appears that we will finally get a chance to see Mason Jr. in action, after missing the first three games with a high ankle sprain. I think is a good idea to get him in this game so he won’t be completely rusty when we go to Miami on Sunday. Should be interesting to see how Norm balances the minutes with DJ and Paris now that Mase is back. The way Kennedy has been playing, I hope his minutes don’t decrease that
much.

PG – Eugene Lawrence Senior / 6-1 210lbs / 14.0 points, 7.3 assists

SG – Larry Wright Sophomore / 6-2 172lbs / 17.7 points, 2.0 rebounds

SF – Anthony Mason Jr. Junior / 6-7 207lbs / 11.9 points 5.9 rebounds*

PF – Justin Burrell Freshman / 6-8 235lbs / 14.0 points 9.0 rebounds

C – Tomas Jasiulionis Junior / 6-11 249lbs / 3.3 points 3.0 rebounds

* indicates stats are from 2006-2007

Long Island University (3-1)

The Blackbirds come into this game with the best record in the NEC. They have won 3 straight games against Army, Columbia, and Canisius. This comes after getting romped 82-50 in their season opener at Notre Dame. Hopefully we can continue the trend of Big East schools easily handling this team. LIU is a very small team with no player over 6-8. They use a 10 man rotation and seem to get more production out of their bench players. But these five have been the starters for every game
thus far:

PG – Jaytornah Wisseh Sophomore / 6-0 170lbs / 8.8 points, 4.5 assists

SG – David Hicks Freshman / 6-1 195lbs / 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds

SF – Ron Manigault Freshman / 6-4 210lbs / 1.8 points, 5.5 rebounds

PF – Eugene Kotorobai Senior / 6-5 215lbs / 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds

C – Aurimas Adomaitis Sophomore / 6-8 235lbs / 3.0 points, 1.5 rebounds
-Keys to Victory-

Free Throws. They are called Free for a reason and the boys have to take advantage of their trips to the line. The Red Storm shot just 72% against Fairliegh Dickinson last game. Even though this game shouldn’t be decided by free throws but one thing for sure is we don’t want to see poor free throw shooting become a trend.
Run the Floor. St. John’s needs to run and run it often against this LIU team. St. John’s got most of their offensive production off the fast break scoring 17 of their 90 points including 24 points off the oppositions turnovers.
Big Men. Tomas and Dele need to step it up. We saw both get into foul trouble early last game which limited their minutes. Yes, the small lineup is more potent however we need production out of the big men on the defensive end. Instead of swiping for blocked shots they need to shuffle their feet in order to be in the right positions sooner. The fouls are due to improper positioning and late help defense. We know Dele can block shots but do we want 2 blocks if it costs 5 fouls a game?
Don’t Settle, Drive. We saw Larry Wright bomb 6 of 8 three point attempts and Geno make some bombs from NBA range. However don’t settle for the three if you have the lane, take the easier shot. The ball isn’t always going to fall 60% from three every game and we shouldn’t have Larry be the next Avery Patterson. Take the ball to the hole and the three will be open

-Prediction-

Well its harder to predict the score for this than it is for Las Vegas to pick the spread for the New England Patriots but I’m confident that the Red Storm will be over 70 points once again. We should see the defense come out and shut down the LIU offense. My Prediction:

St. John’s 78 – Long Island University 67

The Notes: The 92 points St. John’s was the most scored since 2002 against Fairfield. Red Storm have scored at least 70 points in 3 straight games, the first time since 2003…….Freshman forward Justin Burrell looks to notch his 3rd straight double-double…….Eugene Lawrence was named the the Big East Honor Roll team this week…..

By: Mason Nettleton Johnny Jungle Substitute Writer