Jaden Daly

St. John’s And Handful Of Rookies Travel To Pitt In Steel City Showdown

February 29, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Fresh off a three-game winning streak and a loss by reigning national champion Connecticut last night that kept St. John’s in contention for the No. 9 seed in next week’s Big East tournament, the Red Storm hit the road for two more games to conclude their regular season. First up is a trip to Pittsburgh to face a struggling Panther team that St. John’s has never beaten at the Petersen Center, and you will find all the important information you need to get caught up on tonight’s pivotal matchup below.

Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Time: 7:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Adam Amin, Bob Valvano)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)

St. John’s Red Storm (13-16, 6-10)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 34-28, 179-106 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 36% FG, 77% FT, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 17.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 82% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 7.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 46% FG, 58% FT, 1.1 APG, 1.2 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 40% FG, 57% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.7 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 53% FG, 67% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Hostile environment. Pittsburgh has arguably one of the hardest venues for a road team to win at, and the atmosphere tonight will be something the all-freshman lineup has yet to experience. Phil Greene will be most affected since he is at the controls, and his decision making will be put to the test like never before.

– D. (on both sides of the ball) On offense, this means D’Angelo Harrison. When the Texan gets into a groove, he is impossible to stop. On defense, it is self-explanatory. The Panthers have always been a strong defensive unit, so St. John’s needs to match them stop for stop whenever possible.

– Cloud nine. A win keeps the Red Storm in contention for the No. 9 seed in next week’s Big East tournament, the same spot that launched Connecticut’s run to glory one year ago. The brackets for St. John’s in the nine hole would include DePaul and Seton Hall before an eventual showdown with regular season conference champion Syracuse.

Now, to meet their opponents trying to salvage their season.

Pittsburgh Panthers (15-14, 4-12)
Head Coach: Jamie Dixon (9th season, 231-74)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Travon Woodall (5-11 Jr., 11.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 42% FG, 36% 3pt, 87% FT, 6.1 APG)
G Ashton Gibbs (6-2 Sr., 15.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 39% FG, 34% 3pt, 86% FT, 2.4 APG)
F Lamar Patterson (6-5 So., 8.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 41% FG, 41% 3pt, 74% FT, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F Nasir Robinson (6-5 Sr., 11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 56% FG, 48% FT, 2.1 APG)
F Dante Taylor (6-9 Jr., 6.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 53% FG, 65% FT)

Key Reserves:
F J.J. Moore (6-6 So., 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 41% FG, 75% FT)
F Talib Zanna (6-9 So., 5.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 54% FG, 64% FT)
G John Johnson (6-1 Fr., 4.7 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 42% FG, 42% 3pt, 85% FT, 1.4 APG)

Keys To Victory:
– Home sweet home. Prior to this season, the Petersen Center was to Pitt what Hulk Hogan was to wrestling in the 1980s: Something that rarely ever lost. The Panthers had only lost twelve games since the place was opened, and this year alone has produced seven defeats on top of that. Look for Pitt to thrive off their sellout crowd early and often to take St. John’s out of the game.

– Guard play. Between Ashton Gibbs and Travon Woodall, Pitt received the bulk of their offense the last time they played the Red Storm. Gibbs seemingly could not miss at Madison Square Garden a year ago, and Woodall would have had the game-winning three if Dwight Hardy did not channel his inner “Baryshnikov” or “Fred Astaire” in a play you can see below.

– Nigerian nightmare. Just as St. John’s has has had God’sgift Achiuwa, Pitt has relied on his compatriot Talib Zanna. Now in his sophomore campaign; Zanna has yet to show what he is capable of on a consistent basis, but will get the opportunity against an undermanned Red Storm front line. Look for Zanna to have one of his better nights exploiting a thin interior game.

So, Who Wins?
Pitt has the role of spoiler on their minds. With a seemingly improbable run to a conference championship ahead of them, the Panthers may simply be looking at the NIT to salvage a lost season. However, a Steve Lavin team always gets better as the year goes on. This year’s St. John’s unit is no exception since the handful of rookies are now playing their best basketball and are peaking even later than last season’s senior-laden team did. With one more before the conference converges on Madison Square Garden, St. John’s continues their roll and sends the Panthers to .500 with a big road win.

Final Score: St. John’s 65, Pittsburgh 59

St. John’s Outlasts Notre Dame 61-58 For Third Straight Win

February 25, 2012 by Jaden Daly 2 Comments

Something had to give, whether it was Notre Dame’s nine-game winning streak or St. John’s two-game roll. It took the full forty minutes to figure out which it would be.

After Amir Garrett (11 points) put St. John’s ahead by three with nine seconds left; Notre Dame had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but a three-point attempt from Alex Dragicevich bounced off the left rim to give the Red Storm (13-16, 6-10) a hard-earned 61-58 victory over the 18th-ranked Fighting Irish. (20-9, 12-4)

“Give a lot of credit to St. John’s,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said after the game. “We had a lot of good looks, but didn’t make enough of them.”

In addition to Garrett, St. John’s was led by Moe Harkless (22 points) and D’Angelo Harrison (15 points) for their third straight victory, which also extended a streak of wins over Notre Dame at Madison Square Garden that dates back to March of 2004, before former coach Norm Roberts was even hired.

St. John’s will now head to Pittsburgh with their slim NIT hopes still intact, and with a few lasting impressions from this afternoon’s matinee.

Lasting Impressions
– Moe Harkless picks up game ball honors, but he did not do it alone. Harkless and God’sgift Achiuwa were instrumental in containing the Notre Dame frontcourt through the opening half, and even in the first minutes of the second stanza.

– Notre Dame was defeated by their inability to hit the three-point shot that usually works well for them. For the game, the Fighting Irish missed 27 of the 31 trifectas they attempted, which allowed St. John’s to get a plus-7 defensive rebounding edge.

– Amir Garrett keeps improving on a nightly basis. Said his teammate Moe Harkless on the Los Angeles native: “When he gets going, it’s fun to watch.”

– Finally, each coach put the other over in their respective postgame press conferences, but no words made more of an impact than those spoken by Mike Brey in regard to the Red Storm. Below are some excerpts from the Notre Dame coach’s beliefs on St. John’s and their all-freshman lineup:

“The great thing about the St. John’s dynamic is that they play five freshmen and they start five freshmen because they only have six guys, and they all play 35 minutes a game. You’re only going to get better.”

“I think Mike Dunlap has done an unbelievable job. I can’t even relate to what he’s doing because I’ve always had seniors to lean on.”

Surging Red Storm Shoot For Three Straight As Irish Come To Garden

February 24, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

A two-game winning streak is all it takes for even the slightest bit of optimism to make its way to the corner of Union and Utopia.

After the latest St. John’s victory; a 79-72 decision over DePaul Monday night, the Red Storm now look for their third three-game winning streak of the year when they contest their final regular season home game. Standing in their way is a team that has surprisingly made their way up to second in the Big East standings, the University of Notre Dame. Yet, for all the Fighting Irish have accomplished this season and in years past, the institution notorious for “Touchdown Jesus” and “Rudy” has not defeated St. John’s on the hardwood at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” since March of 2004. Just to put this in perspective, George W. Bush was in his first term as President of the United States, Norm Roberts was hired by the Red Storm shortly thereafter, and this writer was a senior in high school the last time Notre Dame earned a regular season win at Madison Square Garden.

This Notre Dame team is different, though, having won a school record nine consecutive games coming into tomorrow’s matinee. Something has to give, and JohnnyJungle.com gives you all the background information leading up to this pivotal Big East showdown.

Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 12:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch, Doris Burke)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Kieran Lynch, Jon Perez)

St. John’s Red Storm (12-16, 5-10)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 33-28, 178-106 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36% FG, 77% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 17.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 82% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 6.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 46% FG, 57% FT, 1.0 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 40% FG, 57% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.7 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 53% FG, 68% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Guard play. Phil Greene and D’Angelo Harrison need to approach this game with the mindset that they are the only players on the court. Yes, Notre Dame has a better front line than the Red Storm, but Greene and Harrison are more essential to the chances of a Red Storm win with their backcourt counterparts (Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant) being the two leading scorers for the Fighting Irish, accounting for a combined 26 points per game. Greene and Harrison average 25 combined; so if they can take over the game and force Notre Dame to get in transition to make their baskets, the Red Storm have already won half the battle.

– Find God. It’s no secret that we’ll all see a lot of God’sgift Achiuwa tomorrow since Moe Harkless cannot defend Jack Cooley alone. Achiuwa has hurt the Red Storm more than he has helped them unfortunately due to his struggles inside the paint and also while receiving passes. However, after Cooley, Notre Dame has no major size to speak of; so if Achiuwa and Harkless can double-team the 6-9 junior, it will be another small obstacle St. John’s will have overcome.

– Grind it out. If this game turns into a track meet, Notre Dame will be in control before the end of the first half. It is safe to say that this will be more of a defensive-oriented matchup for St. John’s in that they need to force the issue on that side of the ball and make Notre Dame resort to maximizing the shot clock to get the best opportunity possible. If you look back to the January 3, 2009 matchup against the Irish, that is the defensive effort needed. In that game, Luke Harangody was forced to carry Notre Dame on his back as St. John’s got Tory Jackson in foul trouble and Paris Horne contested every shot taken by sharpshooter Kyle McAlarney on the way to a 71-65 Red Storm victory in what was Norm Roberts’ signature win of his six-year tenure in Queens.

From South Bend, Indiana comes the program noted for its iconic “Victory March” fight song.

No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-8, 12-3)
Head Coach: Mike Brey (12th season at ND; 258-128, 357-180 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Eric Atkins (6-1 So., 13.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 41% FG, 38% 3pt, 75% FT, 4.0 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G Jerian Grant (6-5 So., 13.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 41% FG, 37% 3pt, 81% FT, 4.9 APG, 1.4 SPG)
G Scott Martin (6-8 Sr., 9.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 38% FG, 72% FT, 1.7 APG)
F Pat Connaughton (6-5 Fr., 7.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 43% FG, 38% 3pt, 74% FT)
F Jack Cooley (6-9 Jr., 12.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 62% FG, 71% FT, 1.6 BPG)

Key Reserves:
G Alex Dragicevich (6-7 So., 7.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 40% FG, 34% 3pt, 73% FT, 1.4 APG)
G Joey Brooks (6-6 Jr., 3.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 42% FG, 44% [7/16] 3pt, 59% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– More with less. A lot of coaches are able to get a lot from a little, but no one does it as consistently or as well as Mike Brey has. Notre Dame has managed to overcome an injury to their star player for the second time in three years to find a way to position themselves among the class of the Big East, and Brey’s six-man rotation (seven if you include reserve Joey Brooks) is the reason why. Much like 2010; when the Irish went to the “burn offense” when Luke Harangody was on the shelf midway through Big East play, the Irish have reinvented themselves and exceeded expectations after losing Tim Abromaitis to a torn ACL.

– All in the family. Not only does Jerian Grant have a prior connection to Mike Brey, (both played high school basketball at perennial national powerhouse DeMatha Catholic in Maryland) he also has NBA lineage. Grant’s father Harvey was a starting forward for the Washington Bullets in the early 1990s, while his uncle Horace (Harvey’s twin brother by the way) won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls as a complement to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Grant’s professional pedigree has carried over to his own game in his first season at the collegiate level, as he has averaged thirteen points and nearly five assists per game while leading the Notre Dame rotation with a 38 percent shooting clip from three-point range.

– Harangody Jr.? When you look at Jack Cooley for the first time, it’s not inconceivable to think that Luke Harangody is still on the Notre Dame roster given the striking physical resemblance both players have to one another. However, Cooley’s similarity to his predecessor goes far beyond the mirror. After being the latest in a long line of Notre Dame players to chip in off the bench before joining the starting five, Cooley has had a Harangody-like campaign in his junior season with averages of twelve points and nine rebounds per game. In Big East play, the 6-9 forward is averaging a double-double per night with fourteen points and ten rebounds per game. In fact, Cooley has ten double-doubles on the season, including six in his last nine games.

So, Who Wins?
St. John’s still has slim NIT hopes, but they would have to win each of their last three games while also taking at least two in the Big East tournament to get to .500 and boost their resume in hopes of participating in the nation’s oldest postseason tournament. For Notre Dame, this game is all about seeding. A win could keep the Irish in play for a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament provided their return trip to the Garden next week goes well, while a loss drops them into a high six/low seven seed. Each matchup between these two teams is usually close with the potential for a rout, and this one is no exception. Look for St. John’s to give the Irish all they can handle; but at the end of the day, Notre Dame’s talent and Mike Brey’s ability to get the best out of a seven-man rotation will win out. Notre Dame gets a scare, but earns the respect of the selection committee with a hard-fought road win.

Final Score: Notre Dame 74, St. John’s 66

Garrett, Harrison Shine In 79-72 Win Over DePaul

February 21, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

The final contest at Carnesecca Arena this season proved to be a mirror image of the first encounter between the two teams nineteen days before, with one team establishing control midway through the first half before the other battled back and stole the game down the stretch.

Led by 23 points from D’Angelo Harrison and a career-high 18 from fellow freshman Amir Garrett, St. John’s (12-16, 5-10) shook off DePaul’s late rally and sent the Blue Demons (11-16, 2-13) to their seventh straight defeat in a 79-72 decision on the Queens campus.

“It was a quick turnaround in 48 hours,” assistant coach Mike Dunlap stated after the game, the second for the Red Storm in three days after defeating UCLA this past Saturday. “We took care of the ball against a pressing team and were scrappier in the second half.”

After giving up 94 points to Seton Hall last Tuesday, the Red Storm have now won two straight as they look to keep their slim hopes for a first-round bye in the Big East tournament alive, and next up will be a Notre Dame team that has defied expectations in the absence of star forward Tim Abromaitis.

Before the collision with the Fighting Irish, however, we wrap up a Monday night in Queens with a few lasting impressions.

Lasting Impressions
– Amir Garrett picks up game ball honors with an aggressive 18-point outing. When asked about his adaptation into the lineup, the freshman admitted he still was not up to speed with the rest of the team. “I’m still catching up,” said Garrett. “They’re flying down the court and I’m like ‘Hey, wait for me!'”

– The increased trips to the foul line were crucial for both teams, but more so for the young and undermanned Red Storm. “We got chances to rest,” said Mike Dunlap on the blown whistles. “Every time they fouled, it was like a timeout.”

– As expected, Brandon Young (17 points) had several opportunities to contribute for DePaul. However, fellow sophomore Cleveland Melvin made more of an impact for the Blue Demons with an 18-point, 15-rebound performance that gets lost in the shuffle considering how effective St. John’s was in closing out the game.

– Finally, there is some optimism around St. John’s. With Notre Dame; who has not beaten the Red Storm in Madison Square Garden in several years, up next, St. John’s can still consider themselves in consideration for an NIT bid. After Notre Dame, next up are a Pittsburgh team that is 4-11 in Big East play and Rutgers, who has been inconsistent through most of the year. However, St. John’s would still need to win their first two Big East tournament games to get over .500 and have a shot at the postseason.

St. John’s Looks For DePaul Sweep In Final On-Campus Home Game Of Season

February 20, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Nineteen days ago, St. John’s went out to Chicago and picked up a much-needed 87-81 victory against DePaul. Since then, the Red Storm had lost four straight before Saturday’s thrilling 66-63 win over UCLA at Madison Square Garden. On the other side of the court, the Blue Demons are reeling; having lost six straight and eleven of their last twelve, with the one positive highlight being a road win against Rutgers.

It is the final appearance for Carnesecca Arena on the schedule this season, and JohnnyJungle.com will help you bid adieu to the Queens campus with all the vital information leading up to tonight’s opening tip.

Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Location: Carnesecca Arena; Jamaica, New York
Time: 9:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Carter Blackburn, Tim Welsh)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)

St. John’s Red Storm (11-16, 4-10)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 32-28, 177-106 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36% FG, 75% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 82% FT, 2.1 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 6.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 44% FG, 52% FT, 1.0 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 40% FG, 61% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 44% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.7 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 54% FG, 68% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Embrace the atmosphere. When filled near or to capacity, Carnesecca Arena is not an easy place to play. The home court advantage created by a fan base that has not seen their team at their true home for two months will be something the Red Storm can feed off of while looking to improve their seeding for the upcoming Big East tournament.

– Moe-mentum. DePaul may have a bigger lineup, but the Blue Demons do not have a big man as productive as Moe Harkless has been for St. John’s. Harkless will use his raw talent and exceptional ability to create opportunities against DePaul that he could not find against teams the likes of Syracuse and Georgetown in recent games.

– 10 & 5. Usually used to describe a baseball player that has earned a full no-trade clause, it applies tonight in that this is the tenth game in which St. John’s has used an all-freshman starting lineup. Although the Red Storm have won just three games in this stretch, Mike Dunlap has positioned this team well with valuable experience that will help the handful of rookies in their sophomore campaign next season.

It’s not quite Knicks-Bulls, but St. John’s faces a group from Chicago with similar intentions of winning.

DePaul Blue Demons (11-15, 2-12)
Head Coach: Oliver Purnell (2nd season at DePaul; 18-39, 412-320 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Brandon Young (6-3 So., 14.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 43% FG, 75% FT, 4.8 APG, 1.5 SPG)
G Charles McKinney (6-3 Fr., 4.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 46% FG, 47% FT, 1.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)
G Jamee Crockett (6-4 Fr., 8.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 45% FG, 40% 3pt, 68% FT, 1.1 APG)
F Cleveland Melvin (6-8 So., 17.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 45% FG, 62% FT, 1.1 BPG)
C Krys Faber (6-10 Sr., 4.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 56% FG, 83% FT)

Key Reserves:
G Jeremiah Kelly (6-0 Sr., 8.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 41% FG, 37% 3pt, 68% FT, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG)
F Moses Morgan (6-6 So., 8.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 35% FG, 37% 3pt, 71% FT)
G Worrel Clahar (5-11 Jr., 6.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 51% FG, 48% 3pt, 82% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG)
F Donnavan Kirk (6-9 So., 3.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 44% FG, 82% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– 15. If DePaul is able to finish ahead of Providence, it will be the first time since the 2007-08 season in which the Blue Demons have avoided the cellar in the Big East. Since the conference adopted their current tournament format, DePaul has always been the first team introduced at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday morning for the 12:00 tipoff against the No. 9 seed. At least one win (maybe two) can change that.

– Young at heart. He may not command the same attention reserved for the likes of Jordan Theodore or Scoop Jardine, but Brandon Young belongs in the conversation of best point guards in the conference. The way the sophomore has adjusted from being a shooter to a combo guard to a point man in such a short amount of time has flown under the radar, and the Blue Demons’ second-leading scorer should have his share of opportunities to put up gaudy numbers against the young Red Storm.

Deja vu? Although DePaul hasn’t played St. John’s as well as they had hoped in recent years, their last win over the Red Storm came in this building on January 12, 2008. DePaul was admittedly a better team that year, and the Blue Demons used a 16-0 run midway through the second half to hold off the Norm Roberts-led Red Storm by the final of 60-54.

So, Who Wins?
This could be the last chance for either team to pick up a Big East win with the schedules both St. John’s and DePaul have the rest of the way. For St. John’s, it could be a trap game after how DePaul nearly beat them three weeks ago; while the Blue Demons, who have only won once since upsetting Pittsburgh, need this game to improve seeding in a rare matchup where St. John’s has more to lose than their opponent. Nonetheless, expect a track meet that will slow down late in the second half enough for St. John’s to navigate the waters and come away with their fifth conference win.

Final Score: St. John’s 79, DePaul 70

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