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St. John’s Adds Former UCLA Guard Darrick Martin As Assistant Coach

September 14, 2012 by Rob Delucia Leave a Comment

St. Johns has officially announced the hiring of Darrick Martin to replace Mike Dunlap as assistant coach on Steve Lavin’s staff.

Steve Lavin’s relationship with Martin goes back years. Lavin spoke of their relationship in the University’s official press release:

“I have known Darrick personally for more than 20 years, and our staff is pleased he has chosen to become a member of the Johnnies basketball family. With our current team being one of the youngest in school history, the timing is ideal for Darrick to join forces with our staff to assist in our efforts to return St. John’s to college basketball prominence.”

darrickmartin — Darrick Martin seen playing for the Toronto Raptors during his NBA career.

Martin is a former guard at UCLA where he honed his craft and eventually made up to the NBA. He played on and off in the league from 1995 to 2008. He has a plethora of basketball experience that got him noticed across the NBA. Martin really made an impression on NBA Hall of Fame player, Magic Johnson;

“Darrick has a great basketball mind and is an excellent student and teacher of the game. He’s a bona fide gym rat who is dedicated to achieving greatness. If any student-athletes are serious about hitting it hard and improving their game, Darrick Martin is their man.”

While Magic words are quite an endorsement, what is most important is what Darrick Martin himself has to say.

“I am really excited for the opportunity to work with Coach Lavin, our staff and student-athletes. There is a huge comfort level for me, having played for Coach Lavin and knowing Rico Hines coming in. I have met the staff and I am looking forward to working with this talented roster, and helping the student-athletes develop on and off the court.”

In 2009 Martin was brought in as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff in the NBA. He worked to help develop the teams back court, a role that will almost definitely be part of his job with St. John’s. Having D’Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene from last seasons back court will only help Martin adjust to his new job.

Martin’s long career in professional basketball will prove to be beneficial to a young St. John’s team over the course of a long season. Coach Lavin and fans alike will be happy to have Martin on board.

Without Steve Lavin, St. John’s Gears Up for No. 1 Kentucky

November 29, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

On Thursday night, St. John’s will, once again, be without their head coach, Steve Lavin, who will not make the trip to Lexington for his team’s matchup with Kentucky.

“We go about our business. I think [the players] feed off the staff,” said assistant coach Mike Dunlap of Lavin, who continues to recover from successful prostate cancer surgery. “He’s got A+ on his bloodwork, we know that. It’s a matter of recuperation.”

As Lavin rests, his team will go on the road for their first true road game of the season.

But no need to ease them into it.

Forget about playing a local low-major in a gym the size of some high schools. Instead, Dunlap will lead the Red Storm into Rupp Arena, home of John Calipari’s number one-ranked Wildcats.

This past recruiting season, St. John’s original eight-man class was ranked as the third best in the nation. Who was one of the two teams ahead of them? Of course, Calipari’s reloaded squad.

The Wildcats start three freshman (Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Anthony Davis), in addition to two players (Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb) who would probably have entered the NBA, had there been no lockout looming.

With wins this season by 50, 48, 38, and 24, along with disposing 11th-ranked Kansas, Kentucky has had little trouble for the most part of this young season.

And a trip to Lexington brings the national television lights, with the game to be broadcast on ESPN2.

“Everybody wants to play against what people call “the best. This a great opportunity for my team,” said freshman forward Moe Harkless. “We just go in there with the mindset that we want to go in there and win.”

St. John’s is coming off a loss at home to Northeastern, a loss in which they surrendered 21 offensive rebounds. Kentucky is second in the nation in total rebounding, pulling down over 43 boards per game.

“[Rebounding] is going to be by committee. We’re tapping out [God’sgift Achiuwa] in terms of his number, or even, say, Harkless,” said Dunlap. “Those numbers are going to have to come from the [forwards and guards].”

Much like St. John’s, the Wildcats like getting out to run, which has translated to an average of 84 points per game, this year.
The one test so far for Kentucky, so far, was against Old Dominion on November 20th.

The Monarchs were physical throughout, playing a zone and forcing the Wildcats to shoot from the outside. Thirteen points from Darius Miller off the bench propelled Kentucky to a 10-point win.

“Basically, we’re still in a phase of teaching our system, so the focus is more on us than our opponents,” said Dunlap. “There’s a lot of firsts. If we can keep our focus and temperament where it belongs, we’ll be fine.”

St. John’s Matchup with Arizona About Experience and Awareness

November 17, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

QUEENS, NEW YORK- St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin brought his players into the film room this week, as he always does, in preparation for their Thursday night game against Arizona at Madison Square Garden.

But with six first-year players on his roster, he tried to create the atmosphere that they would encounter when they step on the floor in Manhattan, with the lights of national television shining on them.

“We showed some Connecticut, some Pittsburgh, maybe even some Duke [game film from a season ago], and let it run for some time with the volume up so our players could get a little sense of what makes Madison Square Garden unique,” Lavin explained. “But, at the end of it, they’re going to have to go through…the experience of having that natural adrenaline and all the vital signs headed north.”

Lavin’s 3-0 Red Storm will face head coach Sean Miller’s Arizona Wildcats, who also stand at 3-0, after coming from behind to beat Ball State, 73-63, on Sunday.

Junior guard Malik Stith, as the only returning letterwinner on this young Red Storm roster, is the only player who can speak from experience about playing at the Garden.

“It feels good, I guess, just getting back to the big arena,” he said, not seeming to meditate on the past. “This will be our first test; first chance for us to play on national television; first time for the freshmen to get a feel of college basketball.”

The Red Storm ran into trouble in the first two games of their season, needing second-half rallies against William & Mary and Lehigh to win. But a convincing 82-59 win over UMBC on Sunday has turned the tide.

“I think it’s more of coming out with better intensity on defense in the first half,” said freshman forward Moe Harkless. “The first two games we really didn’t come out too strong and we, unfortunately, had to fight back to win and we can’t do that all season.”

God'sGiftAchiuwaBaseline — God'sgift Achiuwa will have to use his size to solidify St. John's presence in the paint against Arizona. (Photo: Dave Krupinski)

And the problem of slow starts has not only been a Red Storm problem. It that has plagued the relatively-young Wildcats, as well.

After losing star forward Derrick Williams to the NBA Draft and point guard Momo Jones to transfer, Arizona relies on three freshman for production off the bench: guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner and forward Angelo Chol.

And the two sets of freshman are not unfamiliar.

Harkless says he has been acquainted with Arizona’s young players through the AAU circuit, along with being friendly with junior forward Kevin Parrom, who is a New York City native.

St. John’s freshman forward Sir’Dominic Pointer played with Turner at Quality Education Academy in North Carolina, during his senior season.

But despite all of the more obvious overtones, there is a more serious subtext to this game, as head coach Steve Lavin, returning from successful prostate cancer surgery, will make his first Madison Square Garden appearance of the season, this coming in the 2K Sports Classic, which benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.

“This event gives coaches an opportunity to put basketball in its proper light, in terms of prioritizing, yet it’s a delicate balance, because we have to get ready to play Arizona,” said Lavin.

Since his arrival as the head coach at St. John’s, Lavin has raised over $1 million for cancer research and has worked extensively with the V Foundation, for the same cause, in his time at UCLA and as a broadcaster at ESPN.

Raising money for research has become a focal point for Lavin, whose grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer. His father is a survivor of prostate cancer, and both his mother and father have had bouts with skin cancer.

“Because I’ve had family members who have been inflicted, or ultimately victims of cancer, it has affected me in a profound way in terms of, from a young age, understanding the importance of fighting a good fight against cancer,” Lavin said.

And that positivity has rubbed off on his team.

“As you can see, it just brought out a new energy in us,” said Stith, the junior guard. “When he came out [in his return against Lehigh], the crowd went crazy. It just brought out a new life, having Coach Lav back.”

The Red Storm tip off against Arizona at 9:30pm.

“It’s our first test to see where we stand and what we have to work on and how far we’ve come,” Stith added. “We’ll see Thursday night.”

After Steve Lavin Return, Defense Is the Focus for St. John’s vs. UMBC

November 11, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

Coming off the emotional high that accompanied head coach Steve Lavin’s return to coaching duties Wednesday night, St. John’s will have to look forward when they take the floor Sunday afternoon against UMBC.

“It gave us a surge, as we anticipated. But that’s who he is. It was very natural,” said assistant coach Mike Dunlap of Lavin’s return. “Obviously, there is some adjustment that will go on over the next couple weeks, which we acknowledge.”

Despite winning the season’s first two games, it took strong come-from-behind performances to seal the victories, including coming from 16 down vs. Lehigh on Wednesday night.

“Part of that is us learning how to coach the team to get them in that position,” Dunlap continued, going on to praise the team’s first two opponents. “I think there are questions we ask ourselves as coaches to tweak it, but no drastic changes because then you bring a sense of uncertainty to the group.”

St. John’s trailed 32-16 in the first half on Wednesday night, including 10 points at halftime.

HarklessAchiuwa — Harkless and Achiuwa account for more than half of the the team's rebound total. (Photo: Dave Krupinski)

“When we’re down, we’re fighting hard, trying to get steals, playing really scrappy defense,” said freshman guard Phil Greene, who has run into struggles since scoring 20 points in the team’s first exhibition against CW Post. “We have to start off with that mentality.”

“I kind of blame myself because I’m out there in the beginning of the game,” said junior guard Malik Stith, the only returning letterwinner from last season.

“As a whole team, I think we have to realize that the early session of the game, the first five minutes we can’t play behind because what they don’t know yet, if you’re playing like a Pittsburgh, it’s hard to come back in a 16-point game.”

The matchup zone has been a staple of the Lavin era in Queens, which came under similar scrutiny last year, following strong shooting performances by St. Mary’s (Ca.), Arizona State, and Columbia.

Dunlap defended the scheme and touted its benefits, which include protecting the Red Storm lack of size and reducing foul trouble.

“What it does do is make teams one dimensional. And that’s tough living, as people have found, over the course of a game,” said Dunlap. “I don’t think we flinched too much when those five threes were made… It isn’t an “every man’s” defense. It takes time to pick it up.”

St. John’s will face a UMBC team on Sunday that shot 33% from three-point range last season, and lost their leading rebounder, Justin Fry, to graduation.

That means God’sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless, who, together, average over half of the team’s total rebounds, will have a chance to make noise on the block.

But Dunlap continues to press the importance of defense for this team.

“Our players will know that our culture leads with defense first because we know that that carries the day and can lead you to the Promised Land.”

St. John’s vs. William & Mary: The Official Start Of A New Era

November 7, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

For the last four years, St. John’s fans and foes have been accustomed to seeing the same names and numbers on the back of Red Storm jerseys. After nearly eight months since the Red Storm’s magical season came to an end, tomorrow this group will embark upon the new era of St. John’s basketball.

Moe Harkless — Freshman Maurice Harkless will be relied on heavily to do a little bit of everything for the young Red Storm team. (Dave Krupinski)

St. John’s opens the curtain for its 104th season of men’s basketball with the youngest team in program history. The Red Storm comprised of one returning letter winner from last season and welcome seven new faces to the team.

Over the past two weeks, fans have had the opportunity to get to know this year’s Red Storm unit through two exhibition games that have prepared this young bunch for what lies ahead, but many questions still remain unanswered as we enter the time of the year where the games now count in the standings, and the progress levels of each player will be evaluated under even more of a microscope than in weeks and months past.

William and Mary will be the first official opponent for all but one of the Johnnies at the Division I level, and you’ll find out a little more about them here as well.

The game is the nation’s first of the season, as part of the preliminary rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, which will move to Madison Square Garden for St. John’s match up with Arizona.

Below, JohnnyJungle.com takes a look at how the young Red Storm will stack up against sharpshooting William & Mary.

Date: Monday, November 7, 2011
Location: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, NY
Tip Off: 7:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Bob Wischusen, Len Elmore)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Mike Rossillo, Vince Ruffino)

St. John’s Red Storm (2010-11 Record: 21-12, 12-6 Big East)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin (2nd season, 21-12; 166-90 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:(Stats reflect two preseason games against C.W. Post and St. Mary’s [Md.])

G Nurideen Lindsey (6-3 So., 15.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 52% FG, 22% FT, 5.5 APG, 2.5 SPG)
G Malik Stith (5-11 Jr., 4.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 38% FG, 50% FT, 4.0 APG, 1.5 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 41% FG, 83% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 18.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 77% FG, 22% FT, 1.5 BPG, 1.0 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 17.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 63% FG, 83% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 10.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 69% FG, 38% FT, 1.5 APG, 2.5 SPG)
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 12.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 56% FG, 50% 3pt, 50% FT, 1.5 APG, 2.5 SPG)

Keys To Victory:

– Play smart. Being that this is the first official game for nearly everyone on this team, the potential for St. John’s to get caught up in the moment is higher than ever. Even though most of this team seems mature and emotionally grounded going into tomorrow night’s match up, the atmosphere at Carnesecca Arena 24 hours from now will be something that this team has, by and large, never experienced. Therefore, don’t be surprised to see assistant coach Mike Dunlap, who will fill in for a still recovering Steve Lavin, to make that a critical part of his preparation for William & Mary.

– Dictate the pace. In the Red Storm’s 110-80 exhibition win over C.W. Post, the team was able to set the tone early-on with their athleticism and run-and-gun offense, turning a contest with the Division II Pioneers into a track meet just minutes into the first half. If St. John’s can be the aggressors on offense against a William & Mary team that averaged just 64 points per game last season, they will force the Tribe to come from behind early and often.

– Guard the lines. William & Mary shot 36 percent from three-point range as a team last season, led by the 46 percent clip from senior swingman Quinn McDowell, who is ready to go after missing the preseason. Sophomore point guard Brandon Britt may not be as productive from long range as McDowell, but if you leave him open at any position on the court, he can (and will) burn you.

And their opponents across the court…

William & Mary Tribe (2010-11 Record: 10-22, 4-14 CAA)
Head Coach: Tony Shaver (9th season, 97-146; 455-267 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup: (Stats reflect 2010-11 season)

G Brandon Britt (6-1 So., 10.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 38% FG, 72% FT, 2.2 APG)
G Julian Boatner (6-2 So., 6.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 40% FG, 40% 3pt, 83% FT)
G Kendrix Brown (6-3 Sr., 3.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 39% FG, 62% FT, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Quinn McDowell (6-6 Sr., 15.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 48% FG, 46% 3pt, 87% FT, 2.1 APG)
F JohnMark Ludwick (6-8 Sr., 3.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 39% FG, 38% 3pt, 60% FT)

Key Reserves:
*F Kyle Gaillard (6-8 Jr., 5.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 48% FG, 35% 3pt, 46% FT, 1.4 APG)
*F Tim Rusthoven (6-9 So., 5.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 57% FG, 84% FT)
G Matt Rum (6-4 Jr., 5.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 35% FG, 80% FT, 2.1 APG)

* Will not play due to injury

Keys To Victory:
– Win with Quinn. As Quinn McDowell goes, so too does the team. The leading scorer, three-point shooter, foul shooter and top returning rebounder from last year’s team, McDowell is the biggest part of this Tribe roster. At 6-6, McDowell is the second-tallest of the William & Mary starters, and will most likely draw Moe Harkless as a defensive assignment, which makes his ability to knock down shots even more of a factor, given Harkless’ two double-doubles in as many preseason games for the Red Storm.

– Bombs away. For every reason why St. John’s needs to guard the three-point line, William & Mary should come out firing. After a year in which the Tribe shot a collective 36 percent from beyond the arc, coach Tony Shaver would be smart to force St. John’s into showing off their length and athleticism against a group that has experienced options outside. St. John’s would also need to have their shooters get on a hot streak to keep up with the Tribe if the game becomes a shootout.

– Use the big men. Not only does William & Mary have a deeper bench than St. John’s, their roster as a whole is also bigger, with five members of the regular rotation measuring equal to or taller than the biggest St. John’s players (Harkless and Achiuwa) at 6-8. If they can stay out of foul trouble, William & Mary’s bigs, which give them a decided size advantage in the generally small CAA, will create a mismatch inside the paint that will play to their favor.

So, Who Wins?

In one corner, you have a team many critics are lauding as a sleeper that is just two years removed from a 22-win season and NIT appearance that is trying to return to the upper echelon of one of the strongest mid-major leagues in the nation.

In the other lies the reigning national media darling, now starting over, while simultaneously keeping the national attention on their side. This will be a telling game for both sides.

For the Johnnies, it will be a match up in which the team gets some much-needed experience that will prepare them for bigger opponents the likes of Arizona and Kentucky.

For William & Mary, it’s a chance to prove that they are just as much a part of the mix for a CAA title as conference brethren George Mason and VCU. The Tribe will also get the benefit of having a high-major opponent, something that will serve them well for future match ups against Missouri and Iona, among others.

Although this game will be close, don’t count on it to be the trap that some analysts are suspecting it may be. The Tribe may have the experience, but the Johnnies have the superior talent that will get them over the hump in this one.

Final Score: St. John’s 82, William & Mary 71