Series

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

December 16, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

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

The Road to St. John’s Basketball: Justin Burrell Before the Red Storm

June 20, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

With his enormous frame and ability to do his will in the paint, Justin Burrell has been a physical presence since high school.

During his senior season at Our Savior Lutheran High School, as he is seen in the video above, he averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game.

Burrell took a prep year at Bridgton Academy (ME) and dominated again, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He then signed with former head coach Norm Roberts to head back to his hometown of New York City and play for the Red Storm.

NCAA BASKETBALL: FEB 05 St. John's at UCLA — (Photo: Icon/SMI Select)

In his sensational freshman season with St. John’s, Justin Burrell established himself as a big-bodied enforcer who came ready for the physicality of the Big East.

As a freshman, Burrell averaged nearly 11 points and 6 rebounds per game, earning the honor of being on the Big East All-Freshman Team.

Unfortunately, in late December of his sophomore season, he suffered a facial fracture and saw a slight drop in his minutes and production. He finished the season averaging 9 points and 4.5 rebounds.

His number dipped more in his junior season, but was still a major contributor, including his 14 point, 8 rebounds performance in a blowout win over Louisville at Madison Square Garden.

Under new head coach Steve Lavin in his senior season, Burrell took on a different role, but he fit in seamlessly and made an impact off the bench. His 6 points and nearly 5 rebounds per game earned him the Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award, bringing his career full-circle. He began his four years with the Red Storm by being recognized by the Big East, and he finished it that way, too.

He is now listed at 6’8″, 244 pounds, with shoulders like an NFL linebacker. Especially this past year, in his senior season, he has learned to harness his physical gifts and make himself a force on the block and on the glass. As a complement to Dwayne Polee II off the bench, he showed he understood and was willing to rebound and play defense to help his team to the NCAA Tournament.

Burrell has signed with Diamond Sports Agency and has worked out for the Clippers and Bobcats, among other teams. Video of Burrell’s workout with Charlotte can be found here. His size and bulk down low will be most attractive to pro teams and reports are that he performed well in his workouts.

Indications are that he will not get drafted, but he could make an NBA team as a free agent or have a bright future waiting for him overseas.

Scouting St. John’s: Are Dwight Hardy and Sean Evans ready for the NBA?

June 16, 2011 by Daniel Martin 1 Comment

In the lead-up to the NBA Draft, JohnnyJungle.com continues to look at the graduating St. John’s seniors and how they could fare at the professional level. Today, Dwight Hardy and Sean Evans.

Dwight Hardy

Hardy was the national face of the revitalized and reenergized program in 2010-2011. Beginning with his dominant performance against Georgetown to kick off Big East play, the ball kept rolling from there. The Bronx native ended up averaging just over 18 points per game and was named to the All-Big East First Team.

Now post-graduation, the next phase of his basketball career begins.

Hardy recently returned from Europe, where he worked out for teams in France. Also, Adam Zagoria of SNY is reporting that Hardy will be working out for the New Jersey Nets on Monday.

During his college career, Hardy was a pure scorer, both during his time at Indian Hills and at St. John’s. The key to his game, especially during his senior season with the Red Storm, was his ability to score in any number of ways. His dribble penetration was his biggest strength, getting to the rim, especially in the clutch.

Head coach Steve Lavin compared Hardy to Miami Heat guard Eddie House at the beginning of the season, and that is the role he could play in the NBA. Off the bench, he could be a 3pt shooting sparkplug that can put up points in a hurry. Questions still remain about his capacity to be a true, distributing point guard, which is why he may need a few seasons to develop his game overseas before making his way to the NBA.

Sean Evans

If there was one thing Sean Evans did relentlessly in his time with the Red Storm, it was offensive rebound.

Much like fellow St. John’s graduate Justin Burrell, Evans 6’8, 259 lb. frame is something NBA teams would covet.

He was inconsistent on the offensive end in his time at St. John’s, but had flashes of strong work in the post. He is also working to harness the physical gifts that he already has. This past season showed another part of Evans: his hard work.

Early in the year, he was seeing very little time on the floor, playing less than 5 minutes in six of the first eleven games. Lavin stressed that each practice was a chance for players to fight for time, and Evans did just that. Down the stretch, he was an integral part of the Red Storm rotation and chalked up a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Big East Tournament.

Recently, he has been working out independently on the West Coast, including workouts with fellow Philadelphia natives Marcus and Markieff Morris.

Projections show Evans, too, will not get drafted, but his size could be an asset to him as he looks for pro teams in perhaps Europe, or elsewhere. As he continues to work on finishing around the rim, he could be a contributing big man at the professional level.

The Road to St. John’s Basketball: DJ Kennedy Before the Red Storm

June 9, 2011 by Daniel Martin Leave a Comment

Before “Big Play” DJ Kennedy made his way to Queens, he was already playing basketball in the spotlight.

As part of the Pennsylvania Boys’ Class AAAA Championship team at Schenley High School (PA) in 2007, he played alongside current San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair on a squad that finished 29-3. While Blair decided to stay in town to play college ball at Pittsburgh, Kennedy headed to New York City to play for Norm Roberts at St. John’s.

Arriving in Queens, Kennedy did not start out as the focal point, either. After an impressive freshman season by forward Justin Burrell, Kennedy looked to be the swingman complement to another dominant big man down low. In his freshman year, Kennedy played 27 minutes per game, averaging nearly 8 points and 6 rebounds.

djkennedyhandsup — Kennedy is currently rehabbing the knee injury he suffered during the Big East Tournament against Syracuse. (Photo: Zimbio)

But, after a facial fracture sidelined Burrell, Kennedy had to step up in his sophomore season. Playing seven more minutes per game, Kennedy nearly doubled his scoring output, averaging 13 points and almost 7 rebounds. He also began to show his ability to fill up the stat sheet, adding 3 assists per game.

When the dawn of his junior year came, hopes were high and expectations were even higher. The Red Storm added four quality recruits to the roster, including two junior college transfers, Justin Brownlee and Dwight Hardy. Kennedy was made to be the leader from the outset and, though the team fell short of expectations, the 6’6” swingman had the best season of his college career.

Averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, he gained a reputation as one of the most versatile players in the Big East. His length allowed him to not only attack the basket to score points, but he shot a career-high 38% from 3-pt range. He led the Red Storm in nearly every major statistical category and became a team leader, going into his senior season.

Under the new Lavin administration, Kennedy moved from the spotlight to a complementary role, alongside Hardy and Brownlee. His greatest contributions came on defense and on the boards, as well as being a more-than-viable third option in Lavin’s offense.

His most impressive game came February 10th at Madison Square Garden against UConn, when he scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 89-72 victory.

Unfortunately, in the Big East Tournament against Syracuse, Kennedy went down with a knee injury early in the first half, an injury that cut his season short. The Pittsburgh native had successful surgery to repair the knee and is working through the 8 month rehab process on his road back to basketball.

Though he had to watch his team take part in the NCAA Tournament from the sidelines, DJ Kennedy’s mark on this program will be indelible. During his senior season, he passed St. John’s legend Walter Barry on the Johnnies’ all-time scoring list. He will be remembered as one of the integral pieces that helped turn this St. John’s program around. Without David J. Kennedy and the rest of these seniors, the national Red Storm brand would not be what it is today, on its way toward being one of the most recognizable in the country.

Check out JohnnyJungle.com’s previous Road to St. John’s pieces on Dwayne Polee II, Malik Stith, and Paris Horne.

Scouting St. John’s: Are Justin Burrell and Justin Brownlee ready for the NBA?

June 3, 2011 by Daniel Martin 2 Comments

According to St. John’s Sports Information Director Mark Fratto, five graduated former members of the Red Storm currently have “representation” and are, assumedly, looking to play professional basketball. Here Johnny Jungle takes a look at how the first two may fit into the pro game in the first installment of a three-part series, Scouting St. John’s:

Justin Brownlee

NCAA BASKETBALL: MAR 03 St John's at Seton Hall — Indications are that Brownlee will go undrafted, but he could be a good, versatile fit for an NBA team. (Photo: Icon/SMI Select)

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported Thursday that Brownlee would work out for five NBA teams in the coming weeks: the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 8th, the Atlanta Hawks June 13th, the Charlotte Bobcats June 15th, the Miami Heat June 17th, and the Los Angeles Lakers June 19th. During the season, he was mentioned in a number of NBA Mock Drafts, but has since slipped off.

Brownlee averaged just over 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Red Storm last season and, more importantly for his professional aspirations, showed impressive versatility for his size.

To his credit, he passes very well for a forward and has showed that his fall-away jumper within 12-feet is solid. He was also the most consistent finisher at the rim for the Red Storm last season. He is more athletic than some scouts give him credit for, as we saw from his junior college days. The biggest thing he would bring to an NBA team would be his versatility offensively, where he could work in the post or on the perimeter.

At 6’7” tall and 215 pounds, he is still working on the polished handle that would make him a true NBA small forward, and is a bit undersized to be a true power forward. This would hurt him mostly on the defensive end, where he may not have the quickness to defend some small forwards, but not large enough to body-up larger forwards in the post. He most likely will not get drafted, but could work his way onto a team as a free agent. Also, playing European basketball for a few seasons could be an option.

Justin Burrell

Earlier this month, Burrell announced via his Twitter page that he would be working out for 20 NBA teams at an event showcasing athletes signed to the agency that represents him, BDA Sports Management.

If there is one thing that is undeniable about Justin Burrell, it is that he has an NBA-ready body. Not only is he 6’8”, 244 pounds, but he has learned how to use his bulk to impact a game in the post.

Winning Big East Sixth Man of the Year this past season, Burrell reemerged in full force from the facial injury he suffered his sophomore season and showed the promise that he first showed as a freshman.

Burrell was the big-bodied enforcer off the bench who stood in contrast to the lanky starter Dwayne Polee II in 2010-2011, and he could play a similar role on an NBA team in the future. His rebounding instinct and toughness are building blocks that scouts will look for in the process of evaluating him.

The past three seasons, he was never truly dominant in the post, but showed flashes of strong play down low. Against Pitt at the Garden this year, as part of a 15 point, 8 rebound performance, he capitalized offensively every time Gary McGhee came out of the game. Steve Lavin began running the offense through Burrell and he outplayed Pitt big man Dante Taylor on multiple possessions.

The intangibles are in line for Burrell, too. He is well-spoken and handles himself with class in the media, which teams should take notice of. It looks like he, as well, will not be drafted, but could get some looks from teams as a free agent. If he does not play in the states, he could find a good fit overseas, where his size would be even more attractive to teams.

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Check back to JohnnyJungle.com, as we profile two more aspiring professionals from St. John’s Class of 2011, Dwight Hardy and Paris Horne.