Alaska Shootout Round II: Drake

Ambiance: Drake, Up All Night (video. naughty language inside)

The Great Alaska Shootout continues with a game against Iowa’s Drake Bulldogs. Can St. John’s ride the momentum from the overtime game on Thanksgiving morning and discipline the Bulldogs? A berth in the championship game, likely against very good opponents Weber State or Arizona State, is at stake.

One thing is for sure: St. John’s hasn’t kept these games boring. Late into Thursday morning, the Red Storm fought their way back from a deficit to reach overtime, and then finally put away the Ball State Cardinals. Justin Brownlee was the force of nature in the game; and the team’s free throw shooting was one of the goats. An inability to force missed shots in the second half was also a serious issue.

As of this writing, St. John’s are 11 point favorites. While I scoff at this, it should be known that Ball State is probably a more formidable opponent than the young Drake Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have 1 senior who was a JUCO transfer last year, 1 returning junior, 1 transfer from Arizona State, and freshmen and sophomores. There is talent among the group, but they are young. And both Drake and their opponent last night, Southern Utah, are picked at the bottom of their respective conferences. Drake looks to minimize turnovers and shoot three-pointers; they’re minimizing turnovers, but looking inside the arc a little more.

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Team Reviews

Drake Bulldogs (2-1)

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To stop Drake, St. John’s defense needs to get better. With Division I athletes, knowing the tendencies of the stars and slowing them down means a lot less towards winning when some other player is wide open to nail jump shots like he has been for much of his life.

That’s the long and short of it; the Red Storm shouldn’t be the make-a-wish defense, making young opponents’ dreams of stardom come true. St. John’s should not be their highlight reel. By writing that statement, I full well know that Drake’s least heralded player will drop 10-15 points on St. John’s from open spots around the perimeter and the 15-foot range.

The two players I would worry about first are Rayvonte Rice (#24) and Seth VanDeest (#45), followed by Ryan Wedel (#10); Aaron Hawley (#2), Ben Simons (#34) and Arizona transfer Kraidon Woods (#22) are other potential impact players.

Wedel is the team’s lone senior, and though short, seems very willing to put shots up whether in position or not-quite-squared-up. Along with Hawley and Simons, he focuses his efforts more on the perimeter. The three of them and Frank Wiseler all shot solidly from outside the arc last year.

But the x-factors are VanDeest and Rice. VanDeest is a little awkward, but at 6’11, the sophomore is decently mobile and has a soft touch from 10-15 feet out (and will even shoot a three). He shot a basket on the move against Southern Utah and drew a good number of fouls against their tall front line. He plays with confidence. Expect to see the team clear out space for him to work in isolation.

Rayvonte Rice is a player I have seen personally, and he is a big little man. At 6’4, he is built like a forward but plays guard; he has some power, some athleticism, and a LOT of activity. The freshman from Chicago hasn’t shot well from outside yet, but he has that ability; and can be a really pesky “and-1” guy, a player who draws fouls out of his hustle and drives. Lazy defense and not boxing out on the defensive glass could make Rice a star in the matchup.

Keys to the Game

Play With Confidence. The Red Storm players sometimes look as if they’re trying to remember what the right thing to do is on offense and defense. They have to play with conviction and confidence – screen hard, go 100% all game, make mistakes of trying too hard, not of being unsure of where to be and finding themselves out of position on defense or standing around on offense.

Battle Down Low. VanDeest may prove to be a capable big man against St. John’s lineup. But he and his mates cannot own the paint. As a Big East team, the Red Storm have to make an impact – getting to rebounds, limiting the big man’s touches, and keeping paint scoring low.

Guard Play. DJ Kennedy and/ or Dwight Hardy have to make some shots to make the offense run well. They are the offensive stars, and have been reluctant in one case, and struggling to find the range in the other.

Take Care of Business. Put the team away. Hit the free throws. Communicate. Get a hand up in the face of the shooters.

Win the Turnover Battle. Continue to make smart decisions with the ball. The Johnnies are doing well at hanging on to the basketball, and it may be part of the hesitation on offense. Hopefully, it’ll all come together in an aggressive brand of basketball that doesn’t involve ridiculous turnovers.

Prediction: St. John’s 74-66.