Caging the Ivy Lion

Ambiance: Discovery, So Insane (video, the band has a Columbia graduate who is also in the band Vampire Weekend)

So… that loss happened (thanks, Jaden, for the postgame writeup). St. Mary’s won at home, wearing out the Johnnies and reminding the team they have some work to do. And they had better do it early; there are no NJITs or last year’s Fordham on the schedule. Even tonight’s opponent, Columbia University from just over the Triborough Bridge and across 125th, could pose a challenge.

As we know from last year’s scare by Brown and drubbing by Cornell, Ivy League no longer means automatic win. And rightfully so; talent, training, shooting, and good coaching can be found far and wide, even in the Ivy team that seems to perennially hover around the middle of the league standings.

The former coach, Joe Jones, left Morningside Heights to take an assistant position with former Cornell coach Steve Donahue at Boston College. I guess Donahue saw something in those repeated beatings over the past 4 years. With Jones’ departure, the Lions hired Kyle Smith as the new head coach. Smith is a former St. Mary’s assistant, and the system he wants to implement is similar, focused on good-passing recruits. Expect his team to try and rebound hard, protect the ball, and be tougher than expected.

Tonight’s game is the home opener for the Johnnies. It is also a chance to see them in person or on online television; the Great Alaska Shootout may not have a TV feed, and the team does not return until December 1st against Wagner. The team needs to work on its offense and get that wine country taste out of their mouths; here’s hoping they’re not tired from the cross-country travel.  St. John’s hopes to rebound from the bitter taste of the East Bay against Columbia,  who look to rule the Jungle with an upset. is the team ready to take care of business in the home opener?
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Team Reviews

Columbia (1-1)

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With the new coaching staff, the Lions are trying out new things. One new thing is running. taking a look at their play-by-play data, the Lions seem to be trying to get a shot up within 15 seconds of gaining possession (cue Pitino joke). They’ve taken three-pointers on the break, have worked for layups and close shots. The 108 points they put on Maryland-Eastern Shore was the third highest scoring output in their history.

Noruwa Agho is similarly built to Charron Fisher – big, like an undersized power forward or a playground league center. He was the only player to average double figures for the Lions last year – and is their main distributor. Brian Barbour has been handing out assists at a high rate as well; so far, that seems to be his contribution to the team as he expands his role as a sophomore. Steve Frankoski is the designated three-point shooter, taking 15 of his 20 shots this season from behind the arc. He doesn’t have an assist or a free throw attempt this season. Freshman Dyami Starks was a big-time scorer in high school.

A transfer from Loyola Marymount two years ago, Max Craig is tall and effective. The team has been trying to get the seven-foot Montreal native the ball in the post, and he has been strong at rebounding on the offensive glass. Brian Grimes starts on the front line; he’s been a very good rebounder for the Lions and a solid passer to boot. Asenso Ampim plays with him along the front line, and holds down the defensive rebounding. He used to take 3-pointers, but seems to have been dissuaded from doing that; his shooting percentages are still not that high, so he may be taking long jumpers. Mark Cisco is an okay rebounder, and in his year plus at Morningside Heights, has turned the ball over when on the court.

St. John’s (0-1)
00 Dwayne Polee II F 6’7 193 FR
32 Justin Brownlee F 6’7 219 SR
1 DJ Kennedy G/F 6’5 214 SR
12 Dwight Hardy SG 6’2 196 SR
3 Malik Boothe PG 5’9 184 SR

Bench

23 Paris Horne G 6’3 189 SR
5 Sean Evans F 6’8 259 SR
24 Justin Burrell F 6’8 244 SR

31 Malik Stith G 5’11 184 SO
10 Quincy Roberts G 6’5 196 SO
15 Dele Coker C 6’10 257 SR

Now we know that St. John’s will be playing a lot of matchup zone. Exclusively zone? We don’t know yet. Note that Lavin is figuring out what he can do with his team in game situations, and figuring out what can and cannot work, so expect more experimentation from the coaching staff. In the past, Lavin has also tried tinkering with lineups to get other players experience with an eye toward the postseason… even if it makes what should be a gimme game more heartburn-inducing.

The zone wasn’t terrible, except for Clint Steindl’s Open Corner. We’ll find out if that’s the gap in the defense or if that was just poor reading/ reaction.

On offense, Malik Boothe was making plays with his quickness, and Polee was spreading his gangliness all over the court. Interesting that he took a lot of shots; let’s see if that continues or if he was left exposed by St. Mary’s. Expect Dwight Hardy and DJ Kennedy to step their games up against less-athletic competition. Not sure if it will mean much, but it will remind them of the spots where they need to create points from.

The point of tonight’s game should be to get some of the regulars in rhythm and see if the backups can show a little something to the coaching staff.

Keys to the Game

Bother Their Early Shots. The Lions have played fast-paced games and will get up and down the court; St. John’s has to be ready to contest the shots fairly quickly (and run out on their misses). If St. John’s can make them run a halfcourt offense for 20 seconds or more, that would be ideal. And hopefully frustrating.

Score. St. Johns might see some zone tonight. They need to attack it well and get into shooting rhythm against Columbia.

Force Turnovers. The Lions have not protected the ball at all in their two games. St. John’s style is beginning to look like one that will be dependent on turnovers. This could be a feel-good game for the players if they can use their length and smarts to force miscues and run out for crowd-pleasing dunks.

No Second Chances. The Red Storm need to restrict second chance shots – own the defensive glass. Get those rebounds.

True King of the Jungle. St. John’s needs to give the fans at home – and themselves – a reason to continue dreaming big. They have to own this game, knock Columbia out early and keep punching.

Prediction: Two fairly unknown quantities… I think it will be a little closer than it should be. 83-66, St. John’s win.