Records were made to be broken, and Moe Harkless proved that in his Big East debut by scoring 32 points to set a new standard for freshmen playing in their first game as a member of what has been described as the best conference in the nation.
Harkless’ St. John’s team used the career night to their advantage on the way to a 91-67 victory over Providence in their Big East opener.
Now, the seven men that comprise the youngest roster in program history get one of their biggest challenges when they make the two-hour trip to New England to square off against the reigning national champion Connecticut Huskies, who narrowly escaped their 2011-12 conference debut with a win when they defeated USF on the road by the final of 60-57.
Ninth-ranked UConn will be without the services of their Hall of Fame head coach, though; as Jim Calhoun serves the second of his three-game suspension imposed as a result of a recruiting scandal involving former prospect Nate Miles, one that Calhoun really did not have much involvement in from a big picture standpoint.
Longtime Calhoun assistant and former Seton Hall coach George Blaney will be at the helm tomorrow afternoon, and JohnnyJungle.com gives you the particulars and the analysis before the New Year’s Eve showdown with the defending champs in what will serve as game number two on the Big East ledger for both schools.
Date: Saturday, December 31, 2011
Location: XL Center; Hartford, Connecticut
Time: 12:00 PM EST
TV: SNY/ESPN3 (Bob Picozzi, Kara Lawson, Andy Katz)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Kieran Lynch, Vince Ruffino)
St. John’s Red Storm (7-5, 1-0)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ, 28-17; 173-95 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., 6.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 35% FG, 75% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 15.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 39% FG, 34% 3pt, 82% FT, 1.8 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 48% FG, 31% 3pt, 47% FT, 1.2 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 12.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 55% FG, 73% FT, 1.2 BPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 46% FG, 62% FT, 1.8 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.8 SPG)
Key Reserves:
G Malik Stith (5-11 Jr., 3.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 44% FG, 43% 3pt, 67% FT, 1.3 APG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 2.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 67% FG, 50% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG)
Keys To Victory:
– Avoid the bounce factor. Following a 24-point win in which Moe Harkless, D’Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene outscored Providence by themselves; the likelihood of a letdown is greater than usual, especially against a team the caliber of Connecticut. If St. John’s can attack the UConn frontcourt the way they did against teams the likes of Arizona and Texas A&M, the chances of an upset will improve.
– Guard play. Much like last season; the Huskies have three guards capable of changing the game at any given moment, which makes Greene and Harrison even more important than usual. With no other guards in their rotation, don’t be surprised to see Malik Stith play more minutes than usual in an attempt to combat the explosiveness of UConn’s backcourt.
– What’s up with Gift? A question asked by New York Daily News writer Roger Rubin at a press conference earlier in the season could once again be asked given the magnitude of tomorrow’s game. With the exception of the Kentucky game in which he posted his first and only career double-double, God’sgift Achiuwa has struggled against both marquee opponents and on the road. In three games against Arizona, Texas A&M and Detroit, Achiuwa has averaged just 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s now time to meet the reigning national champions.
No. 9 Connecticut Huskies (11-1, 1-0)
Head Coach: Jim Calhoun* (26th season at UConn, 618-232; 866-369 overall)
* – Associate head coach George Blaney will coach while Calhoun serves part of three-game suspension imposed by NCAA
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Shabazz Napier (6-1 So., 14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 46% FG, 40% 3pt, 74% FT, 6.4 APG, 2.2 SPG)
G Jeremy Lamb (6-5 So., 19.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 52% FG, 40% 3pt, 82% FT, 1.6 APG, 2.0 SPG)
F Roscoe Smith (6-8 So., 3.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 41% FG, 73% FT)
F Alex Oriakhi (6-9 Jr., 7.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 48% FG, 53% FT, 1.3 BPG)
C Andre Drummond (6-10 Fr., 9.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 61% FG, 33% FT, 2.8 BPG)
Key Reserves:
G Ryan Boatright (6-0 Fr., 12.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 52% FG, 67% 3pt, 77% FT, 3.5 APG)
F Tyler Olander (6-9 So., 6.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 49% FG, 50% 3pt, 67% FT, 1.8 APG)
F DeAndre Daniels (6-8 Fr., 5.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 38% FG, 75% FT)
Keys To Victory:
– Third time is the charm. UConn has been soundly defeated by St. John’s in each of their last two meetings, both coming at Madison Square Garden. In March of 2010, the Red Storm defeated the Huskies in the first round of the Big East tournament by the final of 73-51 to burst what slim chances UConn had of remaining on the NCAA Tournament bubble; and picked up a 33-point performance from Dwight Hardy for an encore in the Johnnies’ 89-72 upset victory this past February in a game that featured many magic moments, with the halfcourt three-pointer that Malik Boothe banked off the backboard to beat the buzzer at halftime being one of them. UConn got the better of the Red Storm the last time the two teams squared off at the XL Center, and owns a lifetime record of 14-3 against St. John’s when the two sides take the court either in Hartford or at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. In fact, St. John’s has not won in the Nutmeg State since January 16, 2000.
– The X factor. Many will bestow this title upon freshman guard Ryan Boatright due to his explosiveness off the bench, but UConn’s ace in the hole is really Tyler Olander. After struggling through most of his rookie season, the second-year forward has had a solid second-year campaign, with averages of nearly seven points and six rebounds in 25 minutes per game. Olander has truly blossomed as one of Jim Calhoun’s unsung heroes; and following a Big East tournament where he played some of the best games of his life, has really turned the corner for the Huskies.
– Embrace a shootout. This event could happen if both Jeremy Lamb and D’Angelo Harrison get off to quick starts tomorrow afternoon. Although he is as confident as they come, Harrison is a freshman that has yet to face the hostile environment created by the Connecticut fans. Lamb is also a better marksman on paper than his likely counterpart, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc thus far this season. With Kemba Walker having graduated a year early and deciding to forgo his final year of eligibility in favor of the NBA; Jeremy has emerged as the go-to guy for the Huskies, and you can bet the ball will be in his hands come crunch time.
So, Who Wins?
UConn overcame a scare from USF in the first of three games the Huskies will play without the services of Jim Calhoun behind the bench, and the Hall of Famer will miss his team’s next game against Seton Hall as well. For St. John’s, it does not get any easier on the way back from Connecticut’s state capital as Louisville and Rick Pitino will await them in a Madison Square Garden matchup that will open 2012. St. John’s will have recent history on their side by virtue of having won the last two meetings with UConn in convincing fashion, but this is a new team and they are contesting this matchup on the road as opposed to the friendly confines of the Garden. The Huskies come in with something to prove following those aforementioned defeats and their near-upset loss to USF, and the smart money will be on a Connecticut runaway. However, St. John’s is far more talented and competitive than their seven-man roster lets on. UConn takes it, but it won’t be decided until the final minute or so.
Final Score: Connecticut 79, St. John’s 70
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.