While this may be another game that doesn’t count, it certainly matters for the Red Storm. After getting beat by STAC in their first exhibition, St. John’s needs a win. St. John’s will still be without Marcus LoVett, Felix Balamou, and Kassoum Yakwe who are battling injuries and awaiting clearance from the NCAA on their eligibility.
Bottom line: no excuses.
This game will not only be telling for St. John’s players but also head coach Chris Mullin. Last game coach Mullin let the boys take their whooping while being mild mannered on the sidelines. Perhaps coach wanted to see the resolve of his players but today he needs to step up and lead his team to a victory.
Game Info
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2015
Location: Carnesecca Arena
Time: 4:00PM est
TV: ESPN3 (watch ESPN app)
What to look for
Can Durand Johnson and Ron Mvouika be dependable scorers? I was really looking for these guys to be more of go-to guys on this team. The bad shots, turnovers, and poor decisions were expected from freshman but not from 5th year seniors. After last game the only place to go is up. Johnson needs to score the ball in a variety of ways but should not be shooting more than two threes a game. As for Mvouika he needs to get into open space and score off the catch. Play to your strengths.
Better defensive rotation and close outs. It may take some time for guys to find themselves offensively but the good thing about defense is it can be built on a foundation of sweat and hustle. Far too often guys didn’t close out against STAC and it cost them. Would be great to see the team play with more urgency and suffocate Sonoma State today.
How to get Williams going?A lot of people assumed that when Williams was committed to Iowa St. then to St. John’s he’d be the 2nd coming of George Niang. Well not quite. However Williams is a good player but he needs to figure out his role. He shares some characteristics to former Johnny Orlando Sanchez. He isn’t a true post but he isn’t a small forward. What are some plays that can get him the ball in his sweet spot? He can be a matchup problem but can’t have him freelancing above the three point line.
Can St. John’s take care of the basketball? The biggest struggle for incoming freshman is realizing they can’t get away with stuff that worked in high school. Coming into the season I felt Malik Ellison would suffer from this the most. In high school Ellison could get deep in the paint, pump, and finish but in college that window doesn’t exist. DJ Kennedy went through these growing pains too. St. John’s needs to value the basketball in both ball handling and shot selection. Goal should be to have less than 13 turnovers.
Can Christian Jones run with high motor again? Jones has a nice soft touch within the paint. He’s always shown that but where he’s struggled is defensively showing little awareness and hunger to use his athleticism to rebound and block shots. The latter is what he’ll need to do to earn minutes, and when he earns minutes he’ll gain confidence.
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