St. John’s rallied to a comeback win in their last game Wednesday night, erasing a 16-point deficit to beat Lehigh on a night highlighted by the triumphant surprise return of head coach Steve Lavin.
But, in Friday’s press conference, it was clear that the Red Storm are looking forward.
In the words of their own head coach last season, St. John’s now needs to put “hammer to rock” and move on to the next one, which comes against America East program UMBC, who represented the conference in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
For the first time this season, the Red Storm compete directly with the National Football League, with a 2pm tip-off. JohnnyJungle.com gets you up to speed with everything you need to know about this Sunday’s matinee in Queens, below.
Date: Sunday, November 13, 2011
Location: Carnesecca Arena; Jamaica, New York
Time: 2:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN3 (espn3.com) via STJ-TV (Tony Luftman, Tarik Turner)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Mike Rossillo, Karl Delatorre)
St. John’s Red Storm (2-0)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin (2nd season, 23-12; 168-90 overall)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Nurideen Lindsey (6-3 So., 17.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 62% FG, 47% FT, 2.5 APG, 4.0 SPG)
G Malik Stith (5-11 Jr., 4.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 67% FG, 1.5 APG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 13.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 38% FG, 30% 3pt, 73% FT, 1.0 APG, 2.5 SPG)
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 19.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 71% FG, 88% FT, 1.0 APG, 1.0 BPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 16.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 45% FG, 33% 3pt, 36% FT, 2.5 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.5 SPG)
Key Reserves:
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 5.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 67% FG, 100% 3pt, 40% FT, 1.0 BPG, 1.5 SPG)
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 1.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 75% FT, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
Keys To Victory:
– Come out firing on both sides. St. John’s can take care of business offensively if the right shots fall at the right time, but in each of the first two games the Johnnies have played so far, their defensive efforts have yet to yield favorable results until the second half. Going against a UMBC team that committed 20 turnovers in its season opener Friday night against Penn, the press defense and matchup zone needs to be executed to near-perfection on almost every possession to avoid a repeat of the first two opening halves, even though the Retrievers missed each of their eleven three-point attempts in their 59-45 loss to the Quakers.
– Yes Sir! Each of the first two games has a common thread: A standout defensive exhibition from Sir’Dominic Pointer in the second half. Be it a block from out of nowhere or a run down the court to steal a potential field goal against Lehigh, the Detroit product has demonstrated an innate ability to go after the ball on each end. However, Pointer’s offensive prowess has yet to be maximized at this point in the season. Pointer should have many opportunities to change that against a UMBC squad that averaged just 64 points per game during a five-win campaign.
– Divine intervention. God’sgift Achiuwa has come out from the half-dozen newcomers and established himself as the leader in the clubhouse in the race for “most impressive newcomer.” Achiuwa has posted near-double-doubles in each of the first two contests for St. John’s, and solidified his reputation as an effective post presence with his 21 points on a perfect shooting night against Lehigh. The Nigerian big man will draw a UMBC frontcourt of equal stature to his 6’8″ frame, but Achiuwa should have his moments of dominance more often than not.
Now, to get you caught up on the team making the trip up Interstate 95 into Queens…
UMBC Retrievers (0-1)
Head Coach: Randy Monroe (8th season, 81-135)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Joey Getz (6-0 Fr., 4.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 25% FG, 67% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
G Jamar Wertz (6-3 So., 6.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 25% FG, 100% FT, 1.0 SPG)
F Adrian Satchell (6-5 Jr., 4.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 40% FG, 1.0 SPG)
F Chase Plummer (6-6 So., 15.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 36% FG, 56% FT, 2.0 BPG, 2.0 SPG)
F Nate Basalyga (6-9 Fr., 1.0 RPG, 1.0 APG)
Key Reserves:
G Brian Neller (6-4 Jr., 4.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 13% FG, 100% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F Jake Wasco (6-8 Sr., 4.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 100% FG)
F Will Wise (6-8 Fr., 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 100% FG, 1.0 SPG)
F Chandler Thomas (6-6 Fr., 3.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 33% FG, 50% FT)
Keys To Victory:
– Rookie quarterback. With senior Chris De La Rosa still recovering from offseason foot surgery and not expected to play, freshman Joey Getz has been thrust into the role of floor general for coach Randy Monroe. Although he only made one field goal Friday night, the Philadelphia native posted well-rounded numbers against Penn, with four points, five rebounds and three assists. Getz’s baptism by fire continues Sunday when he goes up against fellow City of Brotherly Love native Nurideen Lindsey at the point.
– Keep it simple. UMBC enduring an 0-for-11 performance from three-point range Friday night against Penn could be a blessing in disguise. Given that St. John’s has had difficulty closing to the arc early in games thus far, open looks for the Retrievers could result in brick after brick that will enable St. John’s to draw away sooner rather than later. With that in mind, UMBC would be better off going inside, especially to swingman Chase Plummer. The 6-6 sophomore started his second campaign with a very promising showing in the loss to the Quakers, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double while leading his team with 15 points.
– Fear the triple. One big reason why Penn was able to defeat the Retrievers convincingly was due to their six three-pointers, four of which came from shooting guard Zack Rosen. St. John’s has been streaky from beyond the arc so far, but that does not mean the Johnnies don’t have the shooters to put games away from long range. If UMBC can single out D’Angelo Harrison and even Moe Harkless on film and adequately prepare for their forays outside the line, they will be in this game longer than some people expect.
So, Who Wins?
On paper, this looks like the easiest of the three matchups St. John’s has been a part of this season. On the court, it may be just the same. UMBC will need to exert themselves against competition they have not won against in quite some time, with a 12-game losing streak dating back to 2000. For St. John’s, all they need to do is stay out of trouble, and the win that fans and experts expect should come to them before the final buzzer. UMBC is on the rise, but the loss of their senior leader will prove too much for them to overcome, as the Red Storm make their 2011-12 Madison Square Garden debut as an undefeated team.
Final Score: St. John’s 79, UMBC 53
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