To set the mood a little for this next preview. Appropriately, it’s the Bruce Springsteen classic “Meeting Across The River.” Enjoy.
Now that “The Boss” has set the scene, it’s time to take a look at Seton Hall and St. John’s. The Red Storm have never won at the Prudential Center, and are looking to crush Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament aspirations. Below, JohnnyJungle.com previews St. John’s and a Pirate team looking for their fourth win over the Johnnies in their last five meetings.
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Location: Prudential Center; Newark, New Jersey
Time: 7:00 PM EST
TV: SNY (Eamon McAnaney, Jim Spanarkel)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
WABC 770 AM (Gary Cohen, Dave Popkin)
WSOU 89.5 FM/WSOU.net (Tim LeCras, T.J. Brennan)
Online: WSJURadio.org (John Sudolsky, Kieran Lynch)
St. John’s Red Storm (10-15, 4-9)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 31-27, 176-105 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., 7.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36% FG, 75% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 39% FG, 38% 3pt, 81% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 5.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40% FG, 52% FT, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 41% FG, 57% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.5 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 16.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.6 SPG)
Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa(6-8 Jr., 9.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 54% FG, 68% FT)
Keys To Victory:
-Play to their tempo. With only six men, St. John’s needs to dictate the pace of this game. However, they cannot let this contest become a track meet by the same token. Mike Dunlap and the rest of the coaching staff need to be mindful of fatigue and Seton Hall’s propensity to push the ball in transition while preparing their game plan.
-Make shots. When previewing this game with WSOU play-by-play man Jason Guerette, (a complete transcript of our interview is available when you click on the “keys to victory” for St. John’s above) he informed me that Seton Hall’s primary instinct would be to attack the basket. By getting shots to fall, the Red Storm will minimize the Pirates’ impact in the paint.
-Stay out of foul trouble. Easier said than done with a six-man rotation, but St. John’s is at their most vulnerable inside. If Moe Harkless can recapture his mid-range magic while maintaining a high post presence, St. John’s will be around longer than people expect.
Seton Hall Pirates (17-8, 6-7)
Head Coach: Kevin Willard (2nd season at SHU; 30-26, 75-75 overall)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Jordan Theodore(6-0 Jr., 15.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 38% FG, 81% FT, 6.7 APG, 2.0 SPG)
G Aaron Cosby (6-2 Fr., 8.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 40% FG, 41% 3pt, 50% FT, 1.4 APG)
G Fuquan Edwin (6-6 So., 13.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 48% FG, 39% 3pt, 63% FT, 1.2 APG, 3.0 SPG)
F Brandon Mobley (6-9 Fr., 4.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 30% FG, 67% [8/12] FT)
F Herb Pope (6-8 Sr., 15.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 48% FG, 38% 3pt, 62% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.3 SPG)
Key Reserves:
F Patrik Auda (6-9 So., 6.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 47% FG, 32% 3pt, 61% FT, 1.0 APG)
G Haralds Karlis (6-5 Fr., 3.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 34% FG, 32% 3pt, 67% [10/15] FT)
Keys To Victory:
-Ball movement and security.Seton Hall hasn’t always been effective against zone defenses, (see the Syracuse game) and the Red Storm matchup zone will almost certainly be a thorn in the Pirates’ side. If they are able to consistently move the ball, they will eventually find good shots.
-Avoid turnovers. With Kevin Willard’s penchant for defense, Seton Hall will cut down on easy baskets for the Red Storm. However, the Pirates need to step up on the offensive end and keep St. John’s in check while the all-freshman Red Storm lineup tries to strip the ball on every possession.
-Bobby Gonzalez. The man who gradually improved the Pirates’ win total during each of his four seasons as coach while also going 3-2 against St. John’s while at the helm of Seton Hall may not be around anymore, but his influence remains stronger than ever on this team. Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope are the only players to have taken the court under Bobby; while Fuquan Edwin is the last link to the former coach, as he was recruited by Gonzalez and signed before the coach’s dismissal. Not coincidentally, these three are the Pirates’ best players even under the system Kevin Willard has implemented, which is a stark contrast to the uptempo run-and-gun style Gonzalez employed.
So, Who Wins?
Making one more Bobby Gonzalez reference here, Seton Hall has dominated the metropolitan area even after changing coaches. The Pirates will be looking to go a combined 2-0 this season against St. John’s and in-state rival Rutgers, something Gonzalez did routinely. On the other side of the court, St. John’s will be looking to right the ship for their first win in the Prudential Center. That being said, this game will be a war. Seton Hall will be around until the final seconds, but this is actually a trap game for the Pirates. St. John’s talent matches up with the Hall much better than most people realize, which gives the handful of rookies in the Red Storm lineup a hard-fought victory. Expect D’Angelo Harrison to be the catalyst of a late St. John’s rally.
Final Score: St. John’s 78, Seton Hall 74
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