Runnin' With the Devils - St. John's @ Duke [Calm Before the Storm]

St. John’s and Duke have been meeting for 11 consecutive years. St. John’s has won two of those games. In the Red Storm/ Blue Devils’ yearly series, there have been some hellacious pastings over the years, some seriously uncompetitive contests, and few signs that St. John’s is among the nation’s elite. In last year’s 76-69 loss, something changed… slightly.

For sure, the game was still a whipping. But despite the turnovers, the Red Storm put in a performance better than their usual game-to-game offensive output, and better than what Duke was allowing to ACC opponents. It’s a small bit of trivia, but perhaps there is something there, a statement that the Red Storm is improving from their 10-point first half in 2007 and the 30 point shellacking two years ago.

Maybe this is the year St. John’s takes a Duke team adjusting to play without Gerald Henderson and Greg Paulus and shocks the college basketball-watching country (or “America” as they say on your favorite reality-TV shows). Maybe this newly confident and deep Red Storm squad won’t take “L” for a result anymore. Just maybe.


Read More! Calm Before the Storm: Runnin' With the Devils

Well done and I agree with we must take care of the basketball and take advantage of turnovers for a positive in our score column.

Jon Scheyer is on of the best players in college basketball?

Isn't that a bit much? He's one of the best players on Duke.

Another good write up Peter.  I am excited about this game I am expecting a loss but I think we can keep this one respectable.  Hopefully the guys take their games to the next level and we make a game out of it.

Poison - his numbers right now and usage rates are pretty sick.  I don't think he will be at the end of the year but right now, he's certainly performing like an All-ACC candidate.  Then again, his last 3 games against good competition have been... only ok.

(In truth, I wrote that slightly tongue in cheek.  Small sample size caveats apply.)

Great write up Peter.  That said - 5 point Duke victory?  I thought you were talkin' about a big Duke win unless I was misreading some of your previous posts...tell me you're not selling out to the masses just because its johnny jungle article

Poison - Scheyer has gotta be one of the most underrated players in college basketball.  He is the ultimate teammate/guy you want on your team - the glue.  He can score, play point, pass, rebound, play D --- he does EVERYTHING.  He's an asset even when his shot is off.  He's got those intangibles.  He'll never make an all-american team but he quietly does what it takes to win regardless if his shot is on.  Very underrated, IMO.  He's the kind of guy if he was on another team, he''d nevber be talked about until this season and someone would do a piece on how he is the glue and everyone will start loving him.  Because he's on Duke and gets a ton of attention, people think he isnt as good as he is made out to be.  I'd love to have him on St. John's - and I don't mean that in a duh way of course we'd love anyone on duke to be on st. john's.

What's the line on the game?

@Kid - I don't think the game will be as close as the final score, necessarily, but I also don't think Duke's going to blow them out.  Scheyer hasn't gotten many shots up against St. John's with this crew - 8 last year and 7 the year before, I think.  So that leaves it to Smith and Singler to score.  I think one of them can be slowed down.  I also think that some b-s no name like Lance Thomas or Plumlee the elder puts up double digits.  Or Andre Dawkins. 

But not enough to really blow the Storm out to sea.  (to dissipate the storm? I have a hard time with Storm related witticisms.)

mkras - no line yet.

Is anyone else going to the game?

BTW, TaShawn Mabry, an uncommitted 3/4 2010 prospect, should be there to take in the action. His best offer so far is from Miami. Maybe he'll like what he sees out of STJ and want to take an official to NY  .

Rocky Mount's TaShawn Mabry: North Carolina High School Basketball Preview

http://duke.scout.com/2/926061.html

Preview from Duke Scout Board

"Prediction:

Duke 74
St. John's 61"

There's an article in the post about Lance Thomas...


Perhaps Duke senior guard Jon Scheyer put it best last week, when asked about the overall ability of this year’s Blue Devils team. He kept it short. He kept it simple. He kept it sharp.

“We just have so many guys,” Scheyer said, “who can do so many things well on the floor. However the game’s being played out, we can play that style.”

There might not be a Blue Devil who personifies that mantra more than Brooklyn native Lance Thomas.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/local_product_duke_square_off_with_xQojS4W8tsw7bmQ7flSe7M#ixzz0YpJFsHS3

They trailed the entire way against the Badgers, however.

Duke had allowed an average of 58.2 points over its previous six wins and hadn't allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent.

http://stats.nypost.com/cbk/preview.asp?lg=CBK&g=200912050173&ref=rec&tm=&src=CBK

Ugh Kennedy on Singler... I don't like it. I still think Evans would be good on Singler.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/12/05/singler-kennedy-matchup-key-boothe-says-johnnies-faster-than-duke/#more-25801