St. Francis - Pregame Links

God’sgift Achiuwa was not present last week when St. John’s dropped a pair of games to nationally ranked opponents at the Garden.

After averaging 17.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in wins over William & Mary, Lehigh and Maryland-Baltimore County, he managed only 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in losses to then-No. 15 Arizona and then-No. 19 Texas A&M.

Tuesday night at 9 p.m., when the Red Storm (3-2) welcomes Brooklyn’s St. Francis (0-3) to Carnesecca Arena, the goal will be to restore the 6-8 junior college transfer’s confidence.

“Players need to make a concerted effort to give the big fella more touches – he only had six shots against Arizona and one against Texas A&M,” St. John’s second-year coach Steve Lavin said. “We have to look for him in transition because he runs very well. Then once he sets up down low, we need to look for him and then come back to him if he misses a shot.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/ncaa-basketball/st-john-basketball-godgift-achiuwa-regain-early-season-form-article-1.980998#ixzz1eS5X6z4p

After taking a pair of Top 20 teams to the wire while making its Madison Square Garden debut last week, head coach Steve Lavin's new-look St. John's basketball team (3-2) returns to campus for the 76th all-time meeting with the St. Francis Terriers (0-3) of Brooklyn and the Northeast Conference. Tuesday's matchup will be carried live in its entirety at 9 p.m. on ESPN3 as a production of the newly-created St. John's Television Network (STJ-TV). Tony Luftman, "The Voice of STJ-TV," will bring fans all of the action from courtside as former St. John's standout Tarik Turner provides fans with analysis of the contest. ESPN3 is available in approximately 70 million households nationwide -- online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE.


http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112111aaa.html

http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112111aac.html

Quotes

On Phil Greene’s playing time:
“Our intent at this point is for Phil Greene to start tomorrow night. I was really pleased with his playmaking skills and the pressure defense he brings to the court. He’s also very opportunistic on the fast break because of his skill and quickness and he has an eager and earnest attitude towards learning. He’s been a real plus. As he becomes more aggressive, his play has improved and he’s been more productive. He has the ability to turn up the aggressiveness and still make good decisions. Sometimes you tell a player to be more aggressive and they’ll start running people over and throwing balls out of bounds. Phil has been able to be more aggressive, but still be sound with his approach, which shows a certain kind of basketball intelligence.”

Before St. John’s played Arizona in a semifinal round game of the 2K Sports Classic last week, Wildcats coach Sean Miller was asked what impressed him most about the Red Storm.
 
“God’sgift,’’ said Miller without hesitation. “He’s going to give every team trouble. He’s too strong for smaller guys to defend and too quick for bigger guys.’’
 
As S. John's prepared for tonight’s inner-city showdown with St. Francis of Brooklyn at Carnesecca Arena, getting God’sgift Achiuwa back on track is the team’s No. 1 goal.
 
The 6-foot-8 power forward from Erie (N.Y.) Community College exceeded expectations in the Red Storm’s first three games, all wins over low-major programs. Achiuwa averaged 17.6 points and 8.3 rebounds.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/lavin_wants_special_gift_pnaiMOYA6ah7HbSxFK3DLP#ixzz1eS6kT6DL