Alaska Shootout Round II: Drake

The Great Alaska Shootout continues with a game against Iowa’s Drake Bulldogs. Can St. John’s ride the momentum from the overtime game on Thanksgiving morning and discipline the Bulldogs? A berth in the championship game, likely against very good opponents Weber State or Arizona State, is at stake....

To stop Drake, St. John’s defense needs to get better. With Division I athletes, knowing the tendencies of the stars and slowing them down means a lot less towards winning when some other player is wide open to nail jump shots like he has been for much of his life.

That’s the long and short of it; the Red Storm shouldn’t be the make-a-wish defense, making young opponents’ dreams of stardom come true. St. John’s should not be their highlight reel. By writing that statement, I full well know that Drake’s least heralded player will drop 10-15 points on St. John’s from open spots around the perimeter and the 15-foot range.

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Great Job as usual Peter!  Really enjoy reading the pregame!

Here's your counterpart....
http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=205037526

SCOUTING ST JOHN'S: St. John's, is off to a 2-1 start with victories over Columbia (79-66, Nov. 17) and Ball State (78-73, Nov. 24).  The Red Storm are led by three players averaging double-figures in scoring with D.J. Kennedy, Justin Brownlee and Dwight Hardy registering 14.0, 12.0 and 10.0 points, respectively.  Justin Burrell is St. John's leading rebounder at 6.3 rebounds per game, while Malik Boothe has dished out a team-high 10 assists.

The Red Storm posted a 17-16 record  year ago and were picked to finish sixth in the BIG EAST Conference preseason coaches poll in 2010-11.  Kennedy led the Red Storm in scoring (15.1), rebounding (6.1) assists (102) and three-point field goal percentage (.383) last year. Kennedy was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST second team. Freshman forward Dwayne Polee II was named the 2009-10 Los Angeles/State of California High School Player of the Year.

Steve Lavin - whose seven-year coaching record at UCLA included six NCAA Tournament appearances, five trips to the NCAA Round of 16 and six seasons of 21 wins or more - became the 19th head men's basketball coach in St. John's 102-plus years of storied hardwood tradition on March 30, 2010. Lavin constructed a 145-78 record at UCLA from 1996-2003.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE:  Drake's roster features 12 players who are either freshmen or sophomores. Guard Ryan Wedel is the lone senior on the team, while two of Drake's three juniors are in their first year in the program. Guard Kurt Alexander is a transfer guard from Iowa Central Community College where he earned first team National Junior College Division II all-American honors. Forward Kraidon Woods is a transfer from Binghamton.

Twelve freshman and sophomores.... we should win this game on experience alone... no excuses tonight they better come to play

Agreed. No excuses tonight. Play like seniors. Not children.

One of their better players is a 6'11 244 pound center. Do we start the same lineup? I wouldn't.

I'd start the same lineup.  Have to see what they do against a big man; VanDeest isn't a Big East-level big, they can experiment with ways of defending a post man like that before the conference play starts.

Their message board: http://www.drakenation.com/Forum8-1.aspx

I would like to see Burrell start over Polee.
Polee has a lot of potential, but he's not big enough to be our only big man out there.

lets have a statement game, blow out time!

I would like to see Burrell start over Polee.
Polee has a lot of potential, but he's not big enough to be our only big man out there.

I would like to see Polee hit the gym with Burrell, Polee is built like a freshman in high school, not a Big East basketball player

Polee's mind. Burrell's body. What a great player that would make.

Quote from: Poison on November 26, 2010, 11:14:15 AM

I would like to see Burrell start over Polee.
Polee has a lot of potential, but he's not big enough to be our only big man out there.

I would like to see Polee hit the gym with Burrell, Polee is built like a freshman in high school, not a Big East basketball player

  So was/is Kevin Durant. 

The thing with Polee; if he hits the gym and puts on lets say 20 lbs of muscle he might not be able to move as quick thus taking away one of his main assets

I wouldn't mind seeing Burrell and Brownlee start at the four and five tonight but if Lavin likes the small lineup then stay with it because I wouldn't change my game plan just because they have a big guy. He doesn't have dominant numbers and if he starts off with a few buckets you bring in Burrell or Coker. We need to win this game, I would say this should be a pretty decisive victory but we always have close games. Get the ball in DJs hands, also I want to get Hardy some open looks because if he gets confidence in his shot we are a much better team.

Drake lost to Iowa St 93-41. I'm expecting a 20 point win, if not- there are some serious problems

Drake lost to Iowa St 93-41. I'm expecting a 20 point win, if not- there are some serious problems

  drama queen

  Whats the deal with this Hockey game on MSG +.  Its taped isn't it?    Its going to stop AT 9:30?  Am i correct?

Quote from: Marco Baldi on November 26, 2010, 06:14:04 PM

Drake lost to Iowa St 93-41. I'm expecting a 20 point win, if not- there are some serious problems

  drama queen

I hope Kevin Clarke's family will be watching, he should get some minutes

Quote from: boo3 on November 26, 2010, 07:02:32 PM

Quote from: Marco Baldi on November 26, 2010, 06:14:04 PM

Drake lost to Iowa St 93-41. I'm expecting a 20 point win, if not- there are some serious problems

  drama queen

I hope Kevin Clarke's family will be watching, he should get some minutes

  Didn't he coach for 1/2 a season once?     I'm just glad the game doesn't start at 2am.

these announcers make me want to rip my ears off