Villanova Postgame Links

AP recap


Dwight Hardy scored a career-high 34 points and St. John's (No. 25 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP) showed it doesn't need to be at Madison Square Garden to beat a ranked team with an 81-68 win over Villanova (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) on Saturday.

The Red Storm (19-9, 11-5 Big East) won their sixth straight game and beat their first Top 25 team away from the Garden. Led by first-year coach Steve Lavin, the Red Storm have knocked off six ranked opponents this season and all but secured themselves a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310570222

A quick take on No. 25 St. John's 81-68 win over No. 14 Villanova on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center:

WHAT IT MEANS: St. John's (19-9, 11-5 in Big East) has now six games in a row, its longest winning streak of the season. This is the Red Storm's sixth win over a ranked opponent (tying their amount from 1999-2000, the last time they had more than three). But it's the first time they've done it on the road. In fact, it's their first road win versus a ranked opponent since Jan. 17, 2002 (against No. 22 Boston College).

St. John's now stands in third place alone in the Big East, with two games to play.

Villanova drops to 21-8, and 9-7 in the Big East.

Read More:
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/colleges/post/_/id/1781/rapid-reaction-st-johns-81-villanova-68

You know those sparkling red uniforms that St. John's wears when it plays on the road? It might not need them for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The tournament's top 16 seeds get to wear their home whites all through the first weekend.

The No. 23 Red Storm stayed cool under fire in the late going against 15th-ranked Villanova and pulled out an 81-68 Big East victory at the Wells Fargo Center. The win makes St. John's one of only two teams - the other is Texas - with six wins over nationally-ranked opponents and it may mean a top-four seeding in one of the regions when the 68-team field is announced two weeks from Sunday.

Read More:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/02/26/2011-02-26_no_23_st_johns_knocks_off_no_15_villanova_8168_for_sixth_win_over_a_nationallyra.html

Team of destiny, giant killers, or any other hyperbole can be used to describe the resurgence of the St. John’s Red Storm. However, for those interested in keeping it simple, they’re just a really good team.

Providing another performance that is sure to silence any remaining doubters while also raising their national ranking, the No. 23 Johnnies (19-9, 11-5 in the Big East) picked up their first road win over a ranked opponent in more than nine years by defeating No. 14 Villanova (21-8, 9-7) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia by the final of 81-68. In addition to the win being the seventh straight Red Storm victory, it was also their sixth against a Top 25 opponent this season, tied with Texas for the most in the country. Yet to the boys from Queens, the ever-expanding list of accolades are still irrelevant.

http://johnnyjungle.com/game/johnny-super-nova/

Who needs The Garden?

St. John's showed that, yes, its season-long knack for knocking off Top 25 teams can work outside of Madison Square Garden.

Dwight Hardy scored a career-high 34 points and No. 23 St. John's proved it doesn't need to play at the program's second home to beat a ranked team with an 81-68 win over No. 15 Villanova on Saturday.

"Our players are starting to learn how to have a road warrior mentality," coach Steve Lavin said.

What a rush it's been for the Red Storm (19-9, 11-5 Big East), who won their sixth straight game and beat their first Top 25 team away from the Garden.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/no_st_john_tops_no_villanova_peFWYbTnlALzAbyXW35VfO#ixzz1F7d4ycGs

n its final game of an incredible February, St. John's went from being simply a nice story to being a threat to win the Big East tournament, and a whole lot more.

The No. 25 Red Storm won their season-high sixth game in a row Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 14 Villanova 81-68 at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

"It's just a team that's playing with great confidence," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said of his squad. "There's a cohesive dimension to this team that's allowed us to hit our stride at the right time of the year."

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/ncb/columns/story?columnist=darcy_kieran&id=6162708

I'll be honest here. I thought Steve Lavin might get St. John's back to .500 in Big East play this season; give the most New York of college hoops teams a good foundation to build on as the recruits poured in.

He's done me several digits better on that prediction. After garnering a huge 81-68 road win at Villanova, the Red Storm are 11-5 in the Big East, on an inside track to lock down one of the four double-byes in the Big East tournament, which is played in their house. Sound preposterous? It's not. The Johnnies end their regular season with winnable games at Seton Hall and home against South Florida.

Emerging superstar Dwight Hardy earned a new career high with 34 points with a balanced approach, hitting 9 of 17 from the floor, 11 of 13 at the line, and 5 of 9 from deep.

http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/27670791

PHILADELPHIA -- When The Post asked St. John's coach Steve Lavin and his players on Thursday, "Are you a team of destiny?" there was no way to know that the Red Storm would continue their remarkable run for the ages the way they did yesterday.

The Red Storm Express is on such a roll that even when the Johnnies vary from their proven style, they prevail. And yesterday, behind a career-high 34 points from senior Dwight Hardy, they prevailed on the road, 81-68, over a desperate, talented, tenacious Villanova team that has haunted these Red Storm seniors.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/hardy_win_for_team_of_destiny_5eQq5LPFljP7ZDMJGkdwYI#ixzz1F9aiugUE