Not sure how many guys have ESPN "insider" but thought i would share. Assessment on team from Blue Ribbon College Notebook.
Basically what everyone says around country "young but extremely Talented"
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8514442/ncb-blue-ribbon-2012-13-college-basketball-preview-st-john-red-storm?refresh=true&refresh=trueTeam preview: St. John's Red Storm
Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2012-13 season, exclusively on Insider
Updated: October 17, 2012, 3:20 PM ET
Blue Ribbon Yearbook
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(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)
COACH AND PROGRAM
Steve Lavin is walking. He's hitting the gym. Doing yoga. After enduring a season of physical strain caused by prostate cancer surgery and its strength-sapping recovery period, the St. John's head coach is feeling good again.
His stamina flags at times, but that's almost returned completely. And because his legendary ability to fill reporters' notebooks and tape recorders is at full capacity, there is every indication he will be at nearly 100 percent when the 2012-13 season begins.
"For four months now I have been in a good routine," he said. "I'm doing brisk walking, cardio on the stationary bike with a recumbent seat so I can watch tape or read, and I do yoga three or four times a week. My stamina is close to normal, and my overall strength and vitality is good."
Lavin's health is important, and so is the condition of his basketball team, which slumped to 13 wins last year as Lavin battled cancer, and the squad's youth made it a late-season target for Big East teams. St. John's was extremely young last year, and though it won't exactly be grizzled this season, the Red Storm is building toward prosperity with a second consecutive solid recruiting class and the construction of a roster with talent at every position.
The Johnnies aren't ready to make an assault on the conference's upper reaches, not with 11 underclassmen on the roster. But Lavin is optimistic -- and for good reason. His crop of eight newcomers includes some players who could make big impacts this year and could by season's end make St. John's quite formidable.
"We're probably a year ahead of schedule in terms of where we are personnel-wise," he said. "We have a full complement of scholarship players, but we have 11 underclassmen, and all of our players have one year or less of Division I experience. It's the youngest team I've coached. It's the youngest team in school history.
St. John's Red Storm
Last Season 13-19 (.406)
Conference Record 6-12 (t-11th)
Starters Lost/Returning 1/4
Coach Steve Lavin (Chapman '88)
Record At School 34-31 (2 years)
Career Record 179-109 (9 years)
RPI Last 5 years 156-153-87-28-156 "It shows the arduous climb we have. I knew that coming in. I'm not surprised or ambushed. I saw this position as having great potential, because of being in New York, playing in the Garden and having the tri-state area to recruit."
Lavin's first year was something of an aberration, because he had 10 seniors on the team. So anybody expecting a repeat of the 2010-11 run to the NCAA tournament was in for a big shock. A rerun of last year's 13-win season is also unlikely, but St. John's isn't an NCAA tournament favorite, either. Despite the talent Lavin has accumulated, this is an extremely young team, and it's going to take time -- perhaps much of the year -- to fit the pieces together. And even if the Red Storm starts strongly, there is always the issue of fatigue, particularly among younger players.
PLAYERS
Only five contributors return from last year's team, so expect the new faces to get ample opportunity to step up. One player who can be expected to reprise his 2011-12 role is 6-3, 202-pound sophomore guard D'Angelo Harrison (17.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 spg, .367 3PT), from whom Lavin expects big things.
Blue Ribbon Previews
Take an Inside look at the Big East with Blue Ribbon's 2012-13 team reports:
Cincinnati
Connecticut
DePaul
Georgetown
Louisville
Marquette
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Providence
Rutgers
Seton Hall
South Florida
St. John's
Syracuse
Villanova
"When we recruited him, I envisioned him as a classic Lute Olson guard," Lavin said, referring to the type of versatile backcourt performer the former Arizona coach favored. "He's a combo guard, like [Damon] Stoudamire, Jason Terry, or [Khalid] Reeves.
"When I saw him, I thought 'Arizona' right away. He was the kind of guard I had to face and game plan for when I was at UCLA."
Harrison is strong without the ball and passes well. His offseason work with former NBA guard John Lucas helped develop better on-court leadership skills and hone his point guard abilities. Harrison is already a good shooter. If he continues his growth into a more complete guard, he will be extremely productive.
"During the summer session, he knocked it out of the park," Lavin said.
Harrison was teamed for most of last year with 6-2, 180-pound sophomore Phil Greene (7.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.3 spg), who made a strong transition from prep shooting guard to the point. Although he remains more of a combo than a pure lead man, Greene's versatility provides great options for the Johnnies in the backcourt, especially because Texas A&M transfer Jamal Branch (Texas A&M/Grace Prep/Kansas City, Mo.) will be eligible at mid-season and is a pure point. The 6-3, 172-pounder (4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg in 2011-12), says Lavin, is a "pass-first, true quarterback with good speed who sees things and has an ease that he exhibits with the ball."
It's possible Harrison, Greene and Branch can all be on the court at the same time, thanks to their abilities to score and create. "They're interchangeable parts on offense," Lavin said. "And then we can turn them around and have them play at the top of the press."
The Johnnies picked up a solid weapon in junior college transfer Marco Bourgault (Monroe [N.Y.] College/Notre Dame Prep/Saint-Malo, France), a 6-6, 216-pound shooter who can help St. John's spread the floor and make room for its enhanced frontcourt contingent. Although he suffered a serious knee injury two years ago, Bourgault has completely healed and averaged 10.8 points last year for Monroe, while shooting .421 from behind the arc.
"He can really fill it," Lavin said. "He has a good feel and is tall enough to see over the top of the defense. He fits nicely, because we struggled with shooting last year. He's like a [John] Paxson and [Steve] Kerr and [Fred] Hoiberg. He can spot up and drain it from 3. And he has underrated playmaking skills. He can get to the hole and dunk it."
When Lavin wants to construct a lineup that has a little more versatility, he can call on sophomores Amir Garrett (7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Sir'Dominic Pointer (6.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg). Garrett is a 6-6, 190-pounder, while Pointer is 6-5, 191. Each is solid off the dribble, can hit the boards -- although Pointer is more adept off the defensive glass -- and pass it some. Pointer is a more dangerous defender, in terms of steals, and Garrett is a more accurate passer.
"They fit our style of basketball," Lavin said. "We want to wear people out, and they are slashers and have good size. They're effective playmakers who can see over the top. They can get a defensive rebound and bring it up the floor. Both play with a nasty, hard edge, and they can be good defenders who disrupt the opposition."
Don't be surprised if 6-4, 189-pound freshman Felix Balamou (Our Savior New American [N.Y.] HS/Conakry, Guinea) is redshirted this year. The wing has a "bright future," says Lavin, and averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a prep senior. But there are more attractive options in the backcourt for St. John's right now, and it would behoove Balamou to wait and develop.
St. John's fans will definitely have to wait for 6-6, 202-pound swingman Max Hooper, a Harvard transfer who will not be eligible until next season. But he can drill it and will help space the floor.
Lavin has plenty of options along the perimeter, but he is extremely excited about his frontcourt, even though it is not canyon deep. The best of the bunch could be 6-7, 228-pound freshman Christian Jones (IMG [Fla.] Academy/James Bowie HS/Arlington, Texas). Lavin calls the power forward "tailor-made" for the Big East. He averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds last year as a senior at James Bowie High School in the Dallas area in 2010-11 and put up 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds at IMG Academy. He can hit the boards, play physical defense and score close to the hoop.
"He can bang with the big guys," Lavin said. "He fits the mold of a classic four man from Pitt. He's a unique talent and has great hands."
Expect freshman 6-8, 206-pound freshman JaKarr Sampson (Brewster [N.H.] Academy/St. Vincent-St. Mary HS/Barberton, OH) to see time at the three and four. He averaged 15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg last year at Brewster and put up 18 points and pulled down six rebounds in the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic last spring.
"He's a great teammate and has an infectious passion for the game and competing," Lavin said. "As talented and as high a level player as he is, he doesn't have an inflated sense of himself. That makes him a better teammate.
"He radiates sunshine and happiness. That's a gift. I want him to keep bringing that to the table. He can influence the game at both ends. He runs like a deer and will develop a mid-range game."
Though Jones and Sampson have talent, they are young. Orlando Sanchez (Monroe [N.Y.] College/Colegio Nueva Luz/Nagua, Dominican Republic) is a 6-9, 216-pound junior who should make an immediate impact. He's versatile offensively and can hit the boards at both ends. He'll be a big part of the Johnnies' picture right away.
"He is a complete player," Lavin said. "He can stick the 3, plays with his back to the basket, runs the floor, rebounds and defends. He's more of a mature player, and he will help right away."
The final piece of the 2012 St. John's recruiting class was a big one. Plenty of schools had their eyes on 6-9, 219-pound freshman Chris Obekpa (Our Savior New American [N.Y.] HS/Makurdi, Nigeria), but Lavin landed him. The big man is a shot-blocking savant whose numbers in that department were so far off the charts, Lavin had to go see him play in order to believe his assistants. He was converted quickly.
"He is as gifted as anybody I have ever seen in terms of blocking shots," Lavin said. "With his timing, he is a game-changer. As a coach, you have to think about what you're going to do against a specialist like that. He also has a nice, 10- to 12-foot jumper with good rotation on the ball and is a good passer. When he gets the ball in the post, he's better at passing it than going to the basket."
The new front line conscripts will probably take most -- if not all -- of God'sgift Achiuwa's minutes away. The 6-8, 232-pound senior averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last year and created a sensation with his unique first name. But his skills are somewhat limited, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him redshirt. Achiuwa is an excellent student and could use the extra year to get a masters degree at St. John's.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B+
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B+
By season's end, this should be a dangerous team. The Red Storm has a lot of options and a lot of talent. Even though the roster is young and inexperienced, there are plenty of pieces to allow the Johnnies to play fast or slow, to spread the floor and fire away or to rough it up inside. It will take some time for it all to come together, but the finished product should be impressive.
The arrival of Branch makes the backcourt much more effective, because he is a true point who can work with Harrison and Greene. And because they can handle the ball and run the offense, too, St. John's will be versatile at guard. Look for Bourgault to make an impact with his sharp shooting eye. The versatility of Pointer and Garrett will help Lavin create lineup combinations that put rivals at a disadvantage.
Up front, there is plenty of talent, even though most of it is young. Jones has the talent to be a one-and-done type, while Obekpa probably won't score much, but he will be a defensive force with his shot blocking skill. And look out for Sanchez, whose size and experience will make a difference right away. Sampson may not put up huge numbers at first, but his team-first attitude will help.
If St. John's doesn't reach some sort of postseason tournament, Johnnies fans should be disappointed. Although Lavin's team is young, it is talented, and there are some real weapons there. Asking for an NCAA bid is unreasonable, but in a year or two, it will be the expected outcome.