After Steve Lavin Return, Defense Is the Focus for St. John’s vs. UMBC

Coming off the emotional high that accompanied head coach Steve Lavin’s return to coaching duties Wednesday night, St. John’s will have to look forward when they take the floor Sunday afternoon against UMBC.

“It gave us a surge, as we anticipated. But that’s who he is. It was very natural,” said assistant coach Mike Dunlap of Lavin’s return. “Obviously, there is some adjustment that will go on over the next couple weeks, which we acknowledge.”

Despite winning the season’s first two games, it took strong come-from-behind performances to seal the victories, including coming from 16 down vs. Lehigh on Wednesday night.

“Part of that is us learning how to coach the team to get them in that position,” Dunlap continued, going on to praise the team’s first two opponents. “I think there are questions we ask ourselves as coaches to tweak it, but no drastic changes because then you bring a sense of uncertainty to the group.”

St. John’s trailed 32-16 in the first half on Wednesday night, including 10 points at halftime.

“When we’re down, we’re fighting hard, trying to get steals, playing really scrappy defense,” said freshman guard Phil Greene, who has run into struggles since scoring 20 points in the team’s first exhibition against CW Post. “We have to start off with that mentality.”

“I kind of blame myself because I’m out there in the beginning of the game,” said junior guard Malik Stith, the only returning letterwinner from last season.

“As a whole team, I think we have to realize that the early session of the game, the first five minutes we can’t play behind because what they don’t know yet, if you’re playing like a Pittsburgh, it’s hard to come back in a 16-point game.”

The matchup zone has been a staple of the Lavin era in Queens, which came under similar scrutiny last year, following strong shooting performances by St. Mary’s (Ca.), Arizona State, and Columbia.

Dunlap defended the scheme and touted its benefits, which include protecting the Red Storm lack of size and reducing foul trouble.

“What it does do is make teams one dimensional. And that’s tough living, as people have found, over the course of a game,” said Dunlap. “I don’t think we flinched too much when those five threes were made… It isn’t an “every man’s” defense. It takes time to pick it up.”

St. John’s will face a UMBC team on Sunday that shot 33% from three-point range last season, and lost their leading rebounder, Justin Fry, to graduation.

That means God’sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless, who, together, average over half of the team’s total rebounds, will have a chance to make noise on the block.

But Dunlap continues to press the importance of defense for this team.

“Our players will know that our culture leads with defense first because we know that that carries the day and can lead you to the Promised Land.”