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.
St. John’s never trailed today, as Villanova could get no closer than a 2-all tie and a 65-64 deficit in the second half. The Johnnies used bookend 16-4 runs to start and end the game, much to the delight of their head coach. “Offensively, they really found a nice rhythm,” said Steve Lavin after the game. “They’re just a team that’s playing with great confidence. They’re enjoying one another’s company.” After today’s emphatic win, one could argue that they’re playing for perhaps a 3 or 4 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Villanova coach Jay Wright, who predicted St. John’s would be a good team at October’s Big East media day, offered this praise to the kids from the corner of Union and Utopia:
“Those guys were good enough last year to win a lot of those games,” remarked Wright of a St. John’s squad that struggled to put games away one year ago. “You knew coming back that this was going to be a good team.” Villanova faces yet another good team in just two days, when they travel to South Bend to face the Big East’s second-place team in Notre Dame. St. John’s continues its road trip with a visit to the Prudential Center on Thursday against Seton Hall.
Several nuggets popped up during this game; and without any further ado, they’ll be analyzed in the ever-popular lasting impressions.
Lasting Impressions
– For starters, St. John’s all but wrapped up at least a first-round bye in the Big East tournament after Georgetown was defeated by Syracuse this afternoon. With Marquette, Connecticut and West Virginia all joining the Hoyas at seven losses; and considering that St. John’s owns tiebreakers against all four of those teams, the Red Storm cannot in essence finish any lower than seventh in the conference.
– Rather than the Coreys, (Stokes scored 20 while Fisher was held to just two on 1-of-10 shooting) the Wildcats’ big men were the key to the game. Antonio Peña and Mouphtaou Yarou were limited to five points and four fouls each as St. John’s reprised the solid effort from its interior defense that rendered Gary McGhee mortal against Pittsburgh last Saturday.
– Steve Lavin always mentions the necessity to “counterpunch” in Big East games, and the Johnnies did exactly that by answering every potential Villanova rally down the stretch with either a big shot or defensive stand.
– Even though the team would rather not speculate about awards, they are the frontrunners for them. After yet another dominant performance, Dwight Hardy is all but certain to lock up his fourth (and third consecutive) Big East Player of the Week award, putting him in the running for the Player of the Year. On the bench, Steve Lavin’s contributions cannot be ignored given what this team has endured.
– Finally, D.J. Kennedy picks up the unsung hero game ball tonight. Although he went just 3-for-9 from the field, “The Hitman” gutted his way to a quiet and understated 12-point, 14-rebound outing that picked up steam during the second half. An aggressive Kennedy is an effective Kennedy, and the Johnnies will need performances like this one from their “hub of the wheel” more frequently if they intend to be among the last teams standing in March.
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