connecticut

Lavin A Johnny Rocket

October 21, 2010 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Steve Lavin, shown here with ESPN's John Anderson at Red Storm Tip-Off, was center of attention at Big East media day. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)

When Steve Lavin replaced Norm Roberts at St. John’s seven months ago, anyone who was remotely affiliated with St. John’s basketball realized immediately that positive changes were in store. Yesterday morning’s Big East media day proved no exception to the recent status quo in Queens, as Lavin was surrounded by hundreds of reporters, radio personnel and various other media members at Madison Square Garden for well over an hour. In fact, Lavin’s massive popularity kept him at the St. John’s table for an extra twenty minutes after his radio and print media session ended; and although late for the TV portion of the event, the extroverted head coach continued to stop and engage anyone who came within his field of vision on the way up the stairs.

Although there were more than enough nuggets from Coach Lavin himself to fill this post, (I’ll have some of those in a future edition of the Daly Dribble) the comments provided to me from Lavin’s sideline counterparts were just as beneficial in shedding some light on the increased expectations the Johnnies are now seeing for themselves.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright and UConn’s Jim Calhoun were the first to herald St. John’s experience. Calhoun said it would “carry them a long way. Always has, always will,” while Wright said the Johnnies “know what it takes to win,” and thinks “they’ll be a very good team.”

Mike Brey, the Notre Dame coach whose Fighting Irish team has lost to St. John’s in each of the last two years, was somewhat relieved to be welcoming the Johnnies into the Joyce Center in South Bend. Brey praised Lavin’s arrival and said he “inherits a team of experienced guys,” and that “he’ll do a very good job.” Brey also stated what Red Storm fans feel to be obvious when he proclaimed that there was “new life around the program.” West Virginia head man Bob Huggins complimented Lavin’s past recruiting record, which was on full display this past weekend with newcomer Dwayne Polee, who has made quite an impact since coming to the Queens campus.

Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, whose Orange squad heads into the Garden to tip off against the Johnnies on January 12, praised Lavin’s experience as well. “I think Steve’s going to do a great job. He’s got a lot of veterans, which is going to help him.” Boeheim also commented on Lavin’s marquee status being able to draw fans into the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” a venue that usually serves as a de facto home game for Syracuse. “When we play St. John’s here, there probably won’t be so much orange,” said Boeheim after I reminded him that nearly every Syracuse game at the Garden provides a sea of orange as the backdrop in the stands.

The most interesting and brutally honest commentary came from Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who created somewhat of an added buzz when it was revealed that he was the one coach who picked the Johnnies first in the Big East preseason poll, a vote won by Pittsburgh. “I’m just trying to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks,” gushed Pitino, who gave the story more juice by saying he “made that pick before Steve (Lavin) came along, and now that he’s come along, I’m happy with my pick.” Pitino emphasized the talent, experience and style the Johnnies have employed over the years as the reasons behind his rather surprising vote, as well as the hunger on the team considering that no St. John’s player has made the NCAA Tournament.

Fellow Big East newcomer Kevin Willard of Seton Hall spoke of creating a culture with Lavin and Rutgers head man Mike Rice that could draw high school kids to the New York area and not have them leave.

Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin went through a situation in his first year with the Bearcats similar to what Lavin will experience next year, one where almost every player graduated. Cronin did provide this great quote about Carnesecca Arena when I mentioned his team’s recent success there. “It takes the kids back to their high school days. It reminds them where they came from. It warms up pretty quick, but that doesn’t make it any easier to win,” stated the underrated Cronin, picked 12th in the Big East preseason poll.

Marquette coach Buzz Williams lauded Lavin as a “really good person” with great energy, calling his arrival a “perfect storm.” I’m not sure if there was any pun intended by Williams when he told me that, but fans of St. John’s are thinking the exact same thing.

Tournament Time

March 8, 2010 by Pico Dulce Leave a Comment

Time for the Big East tournament, the last chance for St. John’s to get in the NCAAs. More on the teams below. And, can they extend the season with a win against Connecticut, a team they haven’t beaten since 2002?

Game Information

Tip Off: 2:00 PM, Tuesday, March 9
Location: Madison Square Garden
TV: ESPN
Radio: Bloomberg 1130/ WSJU

Team Reviews

Connecticut (17-14, 7-11)

15 PG Kemba Walker SO 6′1 172: 14.9 ppg* 5.1 apg* 4.2 rpg* 2.1 spg* 6 FT att/g

11 G Jerome Dyson SR 6′3 190: 17.7 ppg* 4.4 apg* 4.5 rpg* 1.4 spg* 6.6 FT Att/ g

21 F Stanley Robinson SR 6′9 220: 14.9 ppg* 7.6 rpg* 1.2 bpg

33 F Gavin Edwards SR 6′10 230: 10.7 ppg* 6.5 rpg* 2.1 bpg

5 F Ater Majok FR 6′11 233: 15.1 mpg* 2.4 ppg* 3.1 rpg* 1.6 bpg

Bench

34 F-C Alex Oriakhi FR 6′9 240: 5.0 ppg* 6.8 rpg* 1.7 bpg

4 G-F Jamal Coombs-McDaniel FR 6′7 210: 10.9 mpg* 3.1 ppg* 1.1 rpg

2 G Donnell Beverly JR 6′4 190: 10.1 mpg* 1.6 ppg* 1.3 apg

36 C Charles Okwandu JR 7′0 255: 6.7 mpg* 1.1 ppg* 1.7 rpg

24 G Darius Smith FR 6’1 168: 4.5 mpg* 1.1 ppg

The Huskies’ road game against South Florida was one final chance for the flawed Connecticut Huskies to get a decent win in the Big East and hopefully have a fighting chance to get into the NCAA tournament. Instead, the Bulls took a slight halftime lead and started scoring inside the arc, prompting Coach Jim Calhoun to bench his starters/ seniors for a lack of effort. The bench, as you see above, is likely to start the Big East Tournament game. But expect to see the starters come out with a little bit of fire when they come onto the court.

To see extended previews of the Huskies, read the pregame Johnny Jungle post from January. The team is not wildly different. They’re bad shooters from the three, and a poor scoring attack overall. They defend very well and use their height. The Huskies are a bit more turnover-prone than they were before, and that’s been a problem all year not just for the slashing ballhandlers, Dyson and Walker, but for players whose job is to simply finish in Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards.

Edwards has been good at scoring, offensive rebounding, and drawing fouls, but his defense has been so-so. Which is better than Stanley Robinson, who has returned to the role he has had for much of his U Conn career – being a future NBA player on the floor who forgets to impose his will on the game.

The bench, one assumes, has some talent and will defend like guys without advance billing; but they have gotten little burn in high-leverage situations. How will they react?

St. John’s (16-14, 6-12)

3 PG Malik Boothe JR 5’9 188: 4.7 ppg* 2.6 apg

23 G Paris Horne JR 6’3 191: 9 ppg* 3 rpg* 37.4% 3PT

1 G-F DJ Kennedy JR 6’5 215: 15.3 ppg* 6.2 rpg* 3 apg* 36.7% 3PT* 1.2 spg

G-F Anthony Mason Jr. SR 6’7 210: 6.9 ppg* 5.4 rpg* 1.9 apg

5 F Sean Evans JR 6’8 255: 6.3 ppg* 5.7 rpg

Bench:

12 G Dwight Hardy JR 6′2 187: 22.3 mpg* 10.5 ppg* 38.3% 3PT

24 F Justin Burrell JR 6’8 235: 20.5 mpg* 7.0 ppg* 4.6 rpg* 46.4% FG

32 F Justin Brownlee JR 6′7 232: 18.4 mpg* 6.4 ppg* 4.6 rpg

31 PG Malik Stith FR 5’11 185: 11.4 mpg* 1.7 ppg* 1.2 apg

15 F-C Dele Coker JR 6’10 252: 9.1 mpg* 1.7 ppg* 1.7 rpg* .9 bpg* 64.7% FG

The Red Storm are at a bit of a crossroads. The season has not gone as well as expected, but the team has scrapped out good wins. But the stress of an uncertain future and the weight of losses seems to have affected the concentration of some players at times. It can be seen in the sluggishness to get back, the arguing for a call, the listless defense…

But the conference tournament means everyone has another chance. Even without shooter Dwight Hardy, the team can challenge the Huskies if they run their offense and look to aggressively attack holes in U Conn. DJ Kennedy has to be the leader in this attack; with Anthony Mason Jr. eschewing his outside shot to make plays with his passing, dribble, and tenacity on the offensive boards. A great performance by Burrell would help.

Keys to the Game

Defend Everywhere. In the last game, St. John’s allowed a poor-shooting outside shooting team to bomb on them from beyond the arc. They defended in the paint, but allowed shots form the perimeter. St. John’s has to do a better job of defending inside AND outside of the line.

Turnovers. Don’t get into a footrace with the Huskies. That is a game they will win every time. Don’t turn the ball over, especially not at the top of the key on offense. The game needs to be crisp and whistle free.

Minimize Husky Size. The Red Storm has to keep the length of their opponents far enough away from the glass that they are a non-factor; second chance points will help St. John’s knock off the hated rivals.

Attack and Score. St. John’s has to be aggressive on both ends, and look to get to the basket and draw fouls against the Huskies’ thin front line.

Elevate the Scoring Game. At least one if not two Johnnies have to step their offensive games up to match the Huskies. DJ Kennedy will score a bit, but someone else has to come and replace the production the team would get out of Dwight Hardy.

Prediction: 69-58, Connecticut.

Transplanted New Yorker and now Midwesterner Peter a/k/a Pico writes for the East Coast Bias and the Church of Bracketology and for Johnny Jungle, doing the Calm Before the Storm posts. Pico is also on Twitter, @ECoastBias.

Upward Sledding

January 19, 2010 by Pico Dulce 5 Comments

St. John’s trips up to Connecticut to face Jim Calhoun’s Huskies on Wednesday. A win in the Huskies’ tough environment would be a jumpstart to the season. But Connecticut, on a three-game losing streak and coming off of a loss to the University of Michigan Wolverines, will look to get right against the Red Storm.

As always, the Huskies are known for their stellar interior defense and their ability to block shots. Even without Thabeet, the team has cobbled together a number of good shotblockers to intimidate players coming inside. Freshman Alex Oriakhi, senior Gavin Edwards lead the interior defensive effort with shot blocking help from Stanley Robinson and now Ater Majok along the front line. The Huskies play fast, running from end to end off of misses to take advantage of mismatches and their athleticism.

But as I have seen them, they seem much less effective off of opponents’ makes; they are worse in slower-paced games, and sometimes struggle to get good shots in the halfcourt. They would rather not take three-point attempts, ranking near the bottom of Division I in 3-point attempts as a percentage of all field goals (19.1%). Defensive stops and athletic ability have gotten them far, but this is clearly not one of the best Connecticut teams of Jim Calhoun’s era; they could rebound much better on the offensive end, the secondary players could score more efficiently, and the team has some moments where the basketball IQ just seems low.

But make no mistake about it, Connecticut has had a tougher out of conference schedule AND a tougher recent schedule. They will be looking to run out their frustrations on the Red Storm. Can St. John’s send the Husky season into a real tailspin with the first win over the Huskies since February of 2002?

Game Information

Tip Off: 7:00 PM, Wednesday, January 20
Location: XL Center (Hartford, CT)
TV: SNY / ESPN 360
Radio: Bloomberg 1130

Team Reviews

St. John’s (12-5, 2-3)

3 PG Malik Boothe JR 5’9 188: 4.6 ppg* 2.3 rpg* 2.3 apg
23 G Paris Horne JR 6’3 191: 8.6 ppg* 3 rpg* 39.3% 3PT
1 G-F DJ Kennedy JR 6’5 215: 15.4 ppg* 6.5 rpg* 3.5 apg* 37.1% 3PT
5 F Sean Evans JR 6’8 255: 6.9 ppg* 6.7 rpg
15 F-C Dele Coker JR 6’10 252: 2.3 ppg* 2.2 rpg* 1.5 bpg* 65.2% FG

Bench:

32 F Justin Brownlee JR 6′7 232: 22.6 mpg* 8.3 ppg* 5.9 rpg* 1.1 spg
12 G Dwight Hardy JR 6′2 187: 22.8 mpg* 11.4 ppg* 41.1% 3PT
24 F Justin Burrell JR 6’8 235: 17.6 mpg* 5.3 ppg* 2.8 rpg* 54.2% FG
31 PG Malik Stith FR 5′11 185: 12.6 mpg* 2.4 ppg* 1.4 apg
2 G-F Anthony Mason Jr. SR 6′7 210: 16 mpg* 4.7 ppg* 4.3 rpg* 57.1% FG

St. John’s is an enigma. The team had stretches of poor offensive and defensive performances in their Big East losses, but it’s hard to pinpoint a single factor that has led them astray. The team simply needs to play better basketball and perhaps relocate a go-to scorer. Burrell had a nice performance against DePaul, and Anthony Mason Jr. is rounding into shape. Both performances are encouraging results. An ugly home win against a sloppy Cincy and a win against a team that is clearly a cut below the rest of the Big East in DePaul does not give guidance about where improvement could come from with this team.In both games, though, the free throws have been a topic of postgame conversation. Rightfully so. Continuing to leave points at the free throw line will keep St. John’s from winning a close game this season, as it almost did against Cincy.

The team’s calling card has been interior defense. Even without height, the Red Storm manage to disrupt shooting and the opponents’ halfcourt passing. They have been decent at maintaining control of the ball for the most part, and rebound decently, though they could stand to have more dominating performances, especially on the defensive glass. The rotation and starting lineup continue to be in flux; Dele Coker got the start against DePaul, so I will list him as starter.

Connecticut (11-6, 2-3)

15 PG Kemba Walker SO 6’1 172: 12.7 ppg* 5.8 apg* 4 rpg* 1.8 spg* 77.4% FT
11 G Jerome Dyson SR 6’3 190: 18.6 ppg* 5.1 apg* 5 rpg* 1.5 spg* 7.6 FT Att/ g
21 F Stanley Robinson SR 6’9 220: 16.9 ppg* 7.2 rpg* 1.4 bpg* 42.9% 3PT
33 F Gavin Edwards SR 6’10 230: 10.8 ppg* 6.4 rpg* 2.7 bpg* 66.7% FG
34 F-C Alex Oriakhi FR 6’9 240: 5.8 ppg* 8.9 rpg* 2.3 bpg

Bench

5 F Ater Majok FR 6’11 233: 13.1 mpg* 2.1 ppg* 2.4 rpg* 1.3 bpg
4 G-F Jamal Coombs-McDaniel FR 6’7 210: 12.1 mpg* 3.8 ppg*1.4 rpg
2 G Donnell Beverly JR 6’4 190: 9.1 mpg* 1.1 ppg* 1.2 apg
36 C Charles Okwandu JR 7’0 255: 6.7 mpg* 1.3 ppg* 1.4 rpg* .5 bpg

I’m probably overstating it but Gavin Edwards is Jim Calhoun’s most fundamentally sound big man in years. It’s not that he’s not athletic; but he’s not so incredibly athletic/ tall that he can just get his own shot or dunk over people. But he is unbelievably efficient, scoring on 67% of his shot attempts, getting to the free throw line. It’s good because he’s not an elite rebounder, unlike earlier U Conn forwards. He is a very good position defender, blocking drives; and he blocks shots like a U Conn big man should. Interestingly, despite playing 30+ minutes a game, he’s only started 3 times. Since I am not sure who they will start, I will add him to the opening lineup.

Kemba Walker, meanwhile, has found himself in a bit of a pickle with respect to his prospects for playing on the next level. Some- myself included – thought this might be his last year at U Conn. His quickness is still elite, and his passing is inspired. But his turnovers are a bit high and his shot – inside the arc – has been mediocre. At 6’1, quick and slight, he will need to convert in the lane. He has been great at getting to the line, though, and converting. Also at guard, Jerome Dyson’s had a great year. Dyson’s ability to play the point for stretches gives Kemba Walker bits of rest , and gives the team two creators on the floor. He takes a lot of shots, and also earns a lot of attempts at the free throw line, where he hits 70%. His three-point shooting is mediocre at 30%.

Stanley Robinson’s game has really blossomed in a way that’s unreal. It’s like the light turned on for him – he is hitting from the outside but scoring in the paint, not fouling at ALL, blocking shots, and scoring. With the exception of assists, he’s been a stat sheet stuffer, converting opportunities created by Dyson + Walker.

I mention the deep bench in this preview because a team that’s lost 3 in a row will likely look to play some different guys in extended roles. After the 4 players mentioned above, the U Conn staff has been searching for some depth and impact in the rotation. Alex Oriakhi has done well in concentrating on rebounding and shot blocking. Meanwhile, Ater Majok can play, but hasn’t been aggressive on offense at all.

Keys to the Game

Slow Pace. Connecticut loves to run teams into submission by grabbing rebounds and racing up court. St John’s players know this from experience, the numbing feeling of watching a game get out of control as the opponent dunks, draws fouls, and generally puts foot to throat. Last year, St. John’s managed to slow the game down in parts; they need to do that again, especially to a U Conn team that is vulnerable in the halfcourt.

Turnover Factor. A U Conn game can get away very quickly in a string of turnovers. The Huskies are aggressive in getting at the ball; St. John’s would do themselves a favor by not turning it over, obviously. And generating some miscues from the forwards and the sometimes single-minded guards would be helpful.

Hit Outside Shots. The Huskies are hard to score against inside. St. John’s will get some points in the paint (if they’re smart) and in transition, but to win this game, St. John’s will have to stroke it from the outside. There is a chance that the team will become an incredible interior scoring squad, but past games don’t make that concept likely.

Rebound To The Best of Your Ability. The Red Storm has to box out and minimize the Huskies’ strength on the glass, especially on the offensive end where St. John’s will have second chance opportunities.

Keep Them Out of the Paint. St. John’s has to keep slashing guards Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson out of the paint as best as they can. The two guards can draw fouls when they slice through a defense; both are excellent with the ball (if not always at finishing inside). Walker scored 21 points last year off the bench, driving into the lane repeatedly; that can’t happen again.

Prediction: St. John’s loss, 71-60.