Gonzaga

Thanks For The Memories

March 18, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

After a nine-year period marked by transition and restoration, St. John’s finally made its long-awaited return to the grandest stage of them all last night. However, it didn’t go exactly the way everyone had hoped it would.

Playing with heavy hearts and greater motivation than at any other point during their resurgence under coach Steve Lavin, the Red Storm (21-12) were simply unable to hold off a Gonzaga (25-9) team that shot and rebounded with equal proficiency at the Pepsi Center in Denver; as the Bulldogs used a strong presence both inside and outside to win their tenth consecutive game, defeating the Johnnies in the matchup of the No. 6 (St. John’s) and 11 (Gonzaga) seeds in the Southeast regional by the final of 86-71 and advancing to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga will next face Brigham Young and Jimmer Fredette after the third-seeded Cougars overcame an early scare to emerge victorious over 14th-seeded Wofford by the final of 74-66.

St. John’s opened the game with a competitive fire that had not been seen since its road win over Villanova three weeks ago, starting out on a 5-0 run by forward Justin Brownlee, (14 points) one of four Red Storm players in double figures. However, the Zags shot the ball like it was going out of style in the opening stanza by providing a never-ending stream of buckets midway through the first half. Every time St. John’s scored in the initial minutes, Gonzaga fired back. In fact, the lead only changed once; and once Elias Harris (15 points, eight rebounds) drained a trifecta to give the Bulldogs a 15-14 lead less than five minutes into the contest, it was all coach Mark Few‘s team would need on the way to a 12-0 run that made a close game much more decisive as the Red Storm’s attempt to “do it” for injured teammate D.J. Kennedy was thwarted by the team from the Pacific Northwest that redefined the meaning of Cinderella with its magical run to the Elite Eight back in 1999.

Except for the fallen Kennedy, each of the other eight St. John’s seniors logged at least one minute in the box score. Of the fourth-year players, Dwight Hardy (26 points on 10-of-23 shooting) fared the best, and Paris Horne added 11 of his own. Freshman Dwayne Polee provided a look to the bright future on the corner of Union and Utopia with his impressive 12-point performance, finishing his freshman campaign strong after a decline in productivity at the beginning of Big East play. Marquise Carter led Gonzaga with 24 points and six assists, while sharpshooter Steven Gray contributed with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Gonzaga may be moving on, but St. John’s has nothing to be ashamed of after finishing a 33-game run that no one will soon forget. Hardly anyone expected that the Johnnies would go on a magic carpet ride the way they did over the last five months, and the boys from Queens can walk across the stage when they graduate in May knowing that they captured the hearts of a fan base desperate to embrace a winner after a long and winding four-year road to redemption. Next year’s incarnation of the Red Storm has a very difficult act to follow, as the nine departing student-athletes have left more lasting impressions around St. John’s basketball than any that can possibly be highlighted within this space.

Lasting Impressions

As was initially suspected, rebounding was the key last night. St. John’s did not have the bodies or physical style to stand up to seven-footer Robert Sacre (nine points, nine rebounds) or Elias Harris, and that lack of size and brute strength was put on full display to the tune of a 43-20 domination of the glass by Gonzaga.
The Zags also beat St. John’s at its own game by getting their bench involved. All but four of the Red Storm’s 71 points came from its starting five, while Gonzaga picked up 16 from their substitutes who helped contribute to a stellar effort from the field, from which the Bulldogs shot 54 percent.
Sacre may not have lit up the box score the way some thought he might, but his inside presence undoubtedly contributed to a 34-24 advantage for Gonzaga inside the paint. The Zags will need more of the same tomorrow against an undersized Brigham Young team in order to advance to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans.
Dwayne Polee started and ended his first season in Queens with solid double-figure scoring efforts against two West Coast Conference opponents. Polee started his tenure under Steve Lavin with a 16-point outburst at St. Mary’s in November; and his 12 against Gonzaga last night included an impressive display that not only earned him the unsung hero game ball, but gave those optimistic to see what the future holds for St. John’s an insight into what should be a focal point of the Red Storm’s offensive attack in 2011-12, especially as the eight incoming recruits adapt to the style of play at the collegiate level.
Finally, this season could and would not be possible had it not been for the determined and inspiring play of each of the nine seniors that comprised one of the strongest teams in the Big East. While some may not have had many shining moments wearing the red and white, each one touched the hearts of the program and its fans in more ways than any of them ever could have imagined; and while all of us may be just a small piece of their lives, this team is a much bigger part of ours than any player or coach will ever know.

Zigging the Zags, the trendy upset pick

March 15, 2011 by Pico Dulce Leave a Comment

Finally, St. John’s has a ticket to college basketball’s great spectacle, the NCAA Tournament. The getting there was fraught with challenge, as we know, but that hot month of February solidified the Red Storm’s chances to get into the NCAA Tournament.

And then… the D.J. Kennedy injury struck. A torn ACL in the Big East Tournament. A tear that tears tenuous dreams. A tear that crushes a team…

And a tear that inspires. The players and fans have rallied behind the concept of Do It For DJ. The team is a motivated giant-killer already, and now they have more motivation. One more, two more, maybe more games for D.J. Kennedy and the senior class that finally came together under a new coach. And now, without Kennedy, the team is being counted out. There are some eager beavers picking Gonzaga in the first round if you Google “Gonzaga Upset Pick“, and those links don’t include the more statsitically-oriented writers like Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn, or Nate Silver on his New York Times bracket predictions.

There are a lot of haters out there. And Gonzaga is the trendy upset pick.

Spread the word, because if there is one thing St. John’s has done this year it is to make predictions invalid. The Johnnies thrive on being underdogs, the under-recruited, under-regarded, New York City kids with a chip on their shoulder the size of Flushing Meadows Park. The team has lost some games to good-shooting teams that protect the ball. But beyond that? They have pulled wins out of their backsides.

This team is almost better when the world picks against them.

How are they going to Do It For DJ? …Keep reading.

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St. John’s Profile

21-11, 12-6 Big East Conference (tied for 3rd, lost in 3rd round of conference tournament)
Losses to St. Mary’s, St. Bonaventure, Fordham, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, Cincinnati, Georgeown, UCLA, Seton Hall, Syracuse
Notable wins: Duke, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Georgetown, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Marquette, Villanova
Coach: Steve Lavin (166-88, 11-6 in NCAA Tournament)

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The Red Storm are sans D.J. Kennedy.

They need a glue guy. They’ve lost the pick off man in the pressure defense, the late-game free throw shooter, the deep corner jump shooter, and the team’s best and most consistent defensive rebounder. I wrote about how various players could replace D.J. Kennedy’s production; but the upshot of all of this is that Kennedy is hard to replace. And whoever replaces him won’t have the varied skills that Kennedy has, and will likely be a less efficient player offensively… and far less clutch at the free throw line.

But St. John’s has beaten the giants of the game. They’ve won a neutral site championship (albeit against some mediocre teams). They’ve played on the west coast three times this year, so they’re used to long travel. This is what Steve Lavin prepared them for, and Lavin’s history with UCLA demonstrates an ability to win in the first rounds of the Tournament.

St. John’s has some depth to use against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Sean Evans has emerged as a solid option off of the bench, and he is strong. His ability to use his dribble intelligently has increased, giving a nice complement to Justin Burrell’s power game in the post. Playing Evans and Burrell together allows Justin Brownlee to play at the small forward position, where his game is more natural. In recent weeks he’s looked best offensively when give the ability to score in space or off of a snaking dribble. If Dwayne Polee can make some plays defensively and stay on the court, he provides a really nice replacement to some of what Kennedy brought to the table.

And Dwight Hardy’s game is key. Can he lead the team without costly turnovers? Can he score on Gonzaga’s tall defenders? Can he find open guys like Paris Horne, or get open when Malik Boothe is on the floor?

Gonzaga profile

24-9, 11-3 West Coast Conference – won conference tournament
Losses to San Diego State, Kansas State, #21 Illinois, Washington State, #23 Notre Dame, Santa Clara (road), San Francisco (road), #24 St. Mary’s
Notable wins: 2x St. Mary’s, Xavier, Marquette
Coach: Mark Few (314-81, 12-11 in NCAA Tournament)

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With players from Germany, France, and Canada, the Zags are a true international squad. In fact, three players are from Canada – Robert Sacre, Kelly Olynyk, and Mangisto Arop. With two players from Washington State, and one from Minnesota, they’re not America’s team, they’re the team of the Northern Woods.

They already play at altitude with Spokane being a half mile up, so playing in Denver – which can get players and regular people gassed, if you’ve never been there – shouldn’t be as much of a problem as it is for the Red Storm, who travel 1700 miles and 1 mile in elevation.

The Zags are anchored by the mobile 7-foot center Robert Sacre. He’s athletic enough to block a lot of shots, gets to offensive rebounds, and is an 83% shooter at the line – and he gets a lot of free throw attempts. This is probably the biggest worry for the Johnnies. If the referees allow for physical play, St. John’s should be able to body him up; he weighs less than many of the Big East centers the team has faced. But he will turn the ball over on occasion.

But forward Elias Harris is no slouch. He likely has the most NBA-ready abilities; he can score off the dribble and has some good moves. He’s a good defensive rebounder, gets to the line, and can score inside the arc very well. Also at forward/ center is a whole lot of height. Kelly Olynyk looks gawky but he can score the ball inside and outside the arc, rebounding the defensive end as well. Sam Dower is a freshman with a nice looking mid-range jump shot. And he’s an extreme lefty; guard him to shoot over the right shoulder.

Marquise Carter is a long defender and had some really nice games down the stretch for Gonzaga; he’s a top thief of the ball and can hit his jumpshot with regularity. He even passes a bit. Steven Gray is one of the team’s guards, and he’ll take a number of three-pointers in the game. He is tall (the one with the dreds), and fairly athletic; he can serve as a lead guard at times.

Which is good, because the starting lead guard, Demitri Goodson, has lost a lot of time to John Stockton’s son David. Goodson is a little turnover-prone, and his shooting range is lacking; Stockton only shoots from the outside, but is an adept passer, as one could guess. He’s… well, he makes Malik Boothe look imposing. But he has spurred the team on to a winning streak

Keys to the Game

Press on, Storm. The Johnnies have to apply lots of pressure on the Bulldogs; they’re not the best ballhandlers out there, though they’re not terrible, but the Red Storm’s pressure has affected many good teams. The Johnnies need to force turnovers and limit easy touches/ easy looks for the Zags.

Hardy heat. Dwight Hardy needs to have a good, efficient scoring game. Lots of points, lots of free throws, and some timely treys. I see him scoring a number of points off of two-man action with Brownlee.

Defend Sacre and Harris without fouling. Both Robert Sacre and Elias Harris can be real loads to handle, and the Red Storm’s depth has just dwindled all year; they can’t afford to have two players unavailable in the first half, or to play extended minutes with one of their main rotation players fouled out in the second. Both Harris and Sacre will hit their shots at the line; St. John’s has to defend these highly-skilled players without enough physical contact to draw the refs’ attention (but a little push and shove here and there would be a good thing).

Rocky Mountain Brownlee. Justin Brownlee needs to take his (likely) newfound role and score some points with his versatile game. Preferably at the hoop. Preferably with some foul shots tacked on to the end. Preferably not with uncontested jumpshots with 25 seconds left on the shot clock from the top of the key for no reason (aka the BROWNLEE SHOT).

The x-factor. Will it be Paris Horne finally getting out in transition again for dunks and spotting up for deep jumpers? With Dwayne Polee be unleashed? Will Malik Boothe carve the Zags up like a Washington apple? One of these three has to be the x-factor in this game.

Prediction: Well, all year, I think the next game is the one St. John’s will lose. I think teams will have caught up to the Red Storm. So with a very obvious WINK, and continuing what’s become a superstition for me, I say Gonzaga wins, 71-68. WINK.

Johnnies vs. Zags in Return to Dance

March 13, 2011 by Jaden Daly 1 Comment

After nine long years of attempting to reclaim their spot among college basketball’s elite, St. John’s has finally found its redemption; and will take on a former NCAA Tournament opponent in their much-anticipated return to the Big Dance.

polee dunk — Dwayne Polee II has established himself as the most exciting dunker on the Red Storm. He will need to step up with DJ Kennedy out for the tournament.

After literally waiting for 66 teams to be announced before them, the Johnnies (21-11) were the next-to-last team proclaimed as a Tournament participant; as they were announced as the sixth seed in the Southeast regional. One of a record eleven Big East teams to make the field of 68, the Red Storm will travel to Denver for a Thursday matchup with West Coast Conference champion Gonzaga, (24-9) winners of their last nine, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Should St. John’s emerge victorious, they will face the winner of the matchup between third-seeded Brigham Young and 14th seed Wofford in Saturday’s third round; perhaps getting the opportunity to take on national Player of the Year candidate Jimmer Fredette in a pairing that will be sure to attract nationwide attention.

“Today was a special day for our players and as a coaching staff, being able to watch up close the experience our team has had,” said head coach Steve Lavin, who also makes his return to the “Big Dance” for the first time since 2002. “Being able to participate in the NCAA Tournament is an experience that I’ll never forget. “It’s a tough challenge; but overall, we think we could do it,” said Justin Burrell, the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year. Teammate Sean Evans offered this when asked of how it felt to be announced live on national television: “I think it was better than I dreamed up. You can’t picture how it’s going to feel.”

St. John’s and Gonzaga are no strangers to one another on this stage, as the Red Storm were eliminated by the Bulldogs in the 2000 NCAA Tournament when Gonzaga was the tenth seed in the West regional and St. John’s was a No. 2 seed fresh off winning the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. Gonzaga defeated St. John’s 82-76 in that game, continuing one of their many Cinderella runs that have come to be a trademark for the Jesuit school from Spokane, Washington. The Red Storm may ultimately need to overcome two de facto road games, as Gonzaga (Spokane) and Brigham Young (Provo, Utah) are close enough to Denver to attract a large portion of their hometown fans rather easily if the Johnnies intend to be among the final four Southeast regional teams in New Orleans during the second week of the tournament.

Most importantly, St. John’s will be entering their first NCAA Tournament in nine years with heavy hearts and a motivation to succeed after D.J. Kennedy suffered a torn ACL in the Johnnies’ Big East tournament quarterfinal loss Thursday afternoon against Syracuse. Sean Evans, Kennedy’s roommate and closest friend on the team, wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Do It For D.J.,” with the phrase “I’m my brother’s keeper” on the back. “Fans hit up my Twitter asking what they could do for D.J., so I started the slogan,” said Evans of the rallying cry that is slowly becoming a trending topic on the popular social network. Star point guard Dwight Hardy recognized Kennedy’s status as one of the leaders of this team as well. “The first person I looked at was D.J., and I thanked him for everything he did for us,” said Hardy after the team received word of its selection. “We’ve got his back.” Coach Lavin paused for a moment to reflect on the impact of one of his ten seniors before calling the occasion a “real bittersweet moment” for Kennedy, “and will be until our journey is complete.” The journey resumes this Thursday, with one goal and one motivation:

DO IT FOR D.J.