Johnny Jungle

The 6th Man of St. John's Basketball

For the die hard St. John's fan.
The unofficial 6th man. est. '07
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New Season Ticket Holders To Select Seats At Carnesecca

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QUEENS, N.Y. (Aug.

17, 2010) – The St. John’s University Department of Athletics will be hosting “Select Your Seat Day” on Tuesday, Aug.

24 for all new men’s basketball season ticket subscribers. Fans will have the opportunity to visit Carnesecca Arena between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to check seating availability in person and choose their seat locations for the 2010-11 season.

Fans also have the chance to meet members of the new men’s basketball staff. Assistant coaches Tony Chiles and Rico Hines, Director of Operations Moe Hicks and Assistant to the Head Coach Derrick Wrobel will all be in attendance to greet season subscribers. Johnny the Thunderbird is slated to be part of Tuesday’s event as well.

In addition to claiming Carnesecca Arena seat locations, fans can view an enlarged seating chart of Madison Square Garden and make their choice out of the available seats. New subscribers that cannot be in attendance on Tuesday have the option to call 1-888-GO-STORM (1-888-467-8676) to schedule an appointment with a ticket manager on Wednesday, Aug. 25 or Thursday, Aug. 26 and choose their seats at that time.

If you would like to be a part of “Select Your Seat Day” and you have not yet placed a deposit for 2010-11 Red Storm season tickets, reserve yours today by calling 1-888-GO-STORM (1-888-467-8676).

Season ticket holders enjoy the best seats available at all regular season home games, while saving significantly on individual game ticket prices. They also receive an exclusive St. John’s Season Ticket Holder gift, and have the first opportunity to purchase additional tickets to premium games and post season tournaments (based on availability).

Fans won’t want to miss out on the excitement this season as the Red Storm plays host to elite BIG EAST and non-conference opponents, including: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, USF and defending national champion, Duke.

Call 1-888-GO-STORM (1-888-467-8676) to reserve your package today!

*** For fans that prefer to purchase individual game tickets, but wish to avoid lines on game days, the Carnesecca Arena Ticket Office will be offering print-at-home tickets for 2010-11! ***

St. John’s To Open At Saint Mary’s As Part Of 24-Hour ESPN Marathon

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QUEENS, N.Y. (Aug. 16, 2010) – St. John’s new head coach Steve Lavin is giving fans a reason to wake up in the early morning hours on Nov. 16 – his Red Storm coaching debut on national television.

St. John's head coach Steve Lavin will make his Red Storm sideline debut on ESPN, as his new squad visits 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 participant Saint Mary's on Tuesday, Nov. 16. Image courtesy of Redstormsports.com
ESPN revealed the schedule for its third annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon for Tuesday, Nov. 16, and Lavin’s new squad is a part of it. St. John’s will take on 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Saint Mary’s (Calif.) at the Gaels’ home in Moraga, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 2 a.m. E.T. The matchup is the second game slated as part of the 12 live college basketball games in 24 consecutive hours on ESPN. With four participating teams, the BIG EAST is the most-represented conference in the marathon.

“Opening our season at St. Mary’s in a nationally-televised matchup on ESPN is an outstanding early-season test to gauge where we are as a team,“ said Lavin. “The Gaels return four starters from a team that went to the Sweet 16, and McKeon Pavilion is a hostile environment for opponents. A contest like this will pay great dividends in preparing our team for the rigors of the BIG EAST.”

“The Worldwide Leader in Sports” is palpably excited about Lavin’s return to the coaching ranks. Breaking down the slate for its second-straight season featuring a 24-hour marathon, ESPN said it its news release:

“The schedule will include three teams from last year’s men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four (defending national champion Duke, Butler and Michigan State), defending women’s NCAA National Champion Connecticut, the first game at Louisville’s new arena and the debut of new St. John’s coach Steve Lavin.”

In addition to the season-opener against the Gaels, who finished 28-6 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last March, the Red Storm will be joining Arizona State, Ball State, Drake, Houston Baptist, Southern Utah and Weber State in the 2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout from Nov. 24-27.

St. John’s plays a host of marquee home matchups against conference opponents in 2010-11. Syracuse, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Rutgers, USF and DePaul all travel to New York City for matchups on one of St. John’s home courts, either at the newly-renovated Carnesecca Arena, or on the grand stage at Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The Red Storm will hit the road to face Villanova, Louisville, Marquette, West Virginia, Providence and Seton Hall in addition to Georgetown, Notre Dame and Cincinnati.

The complete St. John’s men’s basketball schedule, with non-conference opponents, dates, times and television information, will be released with the rest of the BIG EAST conference basketball schedules at a later date this fall. The complete non-conference schedule will be released later in the summer.

Fans can be a part of the 2010-11 St. John’s hardwood campaign – the first under the direction of new head coach Lavin – by visiting Redstormsports.com or by clicking Here to order men’s basketball season tickets.

Paris In Paris: Horne Wraps Up European Trip With East Coast All-Stars

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QUEENS, N.Y. (Aug. 15, 2010) – St. John’s rising senior guard Paris Horne continued his European Tour last week with the East Coast All-Stars, leading the squad to a split in its final two games on Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday, Aug. 12, Horne contributed 11 points, three assists and three steals during a 100-73 victory against a talented Paris Select Club, marking the East Coast All-Star team’s first win during its Aug. 6-15 tour. In another matchup with the Tunisian National team Friday, the squad fell 111-85. Horne reportedly “continued to play well,” but his game statistics were not immediately available.

While in Paris, the team has also enjoyed the sights and has taken in some of the world-class cultural opportunities. The All-Stars toured the Louvre museum prior to Thursday’s game where they saw artwork such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and the ancient Greek sculpture Venus de Milo created between 130 and 100 B.C. On Saturday, the team spent the day on a river cruise, seeing the sights of Paris, and finishing the evening high above the city on top of the Eiffel Tower.

The 10-man All-Star squad is expected to arrive back in the U.S. Sunday afternoon, where they will return to their various Universities.

Horne, who netted a St. John’s team-best 14.6 ppg in 2008-09 as a sophomore, finished third on the 2009-10 squad in scoring (9.2 ppg) and was among team leaders in 3-point shooting (third, .370) and steals (third, 28). Horne, who had improved his scoring average by 9.5 ppg from his freshman to sophomore years, is one of the Red Storm’s “go-to” scorers. One of STJ’s toughest perimeter defenders, he was a 2009 first team All-Met selection by the MBWA.

Fans can be a part of the 2010-11 St. John’s hardwood campaign – the first under the direction of new head coach Steve Lavin – by visiting www.redstormsports.com and clicking on the “Tickets” link to order men’s basketball season tickets.

Be sure to check www.redstormsports.com and follow @STJ_Basketball on Twitter for the latest info on Paris in Paris. RedStormSports.com’s “Eye of the Storm” blog will feature a video recap from Horne himself upon his arrival back to the United States.

Mullin, ’92 Dream Team Inducted Into Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame

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QUEENS, N.Y. (August 14, 2010) – St. John’s legend Chris Mullin, the most-decorated player in program history, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night, with his 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team” Olympic gold medalist teammates as part of its 2010 class. The most recent group enshrined in the Springfield, Mass., venue also includes the 1960 USA Olympic gold medal team, Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, high school coaching great Bob Hurley Sr., and WNBA star Cynthia Cooper. NBA veterans Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson and international star Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira were honored posthumously.

Mullin became the ninth individual affiliated with St. John’s venerable basketball program to be inducted into the national hall. Coaches Joe Lapchick (1966), Frank McGuire (1977), Lou Carnesecca (1992) and standout player Dick McGuire (1993) have all been enshrined in Springfield, along with alumnus John O’Brien, 1909-10 head coach Harry Fisher, 1980-81 volunteer assistant coach and Knicks legend Willis Reed and 1948-51 letterwinner and former Marquette mentor Al McGuire.

“It was only with Coach Carnesecca’s guidance that I ever accomplished anything,” Mullin told RedStormSports.com.

One of New York City’s greatest players, Mullin is still one of the most recognizable figures in the history of Big Apple basketball. The Brooklyn native starred at Xaverian High School before attending St. John’s, and went on to give New York a four-year period to rival any other. He was the first St. John’s player to reach 2,000 points and his sweet jumper and savvy court sense led the 1985 Redmen to their first No. 1 ranking since 1951, and their first Final Four appearance since 1952. A consensus first team All-American as a senior, he was presented with the Wooden Award as the nation’s top player.

Mullin and former Georgetown center Patrick Ewing teamed to vault the fledgling BIG EAST on its way to the top of the national rankings. The two were members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles. Mullin not only finished as St. John’s leading scorer, but set career records for steals, field goals, free throws and free throw percentage, and was also in the top five in assists. An outstanding NBA career followed along with Mullin’s selection to the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” where he led the squad during its gold medal run with 5.3 rebounds per contest.

One of the storied programs in the history of men’s collegiate basketball, St. John’s concluded the 2009-10 season as the seventh all-time winningest program in the NCAA Division I record book with 1,703 wins and 884 losses. The school’s .658 winning percentage ranks ninth all-time in NCAA history, while St. John’s 26 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances are tied for 20th. The program’s 26 NIT appearances and five titles are also unprecedented. Helms Foundation national champions following the 1910-11 season, St. John’s appeared in NCAA Final Fours in 1952 and 1985. The program boasts 11 consensus All-Americans, 59 NBA Draft choices and 45 players that have scored 1,000 career points or more.

Fans can be a part of the 2010-11 St. John’s hardwood campaign – the first under the direction of new head coach Steve Lavin – by visiting www.redstormsports.com and clicking on the “Tickets” link to order men’s basketball season tickets.

Paris In Paris: Rising Senior Horne Touring Europe With East Coast All-Stars

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QUEENS, N.Y.

(Aug. 12, 2010) – St. John’s rising senior guard Paris Horne arrived in Paris, France, Wednesday as part of the 10-man roster for the East Coast All-Stars. The squad features 10 players who are currently touring Switzerland and France from Aug.

6-15, with five international exhibition games scheduled.

The trip featured two games against the Swiss National Team in Geneva Sunday and Monday before the team arrived in Paris to take on the Tunisian National Team on Wednesday.

The East Coast All-Stars will face two pro French teams Aug. 12 and 15 to round out their trip.

Horne led his squad with five steals in a tour-opening 92-80 loss to the Swiss National Team, before registering 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and four thefts in a 96-91 loss to the Swiss. Yesterday against Tunisia, Horne punctuated a five-point, six-rebound, three-steal effort with a fastbreak dunk over Tunisia’s 7-1 center in a 104-85 loss.

In addition to playing the five games, Horne and his teammates have been enjoying touring Geneva and Paris, with planned visits to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. The squad has explored Lake Geneva, and will take a cruise down the Seine River on Friday.

In addition to Horne, the squad is comprised of Scott Martin (Notre Dame), Nick Russell (Kansas State), Lewis Jackson (Purdue), Bryan Dougher (Stony Brook), Will Kelly (Lycoming), Sebastian Sabella (Lycoming), Jamar Samuels (Kansas State), Tommy Benton (Stony Brook), Jeff Peterson (Arkansas) and Keith Wright (Harvard). Guy Rancourt, the head coach at Lycoming College (Pa.), has coached the East Coast All-Stars since 2006, helping guide the 2009 squad to an undefeated run during its trip to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Mike Jones, the head coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., is the team’s assistant coach.

Led by new head coach Steve Lavin, the 2010-11 Red Storm squad returns five starters from a 2009-10 team that posted a 17-16 record and qualified for the Postseason NIT. Fans can be a part of the 2010-11 St. John’s hardwood campaign by visiting www.redstormsports.com and clicking on the “Tickets” link to order men’s basketball season tickets.

Horne, who netted a St. John’s team-best 14.6 ppg in 2008-09 as a sophomore, finished third on the 2009-10 squad in scoring (9.2 ppg) and was among team leaders in 3-point shooting (third, .370) and steals (third, 28). Horne, who had improved his scoring average by 9.5 ppg from his freshman to sophomore years, is one of the Red Storm’s “go-to” scorers. One of STJ’s toughest perimeter defenders, he was a 2009 first team All-Met selection by the MBWA.

Be sure to check www.redstormsports.com and follow @STJ_Basketball on Twitter for the latest info on Paris in Paris. RedStormSports.com’s “Eye of the Storm” blog will feature a video recap from Horne himself upon his arrival back to the United States.