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St. John’s Opens Big East Tournament With Rematch Against Pittsburgh

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Seven days removed from a defeat that some people consider the downfall of the season, the Red Storm have a chance at redemption.

Opening the Big East tournament in the 2pm time slot for the fourth consecutive year, St. John’s squares off against Pittsburgh for the right to face Georgetown in the second round of the conference championship. The matinee tips off later today, and JohnnyJungle.com gets you ready for the postseason with the following information:

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 2:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch, Doris Burke, Andy Katz)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Vince Ruffino, Jon Perez)

St. John’s Red Storm (13-18; 6-12, No. 12 seed)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 34-30, 179-108 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 36% FG, 74% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 17.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 80% FT, 2.1 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 7.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 44% FG, 58% FT, 1.2 APG, 1.4 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 40% FG, 55% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.5 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 45% FG, 67% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.6 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 56% FG, 67% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Revenge. With the exception of Cincinnati, the Red Storm have played better when facing an opponent for the second time this season. After being outscored 20-4 down the stretch against Georgetown, St. John’s played hard against the Hoyas the second time around; and after nearly losing on the road to DePaul, St. John’s used their press defense and transition game to overcome the Blue Demons at Carnesecca Arena. With the Panthers coming in off a hard-fought losing effort to Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion, the Red Storm can capitalize off the short turnaround if they can put their bitter loss to Rutgers in the past.

– Hometown coronation. It is expected that Moe Harkless will officially be named the Big East Rookie of the Year tomorrow, and the all-rookie team selection has risen to the occasion in big games. Harkless’ 32-point, 13-rebound domination of Providence in the conference opener and 30-point national coming-out party against Duke established him as a force to be reckoned with, and should have the advantage in the interior matchup against Pitt’s Dante Taylor and Talib Zanna.

– Past history. Although it has nothing to do with the Red Storm this season, here are some nuggets involving St. John’s and the Big East tournament:
– Three consecutive wins on their first day of competition (Georgetown 2009, Connecticut 2010, Rutgers 2011)
– Second consecutive season with at least one player recognized in conference awards (Dwight Hardy and Justin Burrell 2011, Moe Harkless and D’Angelo Harrison 2012)
– Second time in four years playing a team twice within seven days (Georgetown 2009)
– Fourth consecutive year playing in 2pm time slot
– Third time in four years in 12/13 matchup (won both other times: 2009, 2010)

And their opponent…

Pittsburgh Panthers (16-15, 5-13)
Head Coach: Jamie Dixon (9th season, 232-75)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Travon Woodall (5-11 Jr., 11.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 43% FG, 37% 3pt, 87% FT, 6.1 APG)
G Ashton Gibbs (6-2 Sr., 15.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 39% FG, 33% 3pt, 86% FT, 2.3 APG)
F Lamar Patterson (6-5 So., 8.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3pt, 75% FT, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F Nasir Robinson (6-5 Sr., 11.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 56% FG, 50% FT, 2.1 APG)
F Dante Taylor (6-9 Jr., 6.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 55% FG, 66% FT)

Key Reserves:
F J.J. Moore (6-6 So., 7.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 42% FG, 75% FT)
F Talib Zanna (6-9 So., 5.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 54% FG, 65% FT)
G John Johnson (6-1 Fr., 4.5 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 41% FG, 39% 3pt, 86% FT, 1.4 APG)

Keys To Victory:
– Madison Square Garden. Last year notwithstanding, Panthers fans have usually turned the Garden into a raucous atmosphere despite being the visiting team. If Pittsburgh can get the crowd in their favor from the outset, the atmosphere in the stands can approach the levels currently enjoyed at their home court of the Petersen Center.

– Give it to Gibbs. This will likely be the last time Ashton Gibbs faces the Red Storm, which will be a sad occasion for Pittsburgh fans. Over his four years, the New Jersey native has become a St. John’s killer; shooting 48 percent (24-for-50) from the field and 44 percent (12-for-27) from three-point range against the Johnnies, while also averaging 15.4 points per game in his five contests against St. John’s.

–Reverse the curse. Despite their relative success in drawing well at Madison Square Garden; Pittsburgh has only won one game there in the last four seasons, and that came in the regular season two years ago. Since becoming the second team to win four games in as many days when they won the Big East championship from the No. 7 seed in 2008, the Panthers have been a “one-and-done” team over each of the last three campaigns in the conference tournament. With losses to West Virginia, Notre Dame and Connecticut over the last three seasons, the Panthers are hoping the No. 13 (their seed in this year’s tournament) is as lucky for them as it was for former Pitt quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, who just happens to be among the greatest players of all time.

So, Who Wins?
Recent history favors St. John’s; but the Red Storm come in off a two-game losing streak featuring a performance where they ran into a buzzsaw, and the other against a team that got a fortuitous final minute to escape their home court. Pittsburgh comes in with more to prove, looking to erase the stigma that comes from a season in which the Panthers lost an uncharacteristic seven home games. While it appears on paper that the winner of today’s game may not have much of a chance against Georgetown, nothing could be further from the truth. The Hoyas are vulnerable to midpack teams in the Big East, (see Seton Hall) and the experience the winner gains from playing the day before is invaluable. This matchup will be one in which St. John’s all-freshman lineup defines the moment by staying in contention for most of the game; but as it has in the past, their youth will catch up to them down the stretch as Pittsburgh pulls away to win convincingly.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 78, St. John’s 68

St. John’s And Handful Of Rookies Travel To Pitt In Steel City Showdown

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Fresh off a three-game winning streak and a loss by reigning national champion Connecticut last night that kept St. John’s in contention for the No. 9 seed in next week’s Big East tournament, the Red Storm hit the road for two more games to conclude their regular season. First up is a trip to Pittsburgh to face a struggling Panther team that St. John’s has never beaten at the Petersen Center, and you will find all the important information you need to get caught up on tonight’s pivotal matchup below.

Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Location: Petersen Events Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Time: 7:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Adam Amin, Bob Valvano)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)

St. John’s Red Storm (13-16, 6-10)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 34-28, 179-106 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 36% FG, 77% FT, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 17.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 82% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 7.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 46% FG, 58% FT, 1.1 APG, 1.2 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 40% FG, 57% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.7 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 53% FG, 67% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Hostile environment. Pittsburgh has arguably one of the hardest venues for a road team to win at, and the atmosphere tonight will be something the all-freshman lineup has yet to experience. Phil Greene will be most affected since he is at the controls, and his decision making will be put to the test like never before.

– D. (on both sides of the ball) On offense, this means D’Angelo Harrison. When the Texan gets into a groove, he is impossible to stop. On defense, it is self-explanatory. The Panthers have always been a strong defensive unit, so St. John’s needs to match them stop for stop whenever possible.

– Cloud nine. A win keeps the Red Storm in contention for the No. 9 seed in next week’s Big East tournament, the same spot that launched Connecticut’s run to glory one year ago. The brackets for St. John’s in the nine hole would include DePaul and Seton Hall before an eventual showdown with regular season conference champion Syracuse.

Now, to meet their opponents trying to salvage their season.

Pittsburgh Panthers (15-14, 4-12)
Head Coach: Jamie Dixon (9th season, 231-74)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Travon Woodall (5-11 Jr., 11.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 42% FG, 36% 3pt, 87% FT, 6.1 APG)
G Ashton Gibbs (6-2 Sr., 15.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 39% FG, 34% 3pt, 86% FT, 2.4 APG)
F Lamar Patterson (6-5 So., 8.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 41% FG, 41% 3pt, 74% FT, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F Nasir Robinson (6-5 Sr., 11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 56% FG, 48% FT, 2.1 APG)
F Dante Taylor (6-9 Jr., 6.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 53% FG, 65% FT)

Key Reserves:
F J.J. Moore (6-6 So., 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 41% FG, 75% FT)
F Talib Zanna (6-9 So., 5.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 54% FG, 64% FT)
G John Johnson (6-1 Fr., 4.7 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 42% FG, 42% 3pt, 85% FT, 1.4 APG)

Keys To Victory:
– Home sweet home. Prior to this season, the Petersen Center was to Pitt what Hulk Hogan was to wrestling in the 1980s: Something that rarely ever lost. The Panthers had only lost twelve games since the place was opened, and this year alone has produced seven defeats on top of that. Look for Pitt to thrive off their sellout crowd early and often to take St. John’s out of the game.

– Guard play. Between Ashton Gibbs and Travon Woodall, Pitt received the bulk of their offense the last time they played the Red Storm. Gibbs seemingly could not miss at Madison Square Garden a year ago, and Woodall would have had the game-winning three if Dwight Hardy did not channel his inner “Baryshnikov” or “Fred Astaire” in a play you can see below.

– Nigerian nightmare. Just as St. John’s has has had God’sgift Achiuwa, Pitt has relied on his compatriot Talib Zanna. Now in his sophomore campaign; Zanna has yet to show what he is capable of on a consistent basis, but will get the opportunity against an undermanned Red Storm front line. Look for Zanna to have one of his better nights exploiting a thin interior game.

So, Who Wins?
Pitt has the role of spoiler on their minds. With a seemingly improbable run to a conference championship ahead of them, the Panthers may simply be looking at the NIT to salvage a lost season. However, a Steve Lavin team always gets better as the year goes on. This year’s St. John’s unit is no exception since the handful of rookies are now playing their best basketball and are peaking even later than last season’s senior-laden team did. With one more before the conference converges on Madison Square Garden, St. John’s continues their roll and sends the Panthers to .500 with a big road win.

Final Score: St. John’s 65, Pittsburgh 59

Stair Masters

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At yesterday’s pregame press conference, St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin treated the media members in attendance to a visual aid: His use of a white board to demonstrate his technique of “climbing the stairs,” which involved Lavin drawing a staircase on the board listing the name of each team the Red Storm had beaten over the course of the 18-game Big East schedule and the team’s subsequent record at the conclusion of the game.  The board after today’s game now has a different name and set of numbers on it, and it will look something like this:

“Pittsburgh, 9-5.”

It wasn’t a smooth climb to the final step, but Dwight Hardy’s game-winning reverse layup with just over a second remaining in regulation propelled the Johnnies (17-9, 9-5 in the Big East) to the summit by providing the final margin in a 60-59 victory over fourth-ranked Pittsburgh.  (24-3, 12-2)  The win is St. John’s fifth against Top 25 teams and fourth against those ranked within the Top 10; and it also improved the Storm to 7-1 this season at Madison Square Garden.  After being considered giant killers throughout the season to this point, it’s now possible for St. John’s to enter next week with a number next to their name in the new Associated Press and coaches’ polls for the first time since November of 2000 after following up their impressive road win over Marquette with their upset this afternoon inside the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Dwight Hardy drives under the rim for game-winning underhand layup to lift St. John's past No. 4 Pittsburgh 60-59. (RedStormSports.com)

“It’s been four long years without one of those numbers,” said Justin Burrell; one of three Johnnies in double figures today with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench.  Dwight Hardy once again led the way for the Red Storm with 19 points, but none bigger than the final two of the day.  “When I tried to turn back to see (Justin) Brownlee, my defender shifted.  I just kind of flipped it up there and it rolled right in.  To this point, it’s the biggest shot I’ve made in my life,” said the senior guard of his game-winner.  Hardy also commented on his team’s success at the Garden, stating that it “gives us an advantage” in next month’s Big East tournament, an event in which the Johnnies are much closer to acquiring a first-round bye in.  The coach of the Red Storm is still leaving postseason discussion to the experts, but had this to say when describing his team shortly after Hardy referred to him as “the calmest out of everybody” in the St. John’s huddle.

“I think we’re ahead of schedule in terms of the high level of basketball that we’ve played over the last six or seven games,” said head coach Steve Lavin on St. John’s having won six of their last seven dating back to their January 30th upset of then-No. 3 Duke at the Garden.  “We’re really pleased that we’re able to continue this run,” Lavin continued.  “I think one of the traits that’s really starting to develop with this team is resiliency.”  Ashton Gibbs continued to progress in his return from an MCL injury, leading all scorers with 26 points off the bench on 8-of-14 shooting (6-for-9) from beyond the arc, much to the delight of Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon.  “He obviously played well, no question about it,” said Dixon after conceding that the day belonged to the victors.  “It’s a really tough loss for us.  I’m proud of how we played, proud of how we handled things,” said Dixon of the Panthers’ second Big East defeat and first since their loss last month against Notre Dame at the Petersen Center.

St. John’s now looks for its sixth consecutive Big East win this Wednesday night when they return home to Carnesecca Arena to face a suddenly hot DePaul team that defeated Providence on the road Thursday and almost upset Villanova this afternoon before ultimately falling to the Wildcats in overtime.  Until then, we leave the emotional high of today’s contest and prepare you for what lies ahead with the ever-popular lasting impressions.

Lasting Impressions

  • Rebounding and energy were the keys to victory for both teams entering today’s matchup, and St. John’s won one while contesting the other to a draw.  Pitt claimed the opening tip, but any momentum the Panthers looked for after taking a 2-0 lead was quickly snuffed out by a pair of threes from Dwight Hardy and D.J. Kennedy that started a 10-1 Red Storm run that put the Johnnies up seven in the early going.
  • Aside from Ashton Gibbs, all of Pittsburgh’s other key players were largely overshadowed.  Brad Wanamaker (six points, four rebounds, four assists) and Gary McGhee (seven points, five rebounds) were rendered into supporting players due to lack of offensive rhythm and foul trouble, respectively.  To expand on the foul calls, Pittsburgh ended the game with four of its players having accumulated four fouls.
  • The turning point of the game occurred halfway through the second half when McGhee picked up his fourth foul, but it ironically helped Pitt as they went on a 12-3 run over the next three minutes.  St. John’s then fought back and kept it within five points the rest of the way.
  • Once again, St. John’s used a decisive advantage at the free throw line to gradually put its opponent away.  The Red Storm went to the line 32 times, (23 in the second half) and converted 23 of those foul shots for a 72 percent clip, a stark contrast from Pitt’s 10-for-18 (56 percent) effort at the charity stripe.
  • Finally, St. John’s cemented its NCAA Tournament credentials this afternoon.  While they most likely would have been in no matter what happened today, their impressive and valiant effort was contested primarily for a higher seed when the selection committee meets three weeks from tomorrow to set the 68-team field.  Before this afternoon, the Red Storm looked no better than a No. 7 seed; but it’s safe to say that St. John’s may have played itself into as far up as a No. 5 with their latest quality win.

Top of the Heap

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What do Georgetown, Duke, Notre Dame, and Connecticut all have in common?

Come on. You know this.

Each team came into Madison Square Garden a top-10 team, expecting a win against the plucky seniors of St. John’s.

And each left Madison Square Garden with the sounds of the home fans in their ears, avoiding possible court-stormings, and with an L on their record.

But you probably knew that.

Pittsburgh comes to New York City at 24-2, with a 12-1 conference record in the Big East, looking to make it 13. This will be the 6th time the Panthers have played in Madison Square Garden in the past 2 years. Besides a home game against St. John’s last year and a loss in the Big East tournament, they played Indiana in the Garden in the Jimmy V classic last year and defeated Texas and Maryland in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. The Panthers also have a 6-0 record in true road games.

The Panthers won’t be fazed by the Garden. They are the top of the Big East heap, and they love playing in New York. Can St. John’s whip out some giant-killing magic and get their best road win to date?

[gigpress_related_shows]

Pittsburgh (24-2, 12-1 Big East)

Right now, Pittsburgh is best in the Big East class. And by a wide margin. By efficiency margin, by record, by the way they dispatch teams – the Panthers look down into the valley of the Big East. The Panthers are 2 games better than the next-place team (Notre Dame), an 3 games better than the mudwrestling match that is the rest of the parity-filled league – 9 teams are within 3 conference wins of each other with 4-6 games to go in their seasons.

Ashton Gibbs
Ashton Gibbs is expected to return to Pittsburgh's lineup after suffering an MCL injury. (Icon SMI)

The Panthers are the most efficient team on offense and the most effective team on defense in the Big East. They play slowly, deliberately, execute as well as always, crash the glass, and get to the free throw line. Ashton Gibbs is the leading scorer at 16 per game. He is coming off of an injury but is expected to play for the Panthers. Interestingly, in conference play he’s hitting 48.6% of his shots outside of the arc… and 32% inside the arc. He shoots from the outside more frequently, but that is interesting to see.

But the real engine for the Panthers is Brad Wanamaker. I have no idea what his real position is, but he just makes plays. he leads the team in assists, grabs rebounds, is the second-leading scorer, leads the team in free throw attempts, is a real ballhawk… he does it all. For a basketball fan, he’s a joy to watch, even if he’ll never make all-American, and might not even make all-Big East. But he’s a difference-maker, and enjoys the mid-range jump shot.

The other guards and wings include the athletic Gilbert Brown, a good passer and a very good finisher with an outside shot, and Brooklyn’s Travon Woodall, who is the team’s best passer, but is in need of a better jump shot.

Up front, the Panthers are led by a rotation of big men, and a strangely effective little big man. Nasir Robinson is only 6’5″ but is one of the team’s most effective bigs if only for his energy. He plays along with the very large Gary McGhee, who has developed into a good big man – efficient, rebounds well, uses his size. He’s a poor free throw shooter. Behind him is the former McDonald’s All-American Dante Taylor, who has been excellent in short stretches – a lot of thunder dunks. Talib Zanna is getting more time and can be quite effective. But as a unit, the bigs really dominate the glass, and they can take advantage of the guards’ playmaking for easy dunks.

Keys to the Game

Force them out of their rhythm. St. John’s needs turnovers in this one, badly.  Both to get easy opportunities against the great Pitt defense, but also to take Pitt out of its rhythm.  The team can look almost clinical at times carving up teams… St. John’s needs to impose chaos (without getting out of control).

Stop Ashton Gibbs. Gibbs is the team’s most consistent scorer, though others take their turns taking over; forcing Ashton into a poor shooting night puts a lot more pressure on the rest of the Panthers.

Don’t get crushed on the defensive glass/ in the paint. The Panthers are dominant rebounders on both ends, imposing their will on other teams. St. John’s has to body up the Pitt players and get to the ball first, and get to the ball aggressively.

Stifle the inside game/ no dunks. Expect Pitt to use their size advantage inside. St. John’s has to keep the Pitt bigs from making a real impact (and the slashing Gilbert Brown as well).

Protect the ball. …And get the ball into the right spots. St. John’s will have to play smart, heady basketball against the defensively tight Panthers in the halfcourt.

Prediction: Pittsburgh is just too much for St. John’s (I’ve said that before and the Johnnies have won). Pitt 67, St. John’s 64