Seton Hall

St. John’s Looks to Defend Winning Streak Against Seton Hall Pirates

January 26, 2013 by Anthony Ramos Leave a Comment

The Red Storm are on a three game winning streak after they finished up their season series with Rutgers with a win in Piscataway. The Red Storm will have to turn their attention to Seton Hall who comes into the Garden off a win at home against South Florida. But more importantly for the Storm is that last season the Pirates embarrassed them at the Prudential Center winning their only contest of the year 94-64.

After their revenge game against Rutgers on Wednesday, it will be fresh in the mind of the sophomores who played in the game last year that this team embarrassed them and will come out looking to avenge. The Red Storm are one of only six teams that are above .500 in Big East play. Sir’Dominic Pointer has been a catalyst for the Red Storm so far this year and expect him to try and lead the way and avenge the 30 point loss he endured as a freshman.

This is the first time the Pirates will be playing at Madison Square Garden against the Red Storm since a 58-47 St. John’s victory in 2006.

Game Information
Date: Sunday, January 27th, 2013
Location: Madison Square Garden- New York, New York
Time: 12:00 PM EST
TV: MSG (Eamon McAnaney & Jim Spanarkel)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko)

Seton Hall Pirates (13-6, 2-4)
Head Coach: Kevin Willard

After a 19 win regular season last year that extended an NIT postseason berth for the Pirates the 2012-13 edition of the squad is currently in the middle of the pack in the Big East. After the graduation of Herb Pope and Jose Theodore this Pirates team is younger and leaning on junior guard Faquan Edwin. Edwin is averaging 17.2 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. Edwin is three points away from joining the 1,000 point club for Seton Hall.

The 6’9 forward Eugene Teague is averaging 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his junior season. The Southern Illinois transfer is playing even better in his role at Seton Hall then he did at Souther Illinois. Teague is averaging 28.5 minutes in 19 games so far this season, shooting 54% from the floor and gobbling up almost 3 offensive boards per game. St. John’s will have to put a body on him at all times as he has shown to be dangerous all over the floor.

Projected Starting Lineup:
F Haralds Karlis
C Eugene Teague
G Tom Maayan
G Aaron Cosby
G Faquan Edwin

 St. John’s (12-7, 4-3)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin

A three game winning streak is nice but a four game winning streak will be even better for the Red Storm. The youngest team Steve Lavin has ever coached has had some major ups and downs to start the season. Losses to San Francisco and UNC Asheville in the non conference have shown that this team still had things to learn and they have grown before our eyes. Upset wins at Cincinnati and at home vs Notre Dame have shown a different side of this team that everyone should be proud of.

For St. John’s to reach their potential they will have to win these types of games at home against an evenly matched team. They took care of business against Rutgers and DePaul on the road and need to take care of their business this weekend. Sophomore forward Sir’Dominic Pointer has shown up and been leading this team. His double-double lead the way against DePaul and his most complete game of his career, had 13 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and six steals in 37 minutes to lead the way. Pointer is finally showing the potential that had him the highest rated of the St. John’s 2011 recruiting class that included NBA first round pick Moe Harkless.

Projected Starting Lineup:
F JaKarr Sampson
F Sir’Dominic Pointer
G Jamal Branch
G Phil Greene
G D’Angelo Harrison

Keys to Victory

•   Eli Cartering– For the Red Storm to pull out a win they will have to stick it to Fuquan Edwin the same way they did to Eli Carter in the two games against Rutgers this season. In two games against the Red Storm, Carter was 4-28 from the field including a 1-14 game last Wednesday. Edwin leads the Pirates in scoring is efficient doing so. The 6’6 guard is shooting 49% from the floor this year. In last year’s win over the Red Storm, Edwin didn’t miss a shot.
•   D’Angelo Back in the New York Groove- D’Angelo Harrison was back to being himself against Rutgers with a 7-14 shooting night including being 5-9 in the second half and helping secure the win for the Red Strom. Harrison had 20 points and hit three pointers at a 3-8 clip. Harrison will need to play with the same poise and precision as the Pirates will likely show full court pressure to create a frantic pace and ill advised shots.
• How You Be So Blockless?– Wednesday night Chris Obekpa did not record a blocked shot in 20 minutes of play time. For the first time this season Obekpa was held without a registered blocked shot. He might be limited in his opportunities again as Seton Hall averages 22 three point attempts per game. Look for Obekpa to be needed more to rebound than defend the paint.
•   Sampson Counter Punch- Whenever a team starts going on a run, expect JaKarr Sampson to follow. Sampson has had some huge follow up buckets when the opposing team gets on a run, it’s sort of his thing. Sampson had 21 points against Rutgers deflating Rutgers’ hope with his midrange game. Pirates will struggle to matchup against the athletic freshman just as the Scarlet Knights did. Lavin will call Sampson’s number early and often.

Final Prediction: St. John’s Wins, 65-55

Seton Hall Three-Point Barrage Sinks Red Storm 94-64

February 15, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

What was supposed to be an evenly-matched game turned into a runaway all on one facet of the game St. John’s has had difficulty with all season: The three-point shot.

Seton Hall (18-8, 7-7) made fifteen triples of the twenty-four they attempted on the way to a 94-64 victory over the undermanned Red Storm (10-16, 4-10) in Newark last night. Six Pirates scored in double figures, and half of those six tallied double-doubles in a performance that left their star point guard impressed with what was his team’s biggest win of the season.

“It means a lot,” said Jordan Theodore, who led Seton Hall with 16 points and 10 assists. “We really needed this game tonight. I think it was one of our best team games all year. It feels like we started fresh.”

Seton Hall led wire-to-wire on a night where they tied their largest margin of victory for the season, (they also beat NJIT by 30 in December) and picked up their fourth win over the Red Storm in the last five meetings between the Hudson River rivals. The Pirates will travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, while St. John’s entertains UCLA at Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, we leave you with some lasting impressions from a one-sided showdown in the Garden State.

Lasting Impressions
– Jordan Theodore picks up game ball honors with his virtuoso 16-point, 10-assist effort. Theodore singlehandedly put the game away with back-to-back threes early in the second half in a span of just 27 seconds to give the Pirates all the cushion they would need after taking a 40-28 halftime lead into the locker room.

– Seton Hall lives and dies by the three-point shot, and last night was their finest hour. For the second year in a row; the Pirates shot over 60 percent (15-of-24 last night, 12-of-18 last year) from beyond the arc, and made ten of the twelve triples they attempted in the final stanza. Seton Hall shot 62 percent from the field for the game.

– The balanced scoring both teams needed was there for each side. Six Pirates scored ten or more points, while each member of the all-freshman starting lineup for St. John’s did the same.

– Finally, the unsung hero award is split three ways in honor of the men who helped Seton Hall secure a 39-26 rebounding edge against St. John’s. Herb Pope, (10 points, 10 rebounds) Brandon Mobley, (14 points, nine rebounds) and Patrik Auda (12 points, 10 rebounds) got to the glass seemingly as soon as St. John’s launched a shot, as all but six of the 29 rebounds between them came on the defensive end.

St. John’s Takes On Seton Hall In Meeting Across The River

February 14, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

To set the mood a little for this next preview. Appropriately, it’s the Bruce Springsteen classic “Meeting Across The River.” Enjoy.

Now that “The Boss” has set the scene, it’s time to take a look at Seton Hall and St. John’s. The Red Storm have never won at the Prudential Center, and are looking to crush Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament aspirations. Below, JohnnyJungle.com previews St. John’s and a Pirate team looking for their fourth win over the Johnnies in their last five meetings.

Game Information

Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Location: Prudential Center; Newark, New Jersey
Time: 7:00 PM EST
TV: SNY (Eamon McAnaney, Jim Spanarkel)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
WABC 770 AM (Gary Cohen, Dave Popkin)
WSOU 89.5 FM/WSOU.net (Tim LeCras, T.J. Brennan)
Online: WSJURadio.org (John Sudolsky, Kieran Lynch)

St. John’s Red Storm (10-15, 4-9)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 31-27, 176-105 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., 7.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36% FG, 75% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 39% FG, 38% 3pt, 81% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 5.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40% FG, 52% FT, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 41% FG, 57% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.5 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 16.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.6 SPG)

Key Reserves:

F God’sgift Achiuwa(6-8 Jr., 9.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 54% FG, 68% FT)

Keys To Victory:

-Play to their tempo. With only six men, St. John’s needs to dictate the pace of this game. However, they cannot let this contest become a track meet by the same token. Mike Dunlap and the rest of the coaching staff need to be mindful of fatigue and Seton Hall’s propensity to push the ball in transition while preparing their game plan.

-Make shots. When previewing this game with WSOU play-by-play man Jason Guerette, (a complete transcript of our interview is available when you click on the “keys to victory” for St. John’s above) he informed me that Seton Hall’s primary instinct would be to attack the basket. By getting shots to fall, the Red Storm will minimize the Pirates’ impact in the paint.

-Stay out of foul trouble. Easier said than done with a six-man rotation, but St. John’s is at their most vulnerable inside. If Moe Harkless can recapture his mid-range magic while maintaining a high post presence, St. John’s will be around longer than people expect.

Seton Hall Pirates (17-8, 6-7)
Head Coach: Kevin Willard (2nd season at SHU; 30-26, 75-75 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:

G Jordan Theodore(6-0 Jr., 15.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 38% FG, 81% FT, 6.7 APG, 2.0 SPG)
G Aaron Cosby (6-2 Fr., 8.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 40% FG, 41% 3pt, 50% FT, 1.4 APG)
G Fuquan Edwin (6-6 So., 13.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 48% FG, 39% 3pt, 63% FT, 1.2 APG, 3.0 SPG)
F Brandon Mobley (6-9 Fr., 4.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 30% FG, 67% [8/12] FT)
F Herb Pope (6-8 Sr., 15.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 48% FG, 38% 3pt, 62% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.3 SPG)

Key Reserves:

F Patrik Auda (6-9 So., 6.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 47% FG, 32% 3pt, 61% FT, 1.0 APG)
G Haralds Karlis (6-5 Fr., 3.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 34% FG, 32% 3pt, 67% [10/15] FT)

Keys To Victory:

-Ball movement and security.Seton Hall hasn’t always been effective against zone defenses, (see the Syracuse game) and the Red Storm matchup zone will almost certainly be a thorn in the Pirates’ side. If they are able to consistently move the ball, they will eventually find good shots.

-Avoid turnovers. With Kevin Willard’s penchant for defense, Seton Hall will cut down on easy baskets for the Red Storm. However, the Pirates need to step up on the offensive end and keep St. John’s in check while the all-freshman Red Storm lineup tries to strip the ball on every possession.

-Bobby Gonzalez. The man who gradually improved the Pirates’ win total during each of his four seasons as coach while also going 3-2 against St. John’s while at the helm of Seton Hall may not be around anymore, but his influence remains stronger than ever on this team. Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope are the only players to have taken the court under Bobby; while Fuquan Edwin is the last link to the former coach, as he was recruited by Gonzalez and signed before the coach’s dismissal. Not coincidentally, these three are the Pirates’ best players even under the system Kevin Willard has implemented, which is a stark contrast to the uptempo run-and-gun style Gonzalez employed.

So, Who Wins?

Making one more Bobby Gonzalez reference here, Seton Hall has dominated the metropolitan area even after changing coaches. The Pirates will be looking to go a combined 2-0 this season against St. John’s and in-state rival Rutgers, something Gonzalez did routinely. On the other side of the court, St. John’s will be looking to right the ship for their first win in the Prudential Center. That being said, this game will be a war. Seton Hall will be around until the final seconds, but this is actually a trap game for the Pirates. St. John’s talent matches up with the Hall much better than most people realize, which gives the handful of rookies in the Red Storm lineup a hard-fought victory. Expect D’Angelo Harrison to be the catalyst of a late St. John’s rally.

Final Score: St. John’s 78, Seton Hall 74

The Big Apple’s Big Three

March 9, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Wade, James and Bosh. Even Jordan, Pippen and Rodman if you want to go back further in history. One thing remains the same, each trio has either won or contended for a championship. This past spring, New York-area college basketball took on a troika of its own within the Big East coaching fraternity; and although each head coach is at a different program, all have made a positive impact in their first season on the bench. As the Big East tournament draws closer, two of these three coaches will lead their teams into battle later today against one another, with the third awaiting today’s winner. Before the opening tip, let’s take a moment to evaluate each coach and their rookie campaigns, starting with the man in charge of initiating a renaissance that has captured nationwide attention.

St. John’s

Almost anyone who even remotely paid attention to Red Storm basketball expected Steve Lavin to return the boys from Queens into a contender after predecessor Norm Roberts spent the prior six seasons restoring a damaged image after the program’s infamous low point in Pittsburgh. However, what hardly anyone expected from Lavin was the ability to turn the Johnnies around so soon. After surprising nonconference losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham, the Storm went on a tear with wins in the Holiday Festival and each of their first three Big East games; but the success didn’t stop there. St. John’s ended a run where they had lost five of their last six with a resounding upset of reigning national champion Duke at a sold-out Madison Square Garden; and took down fellow Top 25 opponents Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Villanova on the way to the school’s first ranking since 2000, when every current Johnny was still in elementary school. Lavin has credited the success to “putting hammer to rock” and going about methodically taking care of business, while getting players he will only have this year to buy into a new system and unite for a common goal. Lavin’s philosophy has produced breakout seasons from first team all-Big East guard Dwight Hardy, who was named the conference’s most improved player after switching to the point from shooting guard; as well as Justin Brownlee, a role player under Roberts that has blossomed into a starter and the Red Storm’s second-leading scorer. Justin Burrell also continued to show his versatility on his way to being named the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year for a Red Storm squad that will make its long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Rutgers

Just as most envisioned better results from St. John’s after Steve Lavin rode a tidal wave of popularity and support to the corner of Union and Utopia, the general feeling around Piscataway was that Mike Rice would do the same after Fred Hill was suddenly dismissed this past April after four years at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. What Rice has done on the banks of the old Raritan after winning back-to-back Northeast Conference championships at Robert Morris has been nothing short of Herculean and unbelievable. Following the transfer of star guard Mike Rosario, Rice was left with just nine scholarship players this season, and was not expected to contend over the Big East portion of the schedule; but Rice, a great coach and even better person, has demonstrated an uncanny ability to continuously get so much out of so little from a team that has become the Rocky Balboa of the Big East. Rutgers only won five conference games, but one of them was an absolute stunner at home against Villanova, as senior forward Jonathan Mitchell won the game on a dramatic four-point play in the final seconds. As far as the games Rutgers didn’t win, a majority of them were close throughout; and the Scarlet Knights took Top 25 teams the likes of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and eventual ranked foe St. John’s to the limit. The future is only looking brighter in New Jersey, where Rice brings in a recruiting class just as stellar as the one Steve Lavin will welcome into Queens next season.

Seton Hall

Following the unceremonious end to the Bobby Gonzalez era, the general consensus was that Seton Hall was the most likely of the three local Big East schools to make the NCAA Tournament, despite hiring a young and relatively unknown Kevin Willard as coach after three years at Iona. With stars Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson all passing on the NBA Draft to return to South Orange, all the pieces were in place for the Pirates to return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. Unfortunately, fate intervened more frequently than Brett Favre retirements. Hazell broke his wrist early in the season and was shot on Christmas night in an attempted robbery while recovering, guards Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson were thrown off the team; and reserve Ferrakohn Hall transferred to Memphis, forcing freshman Fuquan Edwin into the starting lineup in his rookie campaign. Nonetheless, the Pirates soldiered on despite a thin bench to finish 7-11 in the Big East, with two dominating victories over St. John’s and Marquette to close out the season. If Pope and Robinson return for their senior seasons, Willard still has everyone except Hazell coming back next year for another shot at redemption in the Garden State.

In Conclusion

It appears that St. John’s is clearly the short-term winner when you compare what all three local Big East schools have done on paper this season, and the Johnnies are just as dominating a victor in the media as well, getting far more coverage and headlines than both of the New Jersey programs combined. However, Rutgers has shown they have done more than just turn the corner, and a matchup between the Scarlet Knights and red Storm will definitely be a desired ticket in the year to come at any arena the two face off in. Not to be left out, Seton Hall has shown that they are in the mix as well; and in the world of New York-area college basketball, any and all fights are settled on the court. This year, to the relief of the fans, it all plays out on the hardwood at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” as one school faces its bitter intrastate rival with the hometown heroes waiting in the wings the following day. Three schools, two teams, one winner. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Hammered At The Rock

March 4, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

For well over a month, St. John’s had managed to avoid the taste of defeat in the Big East. A trip across the river changed all that in the latest chapter of an emotionally charged rivalry between the Big Apple darlings and their counterparts from the Garden State.

In a contest that served as the definition of a “trap game,” the No. 15 Johnnies (19-10, 11-6 in the Big East) were done in by a three-point barrage and a late second-half run on their way to an 84-70 defeat at the hands of Seton Hall, (12-17, 6-11) who held serve at the Prudential Center to ensure that the Red Storm’s 13-year losing streak in the Garden State would not be snapped.

“The big picture was that Seton Hall took us to the woodshed and waxed us for forty minutes,” said St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin. “That’s as remarkable a shooting performance from any team I’ve faced in my career.” Lavin was ejected with just under two minutes remaining in regulation after arguing a foul called against the Johnnies, saying after the game that he was “probably too animated” in his engagement with the officials. Dwight Hardy led the Red Storm with 23 points, the 13th time this season where the Big East Player of the Year candidate has eclipsed the 20-point plateau, while Jeremy Hazell was one of four Pirates in double figures. Hazell’s 31, coupled with Seton Hall’s 12-of-18 (67 percent) performance from beyond the arc was all the Jersey boys would need after learning last night that they would face Rutgers in the opening round of the Big East tournament. The Pirates host Marquette Saturday night, while St. John’s welcomes South Florida to Carnesecca Arena that same evening on senior night in Queens.

There may not be much to take from this game, but our lasting impressions will attempt to make sense of it all:

Lasting Impressions

– Bombs away. Seton Hall, which was the least efficient three-point shooting team in the Big East entering this contest, shot a staggering 12-for-18 (67 percent) from beyond the arc. Jeremy Hazell (4-of-6) and freshman Fuquan Edwin (5-of-6) accounted for nine of the trifectas, while St. John’s drained a mere three triples collectively.
– Speaking of Hazell, history repeated itself in Newark. The last time St. John’s took the court at the Prudential Center, Hazell scored 31 points in a double-digit Seton Hall win. (91-81) Tonight? Hazell tallied 31 in a double-digit Seton Hall win.
– St. John’s lost any remaining hopes of securing a double bye in the Big East tournament with this loss, unless Syracuse somehow loses to DePaul Saturday. Realistically, the Red Storm will likely be the No. 5 seed, and cannot finish lower than sixth in the conference.
– Finally, although Dwight Hardy only accounted for 23 of the 70 points put up by St. John’s, his supporting cast was virtually nonexistent. The Johnnies are among the most impressive teams in the country with a balanced attack; (9-0 with four or more players in double figures) but aside from D.J. Kennedy (11 points) and Justin Brownlee, (12 points and seven rebounds despite four fouls) Hardy was essentially carrying the team on his back.