Johnny Jungle

The 6th Man of St. John's Basketball

For the die hard St. John's fan.
The unofficial 6th man. est. '07
You are here: Home / Archives for Sonoma State

St. John’s takes care of business against Sonoma State

by Leave a Comment

St. John’s rebounded against Sonoma State to get their first win of the preseason. There was never really doubt in this game as St. John’s jumped out early and never looked back. While this victory doesn’t give you a ton of confidence heading into the regular season, it doesn’t make everyone hit the panic button 100x.

Lets head right into the game notes:

Positives:

  • Christian Jones earned the start.
  • Chris Mullin rewarded Jones for playing well.
  • Yankuba Sima showed some stuff offensively that got everyone excited.
  • Both starting bigs finished the game with double doubles.
  • Sima can block shots!
  • Darien Williams flashed some serious potential. His length and skills will prove to be very valuable.
  • Mvouika and Holifield provided spark off the bench.
  • Mullin showed ability to adjust and trust his bench.
  • Only giving up 46 total points.

Negatives:

  • Mussini had a rough day failing to make a shot to go along with 5 turnovers.
  • Mussini committing two offensive fouls handling the ball.
  • St. John’s really not having a backup point guard option.
  • Durand Johnson still not looking like that go-to guy.
  • Only scoring 64 points.
  • Malik Ellison committing 4 turnovers in 14 min.
  • Going 1-12 from three.
  • Relying on a walk-on to lead you to victory.

Overall

St. John’s is still struggling to find their identity, which was expected this preseason with so many new players. However they found a way to win. An ugly win is still a win. This team sorely needs Marcus LoVett and Felix Balamou back in the lineup. Fingers crossed.

St. John’s looks to bounce back against Sonoma State

by Leave a Comment

While this may be another game that doesn’t count, it certainly matters for the Red Storm. After getting beat by STAC in their first exhibition, St. John’s needs a win. St. John’s will still be without Marcus LoVett, Felix Balamou, and Kassoum Yakwe who are battling injuries and awaiting clearance from the NCAA on their eligibility.

Bottom line: no excuses.

This game will not only be telling for St. John’s players but also head coach Chris Mullin. Last game coach Mullin let the boys take their whooping while being mild mannered on the sidelines. Perhaps coach wanted to see the resolve of his players but today he needs to step up and lead his team to a victory.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2015
Location: Carnesecca Arena
Time: 4:00PM est
TV: ESPN3 (watch ESPN app)

fb_ad

What to look for

Can Durand Johnson and Ron Mvouika be dependable scorers? I was really looking for these guys to be more of go-to guys on this team. The bad shots, turnovers, and poor decisions were expected from freshman but not from 5th year seniors. After last game the only place to go is up. Johnson needs to score the ball in a variety of ways but should not be shooting more than two threes a game. As for Mvouika he needs to get into open space and score off the catch. Play to your strengths.

Better defensive rotation and close outs. It may take some time for guys to find themselves offensively but the good thing about defense is it can be built on a foundation of sweat and hustle. Far too often guys didn’t close out against STAC and it cost them. Would be great to see the team play with more urgency and suffocate Sonoma State today.

How to get Williams going?A lot of people assumed that when Williams was committed to Iowa St. then to St. John’s he’d be the 2nd coming of George Niang. Well not quite. However Williams is a good player but he needs to figure out his role. He shares some characteristics to former Johnny Orlando Sanchez. He isn’t a true post but he isn’t a small forward. What are some plays that can get him the ball in his sweet spot? He can be a matchup problem but can’t have him freelancing above the three point line.

Can St. John’s take care of the basketball? The biggest struggle for incoming freshman is realizing they can’t get away with stuff that worked in high school. Coming into the season I felt Malik Ellison would suffer from this the most. In high school Ellison could get deep in the paint, pump, and finish but in college that window doesn’t exist. DJ Kennedy went through these growing pains too. St. John’s needs to value the basketball in both ball handling and shot selection. Goal should be to have less than 13 turnovers.

Can Christian Jones run with high motor again? Jones has a nice soft touch within the paint. He’s always shown that but where he’s struggled is defensively showing little awareness and hunger to use his athleticism to rebound and block shots. The latter is what he’ll need to do to earn minutes, and when he earns minutes he’ll gain confidence.