UCLA

East Meets West As UCLA Invades MSG

February 17, 2012 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

You can call it the Steve Lavin Bowl, except the coach will not be directly involved in the on-court proceedings.

Tomorrow afternoon at Madison Square Garden, Lavin’s St. John’s team faces its final non-conference test of the season when they take on Lavin’s old UCLA outfit in a rematch of last year’s homecoming for the head coach in Westwood that saw UCLA close out the Red Storm in a matchup with a foul disparity heavily favoring the Bruins. Will the program with the most championships walk away from the “Mecca of college basketball” victorious? JohnnyJungle.com catches you up on all the particulars before tomorrow’s matinee.

Date: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 1:00 PM EST
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)

St. John’s Red Storm (10-16)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 31-28, 176-106 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., 7.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36% FG, 75% FT, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 38% FG, 38% 3pt, 81% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 43% FG, 50% FT, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 40% FG, 59% FT, 1.5 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.7 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 45% FG, 66% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.6 SPG)

Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 9.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 54% FG, 68% FT)

Keys To Victory:
– Frontcourt dominance. Against big men Joshua Smith and twins David and Travis Wear, the Red Storm’s inside game will need to be stronger than ever. In that instance, look for God’sgift Achiuwa a little more often in place of Amir Garrett in an attempt to combat the interior presence of the Bruins, who drew fouls seemingly at will the last time these two teams met.

– Defend the three. This should probably be number one after the Red Storm yielded fifteen trifectas against Seton Hall on Tuesday. UCLA comes in shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc as a team, but also gives up the same clip from long range to their opponents. D’Angelo Harrison could be the central focus of the game for St. John’s, as his shooting could make or break the Red Storm tomorrow.

– De facto conference game. UCLA coach Ben Howland; who ironically enough replaced Steve Lavin in Westwood, has Big East experience from being the man who made Pittsburgh a conference powerhouse before Jamie Dixon continued the tradition at the Petersen Center. Howland’s teams are uncharacteristic of Pac-12 squads, and this Big East mentality will give the Red Storm a test comparable to the games they have played recently.

From the City of Angels comes the school known around the world for its historic run under the late great John Wooden.

UCLA Bruins (15-11)
Head Coach: Ben Howland (9th season at UCLA; 204-94, 372-192 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Lazeric Jones (6-1 Sr., 13.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 44% FG, 38% 3pt, 73% FT, 4.3 APG, 1.9 SPG)
G Jerime Anderson (6-2 Sr., 9.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 46% FG, 44% 3pt, 61% FT, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG)
G Tyler Lamb (6-5 So., 8.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 40% FG, 31% 3pt, 66% FT, 2.8 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F David Wear (6-10 So., 10.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 50% FG, 58% 3pt, 80% FT)
F Travis Wear (6-10 So., 11.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 53% FG, 43% 3pt, 82% FT, 1.1 BPG)

Key Reserves:
C Joshua Smith (6-10 So., 10.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 58% FG, 59% FT)
G Norman Powell (6-3 Fr., 5.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 40% FG, 39% 3pt, 60% FT, 1.0 APG)
C Anthony Stover (6-10 So., 0.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 39% FG, 33% FT, 1.5 BPG)

Keys To Victory:
– Defense. Ben Howland preaches it probably more than any other coach in the Pac-12, and it is evident in the fact that his Bruins yield just 64 points per game to their opponents on average. Against a St. John’s team that likes to get out in transition and get easy baskets, UCLA will need to channel their inner Wisconsin and employ a grinder’s mentality to close this game out.

– Ball movement. For everything that has been said about the Red Storm transition game, UCLA has one of their own that is just as (if not more) effective. Through 26 games this season, the Bruins average 14 assists and close to eight steals per contest while committing just twelve turnovers a game. Guards Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson; both of whom can run the point and play off the ball just as well, each average four helpers per game while also shooting at or above UCLA’s 38 percent three-point average.

– The X-factor. Joshua Smith made as much of a difference in his freshman season against the Red Storm as Gonzaga center Robert Sacre did against St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament. Because of his sheer size, (6-10 and 305 pounds) the sophomore Smith is a player that St. John’s seemingly has no answer for on paper. Smith will be the man to watch whenever UCLA gets the ball in the paint, which can happen early and often against the all-freshman Red Storm starting five.

So, Who Wins?
St. John’s, much like their last few games, has nothing to lose in this matchup. With their postseason hopes pretty much out of reach, the Red Storm can play spoiler for the remaining teams on their ledger, starting with a UCLA unit that is on the bubble in a wide-open Pac-12. For UCLA, a win over the Red Storm may not do as much for their resume as it did a year ago, but a nonconference victory at Madison Square Garden against the Big East still goes a long way with the selection committee. This will be a matchup in which the first to 60 will win, and also one where the most effective transition game comes out on top. While St. John’s excels in transition, UCLA has the experience edge; especially in the backcourt, and that gets them the W.

Final Score: UCLA 67, St. John’s 61

Pac 10 Home Cooking Not So Sweet

February 5, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

The day before the Super Bowl was hyped as a Super Bowl of sorts for St. John’s for months before the season even started. When your big-name coach gets a chance to return to the place he called home for seven years as a first-time visitor, not much else can be expected. While St. John’s players went into Los Angeles with the intent of winning one for coach Steve Lavin, their opponents had other ideas.

Despite a career-high 32 points from Dwight Hardy, St. John’s (13-9) was unable to overcome all the obstacles at Pauley Pavilion, falling to UCLA (16-7) by the final of 66-59. UCLA was led by center Joshua Smith, who paced the Bruins with 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Reeves Nelson provided 12 points for the home team, perhaps none bigger than his three-pointer in the final minute that put UCLA ahead 65-59 after the Johnnies had cut a ten-point deficit to three as the second half wore on. Malcolm Lee also chipped in with 15 points for the Bruins, whose NCAA Tournament chances were enhanced about as much as St. John’s dreams were potentially dashed.

The game was ultimately decided at the free throw line, where the Red Storm’s 23 fouls sent UCLA to the line 41 times during the game as opposed to just seven foul shots for St. John’s. Five of the nine players used by Lavin in his homecoming accumulated three or more fouls; and UCLA received the double bonus halfway through the second half, racking up two shots for every infraction over the final ten minutes. St. John’s was also outrebounded 37-27 despite a plus-8 turnover margin. (St. John’s forced 18 turnovers while only committing 10)

St. John’s returns to Big East play Thursday night with a crucial game against perennial adversary UConn at Madison Square Garden before starting an equally pivotal road trip to Cincinnati and Marquette. Before the Huskies come into town, here’s a recap of what happened in the City of Angels this afternoon (morning on the West Coast since it was a 10am tipoff there) with some lasting impressions.

Lasting Impressions

Justin Brownlee, the hero of Wednesday night’s game against Rutgers, was a non-factor today with his 1-for-9 performance from the field. Brownlee had two chances to potentially pull St. John’s within one in the final two minutes; but was unable to convert on both of his layup attempts, setting the stage for Reeves Nelson’s dagger from long-range that gave the Bruins the win.
The balanced attack Steve Lavin praised in the Rutgers win was nowhere to be found today, as Dwight Hardy outscored the rest of the team 32-27. Hardy’s new career high was set on 13-of-24 shooting, but no other Johnny scored more than six.
Whenever a team gets at least 20 foul shots, they stand a great chance to win the game. UCLA doubled that number and added one more for good measure with their 41 free throw attempts, compared to just seven for St. John’s.
Some experts may argue that St. John’s is still an NCAA Tournament team today, but this loss could start a downward spiral if the Johnnies are not careful. With UConn, Cincinnati, Marquette and Pitt up next before DePaul comes into Carnesecca Arena on February 23rd, St. John’s has to salvage a split of the next four games in order to maintain their positive outlook with the selection committee. UConn could be easy if Kemba Walker continues to struggle, but playing in Madison Square Garden could be the spark he needs. Two years ago, the Bronx native returned to the Garden for the first time since playing in the CHSAA playoffs at Rice High School under current St. John’s director of basketball operations Maurice Hicks, then the coach of the Raiders. Walker led all scorers with 21 points off the bench that night en route to a Huskies victory.

Storm Of The Century

November 7, 2010 by Jaden Daly 1 Comment

For members of the media, an exhibition game is usually the first chance to see a team up close and personal since practice is generally shielded from broadcasters and beat writers. That’s why there was a vested interest in how Steve Lavin’s unofficial debut as head coach of St. John’s would turn out, despite the fact that Westmont College was not exactly a household name across the country. Nevertheless, the Lavin era commenced with authority and an uptempo style that was a pleasant contrast from the defensive-oriented Red Storm squads of years past with a 100-42 Johnnies victory against a Westmont team coached by John Moore, Lavin’s brother-in-law.

“I think my brother-in-law has a lot to look forward to. He had them ready and he had them executing very well,” Moore said in Westmont’s press release.

Justin Brownlee had two sportscenter top 10 dunks tonight. Is this foreshadowing things to come? (Icon SMI)

Not only did the Johnnies play a different style on the offensive side of the ball, they also debuted a 1-3-1 to open up the game on the defensive end and a 2-3 matchup zone to begin the 2nd half, a far cry from Norm Roberts’ man-to-man matchups.

“I feel like the zone is great for us,” D.J. Kennedy said confidently. “We’re athletic, we cover almost every spot on the floor with the zone and stop people from penetrating the middle.”

Lavin’s lineup of Malik Boothe, Dwight Hardy, Kennedy, Dwayne Polee and Justin Brownlee was much longer and athletic than any quintet that took the court in the past.

“We’re very quick, we got long arms,” according to Hardy, but it’s not just all about their athleticism, “and as long as we communicate out there we’ll be able to get steals and deflections.”

Five St. John’s players scored ten points or more; and with the exception of two walk-ons inserted late in the game by Lavin, every other player that touched the court had at least one field goal. Justin Brownlee, who was praised to one of the highest degrees by Lavin at St. John’s media day this past Tuesday, led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Not to be outdone were fellow seniors Dwight Hardy, Paris Horne and D.J. Kennedy, who finished with 15, 12 and 10, respectively. Malik Boothe was among the most impressive Johnnies on the court tonight, coming within a point of a double-double with 9 points while also posting 12 assists and 6 steals; and freshman Dwayne Polee had a solid debut with a dozen points in just eighteen minutes. “It’s an indication that there’s some balance there offensively,” Lavin said when I asked what he thought of his assorted productivity.

Blake Bender led Westmont with 13 points. The Warriors, who lost 95-59 against UCLA in a similar exhibition contest, went the opening four minutes without a field goal and trailed 59-20 at halftime to a Red Storm team that opened the game on a 16-0 run (a statistic they had been on the wrong side of in recent years against DePaul and West Virginia) and never looked back while shooting 62 percent from the field and contributing to an all-around effort with 30 assists and 39 rebounds.

“Clearly, it was a step in the right direction,” said Lavin, whose team will now prepare for its season opener a week from Tuesday in California against a St. Mary’s team that returns four of its starters from last year’s Sweet 16 squad.

Box Score

VISITOR- Westmont
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HOME- St. John’s
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The Perfect Storm Rages On

November 5, 2010 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

St. John’s finally takes the court for the first time in the 2010-11 season thirteen days from now when they tip off against St. Mary’s to officially commence the Steve Lavin era. However, as only its New York City locale can do, the hoopla surrounding the Johnnies and the first seven months of the Lavin administration continues to reach crescendos that had been unknown by the program since its 1999 Elite Eight appearance. The most honorable aspect of this additional media attention, you might ask? Lavin and his young charges have refused to let the publicity go to their heads for the most part, and their 46-year-old head man credits the pragmatic approach employed by world-renowned UCLA coach John Wooden and newly minted special assistant Gene Keady as the primary reason why he and his team has remained so humble.

jadendalystevelavin — Jaden Daly gets quotes from Coach Steve Lavin at Big East Media Day. (JohnnyJungle.com)

“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made,” gushed Lavin during our interview two weeks ago at Big East media day inside Madison Square Garden, an event where Lavin was the center of attention for over two hours. Lavin and his staff have approached their maiden voyage at the helm of the Johnnies as one where they are taking the baton from predecessor Norm Roberts and continuing along on their climb to the top of the Big East, a journey Lavin talks about in a spiritual context.

Game number one, which comes against a St. Mary’s team that reached the Sweet 16 a year ago and returns four of their five starters from last season (only center Omar Samhan has left) will go a long way in determining just how far the Johnnies have come this offseason. “I thought it was vital that we play a tough road game before we step into the Big East,” Lavin remarked, adding that leading a team relatively untested into conference play, “would be considered a mistake in our preparation.” St. John’s also matches up with reigning national champion Duke at the Garden, and heads to Pauley Pavilion on February 5th for the much-anticipated Lavin homecoming at Westwood against UCLA, but Lavin and his players are still preparing for their exhibition game Saturday night against Westmont College, whose head coach John Moore is Lavin’s brother-in-law, married to Steve’s sister, Rachel.

When I asked Lavin about the daunting task the schedule appears to be on the surface, he was brutally honest with me, and indirectly admitted that although he takes it one game at a time, the Red Storm’s ledger this season might be a little ambitious for a younger team. “This will be the most difficult schedule that I’ve ever prepared a team for in my career,” said Lavin. “I wouldn’t want to play this schedule next year when we have eight freshmen and ten new players coming into the fold.” Having ten seniors is no typical cup of coffee in college basketball, and Lavin has already been encouraged by what he has seen in practice from his fourth-year players, who are, according to their coach, “so galvanized in their pursuit of trying to finish on a high note.”

St_Johns_v_Pittsburgh4 — Dwight Hardy is expected to play a lot of PG this upcoming season. Can he be an effective scorer with the ball in his hands? (Icon SMI)

While Lavin is still undecided about who will ultimately be part of his starting five, he was quick to rattle off the names of players who have really impressed him thus far. Not surprisingly, team leader D.J. Kennedy was the first name dropped by the coach. Although the size and skill of Kennedy has elicited praise from Lavin, the coach and his staff would like to amplify his contributions at the defensive end of the floor. Lavin also compared sharpshooter Dwight Hardy to Jason Kapono who Lavin coached at UCLA and eventually sent to the NBA. Lavin described Kapono, the former NBA 3 point champion, as having Reggie Miller like range. Lavin admitted that Dwight might not have the same range as Kapono but he is just as good of a shooter who is much more versatile of a scorer with his play off the bounce.

To use one of Lavin’s favorite words, the coach remained pragmatic when addressing the fact that most, if not all of his team, needs to have a career year to make the Johnnies’ dream of climbing the ladder into a reality. While Lavin insisted more than one player needs to be at his personal best all season, he singled out Justin Brownlee as a player capable of having a breakout season. Lavin’s testimonial didn’t stop there, as he lauded the former junior college standout as being one of the more gifted players on the squad; adding that Brownlee and promising freshman Dwayne Polee as being able to play four positions on the hardwood.

Not only does Lavin need his players to have career years, he needs the revitalized St. John’s fan base to step its game up as well. “Any program that starts to make a move up the ladder to become more competitive needs the energy and support of their fan base,” said Lavin at St. John’s media day this past Tuesday. “It puts the wind at your back and it makes young people feel appreciated. That’s important when you’re 18-22 years old. So we want our fan base energized. We talk about needing all hands on deck and that includes all the constituencies of the St. John’s fan base.”

At Big East media day, Marquette coach Buzz Williams appropriately described Lavin’s arrival in Queens as a “perfect storm.” Only two weeks following that quote, the storm is as intense as ever; and appears to be gathering steam with each passing day.

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The Ideal Party Of Five

October 6, 2010 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

With the graduation of Anthony Mason Jr. this past season, St. John’s now has a hole in its lineup that new head coach Steve Lavin can fill in a myriad of ways. There has already been some speculation on this site as to who will be the quintet of starters for the Johnnies in 2010-11. Having provided starting lineups as WSJU Radio‘s play-by-play announcer of Red Storm basketball for two years (2007-09), it’s time for me to weigh in. In true Carnesecca Arena tradition, the numbers are already up on the scoreboard before tip-off.

Point Guard – Paris Horne

As much of a fan of Malik Boothe as I’ve been since he was running the point for Bob Oliva at Christ the King, playing him at the point in the system Steve Lavin intends to implement may be counterproductive. Paris Horne would be my choice to anchor the Johnnies’ deep backcourt. Coach Lavin has already gushed over Horne’s versatility in a conversation with 1050 ESPN Radio of New York’s Jon Rothstein, and what better way to showcase Paris’ multifaceted game than by playing him at point guard? Horne is skilled on both sides of the ball, both as a staunch defender and capable scorer – the Johnnies’ leading scorer in 2008-09. A proven 3-point shooter as well, Horne could easily become one of Lavin’s favorite options early in the Red Storm’s 103rd basketball campaign.

Shooting Guard – Dwight Hardy

Known to fans of the Red Storm as “D-Buckets,” Dwight Hardy has already engraved his name into the list of prolific 3-point shooters at St. John’s after just one season. Coach Lavin likes to have a guard concentrate on shooting from outside, as noted by this retrospective of Lavin’s teams during his tenure at UCLA. If his Bruins teams were any indication, Hardy will see greater opportunities to reprise his role as the official team marksman, along with fellow outside options Paris Horne and D.J. Kennedy. The second-leading scorer for the Red Storm last season despite coming off the bench, Hardy should see more minutes no matter what, but would be a greater asset if he were inserted into the everyday lineup.

Small Forward – D.J. Kennedy

Everyone who knows St. John’s knows D.J. Kennedy. The Pittsburgh native has emerged as the face of the program, steadily increasing his productivity in each of his first three years in a Johnnies uniform. As he enters his final season in Queens, “The Hitman” will become a household name with college basketball aficionados nationwide. At 6-6 and 215 pounds, the left-handed Kennedy is Lavin’s type of player: An athletic wing that can play both in the backcourt and up front with no fluctuation in his performance. Already regarded as a potential NBA draft pick, Kennedy should have scouts salivating over his talent this season as the Red Storm reintroduce themselves to the national scene with nonconference road trips to St. Mary’s and UCLA, as well as Big East games broadcast on ESPN.

Power Forward – Sean Evans

Under Steve Lavin’s direction, Sean Evans has the potential to be a big body on the front line that can score on the break as well as hustle and be a force on the glass. Evans has been one of the Johnnies’ best rebounders over the years; in Lavin’s system, his scoring chances can increase when the guards are not taking the shots. His guard-like instincts should help him thrive under Lavin regardless of where and how many minutes he plays.

Center – Justin Burrell

Die-hard St. John’s fans have always included Justin Burrell as one of the Johnnies’ key pieces in each of his first three seasons. JB’s senior campaign will be no different. Through the years, Burrell has changed his game to suit those around him, evolving from a typical power forward into an occasional outside shooter, and even a sixth man after an injury early last year against Duke. Based on this year’s team photo, Burrell seems to have grown physically (see the 2010-11 Red Storm team photo by clicking here), which would best benefit Coach Lavin at the center position. Capable of unleashing a double-double on any given night, Burrell has typically contested the opening tip as if he were a center, and his presence in the paint can rival the best in the Big East.

This is just one person talking, and I’m almost positive that my starting five is quite different from that of someone else. One thing is for sure, however, and that is no matter who St. John’s places on the court with 20 minutes on the clock in the first half on November 16th when their season gets underway, we’ll all see together what the future holds for this program.