villanova

Red Storm Meet Villanova Next In Must-Win Matinee

January 21, 2012 by Jaden Daly 1 Comment

Their buzzer-beating win at Cincinnati notwithstanding, St. John’s has dropped their last five Big East contests since starting Big East play with a resounding victory against Ed Cooley and Providence. At 8-10 on the season, the Red Storm could find themselves face to face with their prospects for the rest of the season tomorrow afternoon in what amounts to the most critical game the Red Storm have played to date.

Standing in the way is a Villanova team that has taken a major step back while rebuilding with one of their youngest teams in recent years. Last season, the Wildcats were the sixth and final Top 25 team that the Red Storm defeated on their way to the NCAA Tournament. JohnnyJungle.com gives you all the vital information you need as ‘Nova Nation looks to settle a bitter loss that started a downward spiral to end last season.

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 1:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Beth Mowins, Tim Welsh)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
Online: WSJURadio.org (Mike Rossillo, John Sudolsky)

St. John’s Red Storm (8-10, 2-5)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 29-22, 174-100 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., 5.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 32% FG, 75% FT, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 36% FG, 31% 3pt, 81% FT, 1.9 APG, 1.7 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 42% FG, 55% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.4 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 45% FG, 68% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.7 BPG, 1.6 SPG)
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 11.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 53% FG, 73% FT, 1.0 BPG)

Key Reserves:
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 3.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 36% FG, 47% FT, 1.4 SPG)
G Malik Stith (5-11 Jr., 2.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 41% FG, 77% FT, 1.2 APG)

Keys To Victory:
– Three’s a crowd. St. John’s has struggled from beyond the arc in recent games, and comes into tomorrow’s contest shooting just 24 percent from long range as a team. These struggles can be attributed to the cold streak of freshman guard D’Angelo Harrison, who has established himself as the man who makes the motor run offensively for St. John’s. In addition, Phil Greene and Moe Harkless have drawn themselves into pulling up to take wide open shots that usually rim out to contribute to the low shooting percentage. St. John’s should be able to exploit Villanova’s four-guard sets with their press defense and create lanes to the basket they would not normally find against bigger teams.

– Ball control. In both of their last two games against Georgetown and USF, the Red Storm opened up the game for their opponents with unusually high amounts of turnovers. With the prospect of potentially facing two point guards at the same time during the game, St. John’s will need to be a little more aggressive offensively while simultaneously playing a little more conservative in the open court.

– Slump busters. St. John’s endured one three-game losing streak earlier this season against Northeastern, Kentucky and Detroit; and followed that up with a three-game winning streak against Fordham, Texas-Pan American and Providence. Villanova is a little more competitive than either of the three aforementioned programs, (no disrespect intended) so St. John’s will have a taller order ahead of them this time around.

Back at the Garden for the first time since January of 2010 is the team from the Main Line with one of the best student sections in the Big East.

Villanova Wildcats (9-10, 2-5)
Head Coach: Jay Wright (11th season at VU; 233-121, 355-206 overall)

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Maalik Wayns (6-2 Jr., 18.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 41% FG, 89% FT, 4.9 APG, 1.0 SPG)
G James Bell (6-5 So., 7.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 43% FG, 37% 3pt, 84% FT, 1.1 APG)
G Dominic Cheek (6-6 Jr., 11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 39% FG, 82% FT, 1.1 APG)
F Jayvaughn Pinkston (6-7 Fr., 8.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 43% FG, 63% FT, 1.1 APG)
F Mouphtaou Yarou (6-10 Jr., 12.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 51% FG, 72% FT)

Key Reserves:
G Darrun Hilliard (6-6 Fr., 6.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 39% FG, 32% 3pt, 81% FT, 1.2 APG)
F Markus Kennedy (6-9 Fr., 3.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 49% FG, 7% [1/13] FT)
G Achraf Yacoubou (6-4 Fr., 3.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 32% FG, 100% [6/6] FT)
G Ty Johnson (6-3 Fr., 2.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 34% FG, 30% 3pt, 81% FT, 1.6 APG)

Keys To Victory:
– Four quick. Villanova has had the four-guard offensive set as a trademark since their Elite Eight run in 2006 behind Kyle Lowry, Mike Nardi, Allan Ray and Randy Foye. The talent may be a little younger for Jay Wright this time around, but Villanova’s smaller lineup will give them the opportunity to create their own shots against the combination press/matchup zone defense of the Red Storm.

– Mouph. Mouphtaou Yarou will be the most important player on the court for either side. At 6-10, Yarou will have a two-inch size advantage over any of the Red Storm players, so look for Villanova to get him the ball early and often to establish a presence under the boards. In addition, freshmen Markus Kennedy and Jayvaughn Pinkston have the bodies to stand up to the St. John’s big men in case Yarou gets into foul trouble.

– Experience at the point. Having learned from Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher in his first two seasons, Philadelphia native Maalik Wayns has had the right mentors to prepare him for his current role as the quarterback of the Wildcat offense. Averaging over eighteen points per game, Wayns will be the go-to guy for Villanova tomorrow against a St. John’s lineup that gets most of its points from their frontcourt.

So, Who Wins?
Villanova has done very well when taking on St. John’s inside Madison Square Garden, including double-digit wins in 2008 and 2010. In addition, the battle of the fans will be alive and well as the St. John’s faithful matches wits against ‘Nova Nation, who draws well at nearly every arena in the Big East. The Wildcats come into this one with an impressive home win against Seton Hall; and need this game to save their momentum for an impending three-game stretch that features trips to Louisville and Pittsburgh with a home game against Marquette sandwiched in between. The Red Storm don’t have it any easier themselves, with Cameron Indoor Stadium waiting in the wings after they get through West Virginia Wednesday night. In the end; it comes down to guard play, where Villanova has the advantage to win going away.

Final Score: Villanova 74, St. John’s 58

Johnny Super ‘Nova

February 26, 2011 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Team of destiny, giant killers, or any other hyperbole can be used to describe the resurgence of the St. John’s Red Storm. However, for those interested in keeping it simple, they’re just a really good team.

Providing another performance that is sure to silence any remaining doubters while also raising their national ranking, the No. 23 Johnnies (19-9, 11-5 in the Big East) picked up their first road win over a ranked opponent in more than nine years by defeating No. 14 Villanova (21-8, 9-7) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia by the final of 81-68. In addition to the win being the seventh straight Red Storm victory, it was also their sixth against a Top 25 opponent this season, tied with Texas for the most in the country. Yet to the boys from Queens, the ever-expanding list of accolades are still irrelevant.

“We beat six Top 25 teams, but we’re not done yet,” said Dwight Hardy, who led all scorers with a career-high 34 points. Villanova’s Corey Stokes, who led the Wildcats with 20 points, said of the Bronx native: “He’s a killer. He’s a good player. His teammates do a good job of getting him the ball.” Hardy’s teammates were also productive, with Paris Horne, (12 points) D.J. Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Justin Brownlee (11 points, eight rebounds) all scoring in double figures as the Red Storm improved to 9-0 when at least four players tally ten or more points.

St. John’s never trailed today, as Villanova could get no closer than a 2-all tie and a 65-64 deficit in the second half. The Johnnies used bookend 16-4 runs to start and end the game, much to the delight of their head coach. “Offensively, they really found a nice rhythm,” said Steve Lavin after the game. “They’re just a team that’s playing with great confidence. They’re enjoying one another’s company.” After today’s emphatic win, one could argue that they’re playing for perhaps a 3 or 4 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Villanova coach Jay Wright, who predicted St. John’s would be a good team at October’s Big East media day, offered this praise to the kids from the corner of Union and Utopia:

“Those guys were good enough last year to win a lot of those games,” remarked Wright of a St. John’s squad that struggled to put games away one year ago. “You knew coming back that this was going to be a good team.” Villanova faces yet another good team in just two days, when they travel to South Bend to face the Big East’s second-place team in Notre Dame. St. John’s continues its road trip with a visit to the Prudential Center on Thursday against Seton Hall.

Several nuggets popped up during this game; and without any further ado, they’ll be analyzed in the ever-popular lasting impressions.

Lasting Impressions

– For starters, St. John’s all but wrapped up at least a first-round bye in the Big East tournament after Georgetown was defeated by Syracuse this afternoon. With Marquette, Connecticut and West Virginia all joining the Hoyas at seven losses; and considering that St. John’s owns tiebreakers against all four of those teams, the Red Storm cannot in essence finish any lower than seventh in the conference.
– Rather than the Coreys, (Stokes scored 20 while Fisher was held to just two on 1-of-10 shooting) the Wildcats’ big men were the key to the game. Antonio Peña and Mouphtaou Yarou were limited to five points and four fouls each as St. John’s reprised the solid effort from its interior defense that rendered Gary McGhee mortal against Pittsburgh last Saturday.
– Steve Lavin always mentions the necessity to “counterpunch” in Big East games, and the Johnnies did exactly that by answering every potential Villanova rally down the stretch with either a big shot or defensive stand.
– Even though the team would rather not speculate about awards, they are the frontrunners for them. After yet another dominant performance, Dwight Hardy is all but certain to lock up his fourth (and third consecutive) Big East Player of the Week award, putting him in the running for the Player of the Year. On the bench, Steve Lavin’s contributions cannot be ignored given what this team has endured.
– Finally, D.J. Kennedy picks up the unsung hero game ball tonight. Although he went just 3-for-9 from the field, “The Hitman” gutted his way to a quiet and understated 12-point, 14-rebound outing that picked up steam during the second half. An aggressive Kennedy is an effective Kennedy, and the Johnnies will need performances like this one from their “hub of the wheel” more frequently if they intend to be among the last teams standing in March.

Storming Philadelphia

February 25, 2011 by Pico Dulce Leave a Comment

Winners of six straight, St. John’s is clicking at the right time. A number of players find ways to contribute; the team is beating those pillars of the Big East that have kicked sand in the Johnnies’ collective faces for years; and the buzz is building around the program.

Down the east coast, however, storm clouds seem to be forming over the Villanova Wildcats. Player injuries. A lack of depth. Worries that the team is “lacking IQ,” that something is wrong, that the sky is falling.

Meanwhile, those Wildcats are ranked #15 in the country by the AP and #14 by the Coaches’ poll, and are battling teams like St. John’s for the top-4 slot in the Big East – also known as the coveted double-bye, two games off of Big East Tournament competition. There is often some argument that the double-bye hurts teams’ rhythm, but an extra game off? That might be nice for the players, and means the Red Storm ended the season in the top 4.

Saturday’s game against Villanova gives the Red Storm a chance to break a losing streak – 6 games to Villanova – in this retribution season. And there is seeding at stake – in the Big East Tournament and in the NCAA Tournament as well. And Sean Evans gets to play in front of friends and family for the last time. And a great game by Dwight Hardy could cement him as Big East Player of the Year.

This will be a tough road contest against one of the league’s best teams. let’s find out more about the Wildcats.

[gigpress_related_shows]

Villanova Wildcats (21-7, 9-6 Big East)

The Wildcats are a curious team, mized with veteran leaderships and what should be hot up-and-coming sophomores. They should have depth, size, and should have contended for the top spot in the Big East.

That’s why they play the games, I suppose. McDonald’s All-American JayVaughn Pinkston is sitting out the year as punishment for a fight he got into with fellow Villanova students. Corey Stokes has missed some game to injury. Skinny post player Maurice Sutton seems to have violated team rules (curfew) enough that he’s in the doghouse.

What looked like depth has become a 7 man rotation with 5-7 minutes for an eighth. And that rotation has been inconsistent at scoring the basketball in conference play, along with a little turnover-prone. The emergence of Mouphtaou Yarou’s rebounding, very good free throw shooting, and outside shot-making has helped carry a Wildcat team filled with flaws through the season. They will press a little, but generally don’t hunt turnovers, preferring to force misses in the halfcourt.

NCAA BASKETBALL: FEB 19 Villanova at DePaul — Corey Fisher. By Icon SMI

The Wildcats are led by a two-headed point guard system run by Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns. They are an interesting tandem; at times, neither looks like the kind of player that will lead a team efficiently. Both can be caught looking for their shot, but both also sports healthy assist numbers- 5 per game for Fisher, and 4.6 per game for Wayns. Wayns is fast and needs to be kept out of the lane; he’s much less dangerous with contested jump shots. He shoots 24% from three-point range (22-91). Fisher is fast but also crafty, known for scoring 105 points in a summer league game in New York City. He’s the team’s second-best outside shooter.

The 6’5″ Corey Stokes on the wing is the team’s most efficient player. He is the Wildcats’ best outside shooter, and they struggled when he missed a few games with turf toe. Most of his shot attempts are from the perimeter, and the defense will need to shade his way to prevent him from getting clean catches and easy looks. He’s also Villanova’s best perimeter defender, and may spend a lot of time watching Dwight Hardy’s numbers.

Emerging post play from Mouphtaou Yarou has been a boon to Villanova; his ability allows former Lincoln High star Antonio Pena to open up his game. Yarou is a strong man in the post and knows how to take up space. Despite being a little turnover-prone, the sophomore can go up strong with the ball and gets ample opportunities to score; the Wildcats look for their big men.

Antonio Pena has a little range, maybe out to 15-17 feet; he’s even hit a pair of three-pointers (2 of 6). he does solid board work on the defensive glass but opens up on offense, where he can score inside and off of jump shots, especially in the pick-and-roll. The size and agility of the front court could pose problems for the Red Storm.

Off the bench, New Jersey star Dominic Cheek can get some shots up, but he’s struggling to get them into the orange cylinder. he shoots readily enough that he’s not a threat to turn over the ball, but the team would like 2 of 9 evenings. Freshman James Bell gets some time; he has hops but hasn’t been a huge part of the offense. Time for forward Isaiah Armwood comes and goes; he is long and athletic, can rebound and draw some fouls. Armwood may play a bit to counteract the Red Storm’s transition looks.

Keys to the Game

Force turnovers. The Wildcats are a bit turnover-prone, with guards flying into the paint without a plan and forwards who bring the ball low after rebounds. Those balls need to end up in red and white hands, starting transition opportunities.

Keep Yarou off the offensive glass. His teammates as well; but Yarou is taller than St. John’s front line, athletic, and could be a real problem for the Johnnies. If Yarou, Armwood, and Pena can be forces inside, it doesn’t bode well for the Red Storm’s chances.

Defend + harass. Much like with Kemba Walker, Wayns needs to be kept from getting a lane to the basket and made to take mid-range contested jump shots. And the same goes for the rest of the Wildcats’ perimeter players – they cannot have multiple clean looks or catch the ball in shooting rhythm. If the Wildcats aren’t shooting well, they don’t generate points in other ways well enough to compensate.

Get Hardy free. Dwight Hardy might find some tough sledding against the height of the Wildcats, and the staff has to continue to find ways of freeing up the Johnnies’ most dynamic offensive weapon.

Hit the open shots. This, too, is a big game, and the Red Storm have to wear their big game pants once more. The team has to take open shots and nail them, because those opportunities will not always be there.

Prediction: Villanova takes it at home, 72-68.

Home Grown Thomas

October 27, 2010 by David Berov 4 Comments

On Saturday he shined at the IS8 quarterfinals dropping 24 points in a narrow four point loss to Thomas Jefferson. After today, Our Savior New American PG Jevon Thomas hopes to shine for the Red Storm starting in 2012.

Lenn Robbins of the New York Post first reported Thomas’ commitment to St. John’s this morning on twitter.

Thomas followed Robbins report by updating his Facebook status with a joyful “Its official..St. Johns here I come!!!!!!”

081310wbfdaytwo31dr — Jevon Thomas is the first big time NYC point guard to suit up for the Red Storm in quite some time. (NY Post)

St. John’s and point guards haven’t been synonymous for many years. Aside from Erick Barkley, Omar Cook, Marcus Hatten and the great Mark Jackson when you think about the position, the Red Storm doesn’t pop into your head. Jevon Thomas could be the next great guard mentioned with those listed above.

What’s a word larger than huge? Enormous, Gigantic, otherworldly, that’s how important and monumental this commitment is from Thomas.

The 6’0 guard is the first to board the Lavin Ark for the 2012 recruiting class, fills the Red Storms major void at the point guard position. As of right now, he is the only PG on the 2012 roster but with the praise and expectations that follow him, it’s certainly a great start.

“Jevon will bring back that electric energy and fire back to the Garden and New York,” Casey Williams, Thomas’ AAU coach with the New York Gauchos told SNY’s Adam Zagoria.

Thomas was down to deciding between two Big East schools, Villanova and St. John’s. He attended both teams Midnight Madness events, St. John’s on October 15th and Villanova’s on October 22nd. At the end of the day Thomas chose the Storm over the Wildcats.

“I chose St. John’s [over Villanova] because of their style of play,” Thomas told me. “Lavin’s history along with his coaching staff had a major influence in my decision as well.”

Thomas who is part of a stellar backcourt for the NYC Gauchos AAU team is being hailed as one of the best point guards in New York City right now.

Something interesting to note, his running mate in the backcourt for the Gauchos is Christ the King’s 6-4 shooting guard Omar Calhoun whose name is being floated around St. John’s as well. When asked if Thomas would try and lure Calhoun to Jamica, Queens he said, “I’ll try.”

For many years St. John’s suffered from being unable to keep homegrown talent, home. Far too often top tier players raised on the blacktops of New York City would take their skills to high profile schools hundreds of miles away. It looks like head coach Steve Lavin is finally going to change that. Thomas joins coach Lavin’s first recruit, Queens native Maurice Harkless, as both will be suiting up in the red and white in front of their hometown fans.

“Lavin’s history along with his coaching staff had a major influence in my decision as well.”

One of the caveats of playing for St. John’s is their second home, Madison Square Garden, and for Thomas this was a major selling point.

Playing at MSG “means a lot to me,” said Thomas. “Growing up watching all the legends play there, it’s really a main attraction in New York.”

Thomas is a lightning quick guard who can take over a game at will, but he realizes the position he plays and the role he will have to fill.

“I’m a pass first point guard,” Thomas said. “But I know I still have to work on my jump shot.” I then asked Thomas about the Big East and what the biggest part of his game he is working on to play at that level; he simply said, “making better decisions with the ball.”

Even 1050 ESPN Radio host Brandon Tierney weighed in on the Thomas commitment saying, “HUGE get for Lavin…the momentum continues, impressive,” via twitter.

College Basketball insider Jon Rothstein told me that this was a “solid pick up” for coach Lavin and St. John’s.

Coach Lavin and his staffs recruiting pitch to Thomas was straight to the point. “They just told me how good I’ll feel 10 years from now knowing I was apart of the St. Johns come back,” Thomas said. Well Jevon I think it’s safe to say the entire St. John’s community boldly agrees with that.

Lavin A Johnny Rocket

October 21, 2010 by Jaden Daly Leave a Comment

Steve Lavin, shown here with ESPN's John Anderson at Red Storm Tip-Off, was center of attention at Big East media day. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)

When Steve Lavin replaced Norm Roberts at St. John’s seven months ago, anyone who was remotely affiliated with St. John’s basketball realized immediately that positive changes were in store. Yesterday morning’s Big East media day proved no exception to the recent status quo in Queens, as Lavin was surrounded by hundreds of reporters, radio personnel and various other media members at Madison Square Garden for well over an hour. In fact, Lavin’s massive popularity kept him at the St. John’s table for an extra twenty minutes after his radio and print media session ended; and although late for the TV portion of the event, the extroverted head coach continued to stop and engage anyone who came within his field of vision on the way up the stairs.

Although there were more than enough nuggets from Coach Lavin himself to fill this post, (I’ll have some of those in a future edition of the Daly Dribble) the comments provided to me from Lavin’s sideline counterparts were just as beneficial in shedding some light on the increased expectations the Johnnies are now seeing for themselves.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright and UConn’s Jim Calhoun were the first to herald St. John’s experience. Calhoun said it would “carry them a long way. Always has, always will,” while Wright said the Johnnies “know what it takes to win,” and thinks “they’ll be a very good team.”

Mike Brey, the Notre Dame coach whose Fighting Irish team has lost to St. John’s in each of the last two years, was somewhat relieved to be welcoming the Johnnies into the Joyce Center in South Bend. Brey praised Lavin’s arrival and said he “inherits a team of experienced guys,” and that “he’ll do a very good job.” Brey also stated what Red Storm fans feel to be obvious when he proclaimed that there was “new life around the program.” West Virginia head man Bob Huggins complimented Lavin’s past recruiting record, which was on full display this past weekend with newcomer Dwayne Polee, who has made quite an impact since coming to the Queens campus.

Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, whose Orange squad heads into the Garden to tip off against the Johnnies on January 12, praised Lavin’s experience as well. “I think Steve’s going to do a great job. He’s got a lot of veterans, which is going to help him.” Boeheim also commented on Lavin’s marquee status being able to draw fans into the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” a venue that usually serves as a de facto home game for Syracuse. “When we play St. John’s here, there probably won’t be so much orange,” said Boeheim after I reminded him that nearly every Syracuse game at the Garden provides a sea of orange as the backdrop in the stands.

The most interesting and brutally honest commentary came from Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who created somewhat of an added buzz when it was revealed that he was the one coach who picked the Johnnies first in the Big East preseason poll, a vote won by Pittsburgh. “I’m just trying to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks,” gushed Pitino, who gave the story more juice by saying he “made that pick before Steve (Lavin) came along, and now that he’s come along, I’m happy with my pick.” Pitino emphasized the talent, experience and style the Johnnies have employed over the years as the reasons behind his rather surprising vote, as well as the hunger on the team considering that no St. John’s player has made the NCAA Tournament.

Fellow Big East newcomer Kevin Willard of Seton Hall spoke of creating a culture with Lavin and Rutgers head man Mike Rice that could draw high school kids to the New York area and not have them leave.

Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin went through a situation in his first year with the Bearcats similar to what Lavin will experience next year, one where almost every player graduated. Cronin did provide this great quote about Carnesecca Arena when I mentioned his team’s recent success there. “It takes the kids back to their high school days. It reminds them where they came from. It warms up pretty quick, but that doesn’t make it any easier to win,” stated the underrated Cronin, picked 12th in the Big East preseason poll.

Marquette coach Buzz Williams lauded Lavin as a “really good person” with great energy, calling his arrival a “perfect storm.” I’m not sure if there was any pun intended by Williams when he told me that, but fans of St. John’s are thinking the exact same thing.