Friday, December 23, 2011

Davis and Clarke Flash Familiar Form for Holy Cross in Big Win

            
            For senior guard Will Davis and his classmate forward Mareiga Clarke last season seemed to never really get started.
     For Davis, it was a severe knee injury which caused him to not only miss significant playing time but forced him to play with a bulky  brace which left him not only with diminished quickness but a bit tentative with respect to how much he could do physically when he returned to action.
            For Clarke, the problem was one not  typically associated with young athletes; high blood pressure. He too missed significant time and was a diminished player when he returned as doctors tried to find the best way to get it under control. And for both young men it meant taking a step backward from promising sophomore campaigns
            Last night as they helped coach Paul Gilvary and their teammates to a convincing 58-38 win over Campus Magnet the two players demonstrated that they were healthy again and ready for a great season.
            Statistically, that meant 20 points for Davis and 19  and 10 rebounds for Clarke. But to see what it really means one must look beyond those numbers. Together they helped the Knights put together a terrific defensive effort and rebound against a taller and more physical Panthers' squad. Ten of Davis' points came in a first period that saw Holy Cross sprint to a 16-9 advantage. They took a 26-13 lead at the half with the help of senior guard Anthony Libroia who showed his usually reliable shooting touch and improved ball handling and passing as he scored 9 points and added 11 assists.  All four of Holy Cross' seniors (including talented but injured guard Marquise Moore) have drawn college interest. Davis reportedly received his first offer from Fairfield while Libroia is reportedly being evaluated by local D-II programs. If Clarke continues to play well he will likely draw interest from many programs  during the late signing period. And when the team adds Moore, who is recovering from a broken big toe, a deep playoff run may spark even greater interest in all of Holy Cross' class of 2012 players.
            Legendary coach Chuck Granby's squad clearly has some talent in senior wings Sam Durodola, Justin Harvey and Tarik Raynor as evidenced by surprising wins over Bayside and Cardozo earlier this season. Yesterday several of the Panthers arrived late, and were clearly not ready to play. Given Coach Granby's long winning history, this will be a lesson for his team and may in the long run help propel them to continued success in the PSAL










Thursday, December 22, 2011

Harrison's Second Half Surge Helps St. John's Avoid an Upset

            

            Freshman D'angelo Harrison tied his career high with 21 points, scoring 17 of them in the second half to rally St. John's to a 66-61 come from behind win over Texas Pan-American last night at Carnesecca Arena.
            To their credit the Broncs played nearly the entire game dictating both pace and style.  On offense, they used a patient perimeter attack moving the ball effectively against St. John's zone defense and connecting on twice as many three point shots (10) as St. John's (5). Defensively  they made a choice to eschew the pursuit of offensive rebounds in favor of retreating on defense and taking away St. John's transition game. The strategy worked as they took a 32-24 lead into halftime and extended that to 12 when Earl Jefferson laid in a pass from Josh Cleveland.
            At that point. Harrison demonstrated why St. John's coaching staff continues to have confidence in his shooting even as he goes through what can be described as typical freshman struggles. "He's our designated shooter," assistant coach Mike Dunlap said. "Whether it's well beyond the three point arc or on top of it we're happy to have him shoot it." Harrison rewarded that confidence with a personal 10-0 scoring run that drew St. John's to within 44-42 with 11:19 to go.
            The Broncs were able to stave off St. John's surge for a while longer with the ability to make clutch three's and use the back door play as a pressure release when St. John's defense got too aggressive. The Red Storm would not take their first second half lead until Sir'Dominic Pointer, who seems to be in the middle of every rally with hustle plays, converted a pass from Phil Greene to make the score 57-55. Pan American would respond, opening a 4 point advantage with just 3:45  left when Jared Maree and Brandon Provost buried consecutive 3's.
            Those baskets would be the last points for the Broncs.  A basket by God'sGift Achiuwa with  1:36 left trimmed the deficit to 2 and then after the Red Storm didn't score on two possessions, they went to their home run hitter and Harrison delivered with a long trey and with 36 seconds left St. John's had the lead for good. A moment later Moe Harkless atoned for two missed free throws with a steal and dunk that extended that lead to 64-61. Two more free throws by Harrison and terrific man to man defense which coach Dunlap said they went to extensively in the second half, helped salt away the win.
            Almost lost in the hype surrounding Harrison's shooting heroics and the debut of Amir Garrett, was a terrific 22 point 9 rebound effort by Achiuwa. Garrett was thrown right into the fray, entering the game at the 13:22 mark, playing 15 minutes scoring 3 points and adding two boards. His first point came on a first half free throw and his first field goal was a dunk assisted by Achiuwa.
            When asked about the decision to play Garrett, coach Dunlap not only cited the 6'6" lefty's talent  but the promise Garrett had kept. "We had an opportunity (by playing him) to let him know that we appreciated who he is and what he's done for our program by showing loyalty in a tough situation." Dunlap said.
            He could have added that as the Big East season begins on Monday against Providence, they'll need his energy, toughness and selflessness to help them through a schedule that is extraordinarily tough.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

St. John's Sprints Ahead and Holds off Fordham in Holiday Matinee 56-50

            For a bit more than 17 minutes, Fordham had yesterday afternoon's game against St. John's right where they wanted it. Not only were they ahead 26-24 but the game was being played at a pace and score that they were more comfortable with.  Even though St. John's dominated the offensive glass, and even though the Rams did not make a lot of shots, three point shooting especially by former Loughlin guard Brandon Frazier helped Fordham balance the game and maintain a slight advantage.
            One possible answer St. John's would not have in this game was the ability to go to the bench.  That option, as has been well documented was limited even before the season began when  NCAA's academic clearing house ruled three talented recruits ineligible. It was diminished further this past week when Nurideen Lindsey made a sudden decision to leave St. John's, and then cut further by a decision to bench Malik Stith for the first half of the game because of  what was termed a "minor violation of team rules concerning academics".
            Luckily the Red Storm found answers from within the iron five  that played the entire first half.  In the final 2:46 St. John's went on a 11-0 run to turn that two point deficit into a 9 point advantage.  St. John's would pick up right where they left off after halftime adding 7 points to that margin before a Chris Gaston jumper mercifully broke the string for the Rams.
            The rally that closed the first half began with two free throws from D'Angelo Harrison and included two baskets one  a triple by Moe Harkless But the key to the rally was two great energy plays by Sir"Dominic Pointer, who on consecutive plays blocked a shot that provided the possession that led to Harkless' trey, and followed that with a steal and assist to God'sgift Achiuwa for a slam. Harrison and guard Phil Greene provided the second half spark and seemingly put St. John's in command 42-26 with just a shade under 17 minutes left and they maintained a double digit margin until 7:37 left when a trey by former Bronx JFK standout Jeff Short connected on a trey to cut the deficit to 8 points. As Fordham slowly chipped away at the margin with scoring primarily from Gaston and Frazier, St. John's hurt themselves with what may have been an attempt to save energy given their short bench. While they did not turn the ball over much during that stretch they did try and take time off the clock and while doing so, did not get good looks at the basket. A dunk Kervin Bristol off a pretty assist by Fatty McMillan cut St. John's lead to 53-50 with 1:55 left. St. John's did not score on the ensuing possession but with a chance to tie the game Fordham's youth betrayed them as former Midwood standout Brian Smith shot a quick three that missed and when Gaston tried a two-pointer following a McMillan offensive board St. John's finally secured the win with a free throw from Phil Greene and two more by Sir"Dominic Pointer.
            Almost despite having four players go the entire 40 minutes the Johnnies won the game thanks in large part to their good work in what are often referred to as "hustle stats" they had 19 offensive rebounds and scored 13 second chance points.  The Johnnies also outscored the Rams 22-10 in the paint. Moe Harkless led the way for St. John's with 13 points and 10 caroms for his third straight double double. Harrison scored a team high 15 points for the Johnnies while Achiuwa added 10. Brandon Frazier had a game high 17 points for Fordham while Gaston added a double double of his own with 11 points and 14 boards. In the opener of the Holiday Festival double header Rutgers knocked off Stony Brook 67-58 behind 22 points from Myles Mack. Former Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn) High standout Dave Coley paced Stony Brook with 17 points.  For the first time ever the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden was a one day event rather than the tournament it has been in the past.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Boys & Girls Serves Notice With Big Win at CK

                                    
            With their 64-59 win at Christ the King yesterday, the Kangaroos of Boys & Girls High reminded everyone that  CK isn't the only team talented enough to win its third straight city title. In fact, the win was so convincing that, at least in the early part of the season, it's safe to say that Ruth Lovelace's squad looks a lot more ready to achieve that goal. They were more aggressive at both ends of the floor, deeper, tougher on the boards and last but certainly not least, they flashed a Player of the Year candidate of their own in senior forward Leroy Fludd.
            Fludd's 23 point, board controlling all around effort was without a doubt the primary catalyst for the Kangaroos winning effort but it should also be noted that  the first burst of energy for the road warriors from Brooklyn came from their bench.  After Christ the King sprinted to an early advantage senior guard Bryce Jones came off the bench and quickly connected on two long lefty triples to help Boys & Girls regain their footing.  After that Fludd and his teammates played even for the rest of  the half and took a lead into the half time locker room when another senior guard Nick Jackson hit a tough jumper from the right wing.
            Jackson's basket set the stage for what would be a huge, and ultimately decisive third quarter for the Kangaroos. Fludd scored from both inside and out while guards Jackson  Wesley Meyers and Tyliek Kimbrough all contributed important baskets and assists.  Forward Joel Angus bounced back from a quiet first half to contribute all 8 of his points in the second and lend Fludd a big hand on the boards.
            While Boys & Girls' perimeter players augmented Fludd's effort with just enough offense for the win, their most important contribution was to a stellar defensive effort which not only held Calhoun to a modest total for him of 18 points but held Isaiah Lewis to just 13 and Jon Severe to 12. CK's offense was often reduced to just a clear out and a one-on-one move.  Calhoun tried bravely to bring the Royals back and had an opening with some late turnovers by the Kangaroos. he could not bring them all the way back. Calhoun connected on a long contested triple with just over 3 minutes left to bring the Royals to within 59-54 but they'd get no closer.  Minutes later when another long triple by Calhoun  went half way down and spun out, the home crowd was quieted knowing that the visitors from Brooklyn, led by a terrific senior of their own had come to Queens and earned a great win.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Christ The King Gets by Fiesty Jefferson in Season Opener

                        
            A gym with as much history as any in New York City provided the setting for a terrific season opening tilt.  At the Tony Jackson Memorial Gym at Jefferson in Brooklyn's East New York section banners hang that honor not only its namesake, the great St. John's star, but other basketball luminaries such as former Laker and Knick Jim McMillian, who played college basketball at Columbia and former Trail Blazer and Laker Leroy Ellis, who also starred in college for St. John.
            Though Christ the King, 2011-12's preseason favorite would eventually pull away for a 92-81 win make no mistake they were tested by a Jefferson squad that played with terrific energy and jumped on the two time defending CHSAA champions early, taking a 21-18 lead into the first intermission, and extending that margin to 7 points (34-27) late in the second quarter. The Orange Wave's effort was even more impressive than it looked to those in what was a packed house since they were missing perhaps their best player in talented 6'5" lefty senior Thaddeus Hall.
            In Hall's absence junior guard Jaquan Lynch, who is perhaps the team's most experienced player in terms of minutes played picked up the slack.  The  player who earned significant varsity minutes as a freshman two years ago despite giving up pounds and inches to older players has now become a small (5'10") but sturdy guard whose scoring and playmaking not only gave Jefferson a terrific start but helped them stay in the game throughout. He finished with a game high 28 points while others such as Jermoine Faison and Richard Moody all provided the energy and defense that helped put the Royals on their heels early.
            It took Christ the King a bit longer than half way through the second quarter to find its bearings.  Facing that 34-27 deficit they closed the quarter with a 17-8 run to lift themselves to a 44-42 lead at halftone and followed that with a 22-9 third quarter to give themselves a 66-53 lead after three quarters. Junior guard Jon Severe who finished with 22 points was the Royals most consistent scorer from start to finish while senior leader Omar Calhoun finished with a team high 25 points combined with Isaiah Lewis to hold off Jefferson in the fourth quarter.  Lewis, who struggled with decision making for much of the game was terrific in the last 8 minutes  finding 6'8" soph reserve Adonis DeLaRosa and Calhoun for baskets after Jefferson trimmed the lead to single digits.  And Calhoun took the air out of the Jefferson rally as he's done against many teams; with deadly precision shooting the ball both from beyond the arc and at the free throw line.
            While CK's scoring came largely from their perimeter trio, the contributions of Jordan Fuchs cannot go unmentioned. The scoring and  rebounding numbers, 10 and 11 respectively look modest, but throw in 6 assists, a few of them to Severe cutting down the wing and his importance in their press breaker and you see the makings of a terrific all-around game from a terrific all around player.
            Christ the King found itself after the game's early moments and passed a tough early test while Jefferson demonstated that despite the loss of talented players like Edson Avila and Shamel Williams, plenty of talent remains for them to be a team the pre-season favorites in the PSAL cannot take lightly.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Northeastern Surprises St. John's 78-64

            Perhaps the only solace St. John's fans can take concerning yesterday's 78-64 loss to Northeastern yesterday is that Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Villanova, Big East rivals all have suffered losses like this. to mid major clubs stocked with lots of uppercalssmen who've been through the grind of college basketball games and seasons before.  And while the Red Storm's loss might not have the impact of the other three on the national polls, it is the kind of loss that young Big East teams like St. John's may find costly as they try to earn a post season berth.
            The Huskies brought with them experience in the form of three starting juniors and one starting senior. Junior guard Joel Smith fired in an opening trey from the left side just seconds into the game. It would be one of seven triples he'd score and one of 9 the Huskies would make on18 tries.
            The Huskies also brought with them toughness that showed itself statistically in the rebounds column where they outdid the Red Storm 45-19. And while the rebounds margin can be partially explained by St. John's zone defense and the absence of block-out responsibilities that comes when teams play that way, there was more trouble.  Northeastern seemingly got to every ball on the floor, came up with every rebound in traffic and when it counted out toughed a St. John's team that has both talent and toughness but, with six newcomers may still be learning to compete for 40 minutes.
            To their credit St. John's did fight back after coach Bill Coen's team sprinted to a 26-14 advantage in the opening 20 minutes. Smith and Jonathan Lee's  deep shooting and tough work inside gave them the early advantage but the Red Storm rallied behind God'sgift Achiuwa, who bounced back from three subpar games to finish with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Nurideen Lindsey, whose tough off balance jumper from the key as the buzzer sounded sent St. John's to the locker room trailing by just 33-31.
            The Johnies outscored Northeastern 6-2 out of the locker room and briefly  took their first lead at 37-35 They led again 43-42 when Sir'Dominic Pointer drove in for a dunk, but unlike two other veteran mid=major teams that the Red Storm faced earlier this season, Lehigh and William & Mary, Northeastern, to use coach Mike Dunlap's phrase "pushed back harder".
`                       Smith put in two threes sandwiched around a Jonathan Lee layup that gave the Huskies a 50-43 lead and the two teams traded baskets after that.  A Harkless triple with just under 8 minutes left got the Red Storm to within 4 at 59-55. But that's when the Huskies delivered what would be the battle's final blow, an 11-0 spurt over a little less than 4 minutes that provided a 70-55 lead they'd never relinquish. In addition to Achiuwa's strong game Lindsey finished with 16 points for St. John's which went to 4-3 with the loss. Dunlap once again subbed running the team while coach Steve Lavin continues to follow a modified schedule following prostate cancer surgery. St. John's, which plays at Kentucky in the Big East/SEC Challenge Thursday drops to 4-3 with the loss.
            Smith led 4 double-figure scorers for Northeastern with 29 points. The Huskies improved to 3-1 on the year with the win.
            

Saturday, November 19, 2011

St. John's Drops Second Straight in 2K Consolation

              As they got off to a 3-0 start this season, the young 2011-12 edition of the St. John's basketball team had struggled in two areas that would eventually hurt them; slow starts and free throw shooting. Last night, with a second chance to beat a consensus top 25 team in Texas A&M those two things combined to help the Aggies hang a 58-57 loss on the Red Storm in the consolation game of the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden yesterday
            Coach Billy Kennedy's team used a potent inside attack and made all four of their three point shots in the opening 20 minutes and took what would be their largest lead of 23-12 with just under 8 minutes to go in the first half, as the Red Storm   meandered through the opening 20 minutes.  They finally rallied behind Moe Harkless and Phil Greene to pull to within 32-30 at halftime. Greene, who started yesterday in place of Malik Stith had his second straight strong game. Though he scored just 10 points his energy on defense and ability to get in the lane on offense gave St. John's a needed spark in what was shaping up to be a dreary early evening.
`           Texas A&M started the second half as strongly as they started the first, bumping their margin back up to 40-30 with just 2:35 elapsed. Junior power forward Ray Turner, who finished with 16 points led his team to a dominant effort in the paint as the Aggies outscored the Red Storm 38-18 from in close.  Almost despite this, St. John's enjoyed a huge advantage in free through attempts. And ultimately the fact that St. John's could not take advantage of that proved to be their undoing.
            Elston Turner's jumper with 9 seconds left gave the Aggies the margin of victory. And while Nurideen Lindsey's misses after he drove the lane with 2 seconds left were the most glaring misses because of when they occured, everyone had a hand in what was a terrible night at the line for St. John's; one that cost them a game they could've stolen despite not playing well.
            For the game they missed 16 free throws (21-38) they were even worse in the game's last moments. And while they came close in their first two tests against the kind of teams they'll see in the Big East there's clearly still some work to do.
`Mississippi State beat Arizona 67-57 in tonight's championship game as tourney MVP Arnett Moultrie led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Late Surge Lifts Arizona Past St. John's in 2K Classic

                             For much of last night's 81-72 loss to Arizona, it looked as if a brand new St. John's team would follow a familiar script. Despite a nearly brand new roster, this year's talented and fast freshmen played a game that was very similar to the kind that last year's senior dominated squad would play.
              They withstood an early barrage of threes from Arizona, which included a pair from junior swingman Kevin Parrom, the former St. Ray's and South Kent star who made an emotional return home after suffering a gunshot wound while visiting family in the Bronx nearly 8 weeks ago. They withstood it by establishing a quick transition game, converting quickly to offense off of both misses and makes to offense, pushing the tempo and getting to the line.
              And just as he had been against UMBC, the guy who set the pace was Nurideen Lindsey.  In his Garden debut the sophomore from Philly scored a game high 18 points including a spectacular reverse layup in the first half, and an amazing double cross-over lefty drive in the second that brought ooh's and ahhs at first and the St. John's portion of the crowd to its feet.    
              St. John's trailed 44-41 at the intermission, but after a slow beginning the Red Storm, sparked by Phil Greene, Lindsey and  Mo Harkless gave St. John's a lead as Arizona cooled off briefly from three point range.  Harkless' 13 point 9 rebound effort included a quick drive to the baseline for a dunk and a beautiful assist to D'angelo Harrison on a back cut. Greene finished with 12 points, 7 of which came consecutively during the run that gave St. John's the lead while Lindsey who continued to push the tempo despite early foul problems gave St. John's its largest margin at 66-58 with a steal and layup with 7:17 left.
              Moments later Lindsey would pick up his fourth personal foul, and St. John's offense stalled.  A 16-2 Arizona run that followed essentially ended the ballgame and even though coach Steve Lavin got Lindsey back in during the run he picked up his 5th foul a moment later. By then though, the momentum had already moved to the Wildcats.
              Jordan Hill led the Wildcats with 15 points while Parrom added 6 points and 5 assists for the winners. Another former St. Ray's player, freshman Sidiki Johnson went scoreless while appearing briefly. St; John's will face Texas A&M in the consolation game while Arizona faces Mississippi State in the title game tonight.                                                                                    

Monday, November 14, 2011

Lindsey Sets the Pace and Leads St. John's over UMBC

              Sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsay paced a balanced attack in what was the team's best effort of the season as they scored a convincing 82-59 win over Maryland Baltimore County at Carnesecca Arena yesterday.
              "I think there was a breakthrough in terms of our sustained effort and intensity," coach Steve Lavin said.  "That was a mature point for this time of the season".
              That effort gave St. John's its first halftime lead of the season and while the margin (39-34) was modest there was a concerted effort on the part of Lavin's young charges to avoid the early struggles of the first two games.
              "We were all trying to go in the same direction early.  That's something we talked about the last couple of days, " said Lindsay. It was his effort that got St. John's kick started. He penetrated well both in transition and in their half court offense, found his teammates, especially forwards God'sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless for easy hoops and did an exceptional job rebounding.  Ten of his 15 points 7 of his 10 rebounds and 5 of his 9 assists came in the opening 20 minutes. A nice in and out move by Phil Greene gave him space to connect on a tough jumper as the halftime buzzer sounded, and then a small adjustment by the coaching staff helped the youngsters take that advantage and run with it, so to speak.
              "We inverted the game a bit," was the way Steve Lavin described a move where they allowed Lindsey and Greene to push the ball up while nominal starting point guard Malik Stith got out on the break and got opportunities to finish plays.  The  result was a 9-1 run to open the second half and bump the lead to 13 points.  St. John's  approach after that was one that Lavin happily described as "methodical" as they pushed the lead past 30 and got all 5 starters into double figures scoring. While Lavin admitted that there are still things to "clean up from an execution standpoint" the sustained effort and execution was a welcome site as they take a step up in the level of competition Thursday against Arizona at Madison Square Garden.
              In addition to Lindsey's near triple double effort Achiuwa had 15 points and 8 boards. Harkless added a game high 18 points, freshman D'angelo Harrison added 17 while Stith added 11. For UMBC a pair of local players, Brian Neller of Christian Brothers (NJ) Academy and Chase Plummer of St. Patrick's (NJ)  led the scoring with 13 and 12 points respectfully. Former All Hallows guard senior Chris De La Rosa, who is the America East Confrence's leading returning player missed the game and has yet to play this season following off season foot surgery.  A pair of talented local forwards who are perspective recruits for St. John's Chris Obekpa a senior at Our Savior New American (LI)  and Mike Young a junior at Hudson Catholic in New Jersey both visited the campus and attended the game yesterday.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

God'sgift is Perfect in Lavin's Return

                            While his return to the sidelines may not have gone smoothly for St. John's coach Steve Lavin, the night ended perfectly, with a 78-73 win thanks in large part to a perfect shooting night from center God'sgift Achiuwa.
              Lavin said he had made the decision to return to the bench at 3:30 following a return to practice on Monday.  He walked on the court moments after his players had begun warm ups and was greeted with a warm and loud ovation by a home crowd that hadn't quite filled up yet.
              When the game began he got an early glimpse of some of what his team had struggled with even as they began the season 2-0.  They shot poorly, hurting themselves with quick shots and did not rotate or rebound well in their zone defense.
              Behind  their post player point guard  combination of juniors C.J.  McCollum and Gabe Knutson Lehigh moved ahead quickly.  Dr. Brett Reed's team took and made good shots throughout the first half. And with Knutson providing a safe sure handed target in the middle of their press break offense they attacked St. John's pressure for scores effectively. A pair of free throws by McCollum with 5:30 minutes remaining in the first half gave Lehigh its largest margin of 16. St. John's then rallied and cut the lead to 7 but when Lehigh's Holden Griener found Jordan Hamilton for a trailer 3-pointer the Mountain Hawks led by ten 43-33 at the break.
              St. John's did not fare much better in the opening minutes of the second half. Knutson followed in a Mackey McKnight miss to move Lehigh's lead back to 13 with just over 15 minutes left.  Lehigh held that margin until foul trouble forced Knutson from the game and that, combined with a terrific effort from Coach Lavin's young team brought St. John's back.

              Knutson picked up his third personal foul with just 14 minutes left and while St. John's did not put a big dent in the deficit immediately Lehigh's  offense clearly struggled to move the ball without their big, sure handed, smart passing target in the middle.
              St. John's had cut the lead to just 7 on two free throws by Achiuwa.  When Knutson was subbed back in a moment later it appeared that he had restored order for Lehigh. Trailing by 7, the Mountain Hawks moved the ball and got McCollum an open look for a three pointer. Knutson then stole the ball and that led to a  Griener layup again. 
              St. John's trailed by a 60-48 margin with 8:38 when Achiuwa, who shot 6-6 from the field and 9-9 from the charity stripe made the biggest play of his perfect shooting night, driving to the bucket for a basket and drawing Knutson's fourth personal foul. By the time Knutson re-entered the game with 6:31 left the Red Storm had trimmed the deficit to 4, and had reversed the momentum Lehigh had had in its favor throughout the game A Moe Harkless three pointer tied the game at 64 and after the Mountain Hawks regained the lead briefly took the lead for good 67-66 on a steal and basket by Sir^Dominic Pointer, whose hustle and quickness at the top of their zone pressure has made pressure defense their most effective weapon in this early season.
              "The good news is they demonstrated resiliency and determination to come back after being down more than double digits," Lavin said. While those two attributes have carried the team through some rough patches early, tonight's effort likely got an extra boost from their coach, who showed a resiliency and determination of his own as he deals with circumstances infinitely more significant than a ballgame.
              Achiuwa led St. John's with 21 points and 8 rebounds while Harkless and Nurideen Lindsey added 15 points apiece.  McCollum led Lehigh with 19 points while Knutson added 16. Local product Conroy Baltimore, a freshman from Stepinac High did not score in 6 minutes of action off the bench   St. John's takes on Maryland Baltimore County at 2pm on Sunday before resuming the 2k Coaches vs. Cancer tournament a week from today, November 17th vs.. Arizona at Madison Square Garden.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

St. John's Presses the Issue for Season Opening Win

                        
            For the first 20 or so minutes of last night's  74-59 win over William & Mary it looked like a very young and athletic St. John's team was on the verge of getting an early and painful lesson.
            Coach Tony Shaver's squad moved the ball patiently and smartly against the Red Storm's zone defense and found senior forward Quinn McDowell early for some great looks. And as the Tribe shot their way to an early advantage St. John's looked like a team trying to make up the deficit all at once. While there weren't many turnovers there were an awful lot of quick shots taken and shots taken without good ball movement. William & Mary took a 33-26 lead into half time and when Kendrix Brown found McDowell open for a jumper for the first basket of the second half it looked like the Tribe was ready to stage an early season upset.

            At that point St. John's young squad was able to speed the game up where they needed to, on defense. As they picked up the tempo, got some steals and turnovers they also eschewed the three point shot in favor of driving the ball inside. Sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsay scored 15 of his 19 points in the second 20 minutes and when he wasn't finishing plays for scores he was setting up both God'sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless who each chipped in 17 points and added 9 and 8 rebounds respectively.
            Even as they extended their pressure, St. John's also did a much better job of defending against the three in the second half.  After the Tribe had made 7 triples in 21 tries in the first half St. John's covered shooters much better in the second limiting them to just 11 attempts and 4 makes.
            For St. John's, which takes on Lehigh in round two of the 2k Sports Classic for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer D'Angelo Harrison added 14 points. McDowell led the Tribe with a team high 20 points while Julian Boatner added 12.
            The Red Storm played the game without head coach Steve Lavin, who continues to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery on Oct. 6th 

Monday, November 7, 2011

Metro Classic Player Evaluations Part II

The Boros
Omar Calhoun 6'4" SG Christ the King HS (2012) It took the senior class' best prospect a while to get started but once he did he showed why he enters the season with such a lofty standing.  He scored just 7 points in the opening two quarters but in the second half and especially at "winning time" in the fourth quarter he was spectacular, beginning a decisive rally with two tough three pointers and finishing it with a part of his game that's often overlooked, free throw shooting. He finished with 32 points total but scored 17 in the final 7-plus minutes. Several players had big games for the Boros but the UConn bound senior was the difference.
Jordan Washington  6'8" PF/C Pathways HS (2013) Like Lutheran's Kenton Facey Jordan made an excellent impression with his ability to run the floor and get on the glass.  He's not quite the leaper that Facey is but his running helped create several single coverage post-up situations in which he sat low in the pivot made himself wide, attacked the ball catching it and finished.  He also helped create some tempo with outlet passes.  While I think the small court at Molloy may have helped his transition ability a bit there's no question that this is the most focused and effectively he's played when I've seen him.

Leroy Fludd  6'6" PF/SF Boys & Girls HS (2012) Leroy was his typically solid self posting 16 points  and 9 boards. He held his ground inside and did well when he needed to guard players away from the basket.  He's a classic "glue guy" and coaches will love his intangibles. He comes with a reputation as an undersized inside player and while that may still be true on offense he's more versatile as a defender.

Thaddeus Hall  6'5" SF Thomas Jefferson HS (2012) Thaddeus provided a great spark in the third quarter after the two teams came out with the score tied at 51 at intermission. He gave his team a bit of everything , scoring in transition, with his jumper and even with a great hustle tip in basket.  Most importantly he was a disruptive force in the passing lane getting deflections and steals to set up easy opportunities for himself and his teammates. If he brings the kind of energy he showed last weekend to every game he'll have a great senior season.
Tyliek Kimbrough 5'10" PG Boys & Girls HS (2012) Especially in the game's opening moments Tyliek did a terrific job giving a talented team a sense of direction.  He pushed the ball up smartly, made great decisions both passing and driving to the basket and was typically solid right throughout. Although he's transferred from Loughlin to Boys & Girls he figures to assume a leadership role quickly and do it very well.
Daniel Dingle 6'6" PF/SF St. Raymond's HS (2012) He showed good versatility offensively connecting on two three pointers and driving whenever he got a mismatch.  He rebounded well and as he always does led by example with his hustle and toughness.





Metro Classic Player Evaluations Part I

              Last Sunday's Metro Classic which saw the Boros team pull away late for a 119-105 victory over the 'burbs a week ago Sunday featured many outstanding individual performances on both sides.  Some of the players I'll discuss here are players I know well while some are youngsters I'm seeing for the first time and am anxious to see again. It was an excellent game as the players on both sides went right at each other and played hard at both ends of the floor.  Here are some player evaluations.
The Burbs
Kenton Facey 6'8" PF/C Long Island Lutheran HS (2013) Just a junior, the transfer from Upper Room Academy was the most impressive of a number of power forwards and centers for both sides.  He finished with 26 points and got those primarily by hitting the offensive boards although his output did include a short jumper from the elbow and one from the baseline. He showed extraordinary quickness off the floor solid hands and a good touch around the basket.  His progress with his new school team will be interesting to follow because it will give scouts and coaches a chance to see what he can do with touches in the post and in the key area. His athleticism is big time but he may need to add some strength to play at the highest level.  Schools at all levels will keep an eye on him because with his junior year just beginning he's got a lot of time for both his body and game to grow.

Randy Stephens  6'4" G Mt. Vernon HS (2012) I was able to see Randy early in the summer at Rumble in the Bronx playing for the Westchester Hawks and liked what I saw then. Sunday he may have been the 'burbs best player, finishing with 20 points, creating opportunities for teammates and providing length and activity on defense. His first step is deceptive because it's long and although he's very left handed he can use his right hand well enough to get to the rim although he doesn't finish with it.  Reports have a slew of mid major programs getting involved with him. Those schools and others should keep in mind that the talented youngster is originally from Ossining and beginning just his second season in coach Bob Cimmino's program so an already fine prospect should continue to improve.
Isaiah Cousins 6'3" SG Mt. Vernon HS (2012) it took Isaiah a while to get started on Sunday but once he did he was terrific. He showed off a fine three point stroke that's effective in part because he gets easy lift off the. And as the game progressed he finished plays driving to the basket and, like his teammate Stephens played with good energy defensively.  Cousins, Stephens and Mt. Vernon seem to be poised for a great 2012-13 season.
Travis Whitfield 6'4" SG St, Mary's (LI) HS  (2012) It was very curious to talk to some of the folks from Long Island about Travis because to a person they all mentioned that he really didn't play a key role on last year's fine St. Mary's squad. That said he looked like a guy who had the look of a D-1 prospect.  He's long and athletic and shoots the ball pretty well. While his strength and handle may limit him to playing at a low major level, he should draw looks from those schools initially and may draw looks from other programs as he improves his stock with increased playing time.
Mike McCahey  6'4" SF/SG Clarkstown South HS (2012) Mike has drawn a lot of interest this summer primarily because of his shooting ability and while he didn't get many looks at the basket Sunday when he did he showed off that pure stroke.  He made just two in five tries but even the ones he missed were 3/4 of the way down and his shooting was accurate despite a long time between each look so despite the fact that he couldn't establish a rhythm his shooting mechanics were rock solid. As an athlete he's more sturdy than fast and even though he doesn't get off the floor he mixes it up under the basket and he'll secure any rebound or tipped ball he gets to. He's reportedly drawn interest from mid majors but his struggles with lateral movement may limit him to small forward at those levels. Coaches will love his shooting and like his ability to play in a team defensive concept. For him to make a good basketball choice of school it will be as much about the defensive system and team as it will be about level of play.








Wednesday, November 2, 2011

St. John's Survives Against St. Mary's 77-70

              For a bit over 30 minutes, St. Mary's College gave St. John's future opponents an idea of how best to attack them. They moved the ball smartly against the Red Storm's zone and used the three shot as an equalizer against their size inside. Despite strong games from the Red Storm's two best inside players, Moe Harkless and God'sgift Achiuwa a Devin Spencer jumper gave St. Mary's it's largest lead at 56-48 with a shade over 9 minutes to go.
              St. John's found its footing from that point as Achiuwa  Harkless and Nurideen Lindsay sparked the offense on a 29-16 run that decided the game, But while their offense was essential equally if not more important was the defensive effort of Sir'Dominic Pointer, who provided the energy to lift what had been a listless Red Storm defense to that point. It was fitting that his steal and slam gave St..John's its largest lead at 71-60 and provided an exclamation point to a 77-70 win.
              Offensively, St. John's did well in the areas they'd be expected to playing against a team that could not match their size and strength. They out rebounded St. Mary's by a 48-14 and had decisive margins in second chance and fast break points.
              But the Red Storm hurt themselves in areas that traditionally hurt young teams. They shot just 1-13 from three point distance (compared to 13-34 for the Seahawks) and missed 20 of 42 free throws.
              In spite of those struggles on offense it's the defensive limitations that might take longer for a young team like St. John's  to solve.  Even as they got torched from three point distance they did not switch from their zone to man to man defense, perhaps in part because with essentially an eight man rotation foul and fatigue concerns prevent them from doing so.
              Monday against William & Mary the season tips off for real and despite some good work down the stretch the young guys still have lots of work to do.
              Harkless and Achiuwa each had double doubles with Harkless leading 4 double figure scorers for the Red Storm with 20 points. Devin Spencer scored a game high 25 for St. Mary's

Monday, October 31, 2011

Calhoun Comes up Big at Winning Time for Boros

              Christ the King's Omar Calhoun scored 27 of his game high 32 points in the second half and led the "Boros" past the "Burbs" 119-105 in the eighth annual Metro Classic at Archbishop Molloy yesterday.
              The 14-point final margin is a little bit deceptive because the Burbs were able to rally each time the Boros opened a significant margin.  The game was tied at 51 after the Mount Vernon perimeter duo of Randy Stephens and Isaiah Cousins combined for six consecutive points  to end the half. The Boros opened a margin again as tough inside players Leroy Fludd of Boys & Girls and Daniel Dingle were outstanding both around the basket rebounding and finishing  and facing up. Despite their good work and terrific production off the bench from Jefferson's  Thaddeus Hall and Pathways' Jordan Washington the 'Burbs  hung tough thanks to Stephens penetration, Cousins' shooting ability and tremendous work inside by high rising junior Kentan Facey of Long Island Lutheran, who finished with a team high 26 points for the 'Burbs without getting many touches in a game where guards dominated the ball. They trailed by just 93-89 with a shade over 8 minutes to go when Calhoun went to work and delivered what would be the decisive spurt.
              He scored all 9 of his team's points during a 9-2 run that bumped the 4 point advantage to 11 for the Boros. The rally began with consecutive three point baskets, the second a contested one from the right side. He followed that with a quick up fake and drive  to the basket and converted a conventional  three point play.
              From there Omar demonstrated what may well be the most under rated part of his game. He was money at the free throw line and it helped salt the game away for the Boros, who got 16 points from Fludd and 15 from Dingle who each added 9 rebounds. Hall also added 16 and was a factor in transition and in the passing lanes every time he entered the game..
              For the Burbs in addition to Facey's 26 points, Stephens and Cousins each added 20 while St. Mary's  senior Travis Whitfield played well off the bench as well.
              

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New Johnnies Impress in Exhibition Debut

                                          
Junior College transfer God'sgift Achiuwa led six players in double figures and helped St. John's begin a new era with a 110-80 win over Division II C.W. Post in an exhibition game last night.
              With just one player, junior guard Malik Stith, remaining from last year's 21-12 NCAA tournament team, year two under head coach Steve Lavin marks a new beginning and despite a slow start and some struggles throughout  the game rebounding and defensively there were plenty of good moments as well.
              From a team standpoint the single best aspect of St. John's effort was the passing, a part of the game that Lavin and his coaching staff helped last year's group of seniors improve on markedly.  Apparently they have done yeoman work with this group of freshman as well.  Although time will tell whether these results continue against competition that will be much tougher the team finished with 24 assists while committing just 10 turnovers. Six different players handed out assists in the game while soph guard Nurideen Lindsay led the way with 7. The result of all that good ball movement was a sizzling shooting night (50-76) and a balanced attack.
              St. John's had a terrific transition game going early as the guards pushed the ball up and Achiuwa did a great job running from block to block creating easy post up situations. The Red Storm's perimeter game took a bit longer to get started but once it did a pair of freshmen, D'Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene led the way.
              Former St. John's assistant Chris Casey's Pioneers found offense from beyond the three point stripe early as D-II All-American and former Middletown (NY) standout Stefan Bonneau helped them answer Achiuwa's fast start.  They trailed by just 4 at 33-29 when Greene hit consecutive triples and Achiuwa made the last of his first 7 shots from the field. The Red Storm led by 11 at the break and put the game away for good in the opening moments of the second half. Achiuwa took team high scoring honors with 21 points while Harrison and Greene, who hit four three pointers, each added 20. Lindsay added 16 points to go with his assists and former Forrest Hills High star Moe Harkless had a double double with 14 points and 14 boards. For Post Bonneau hit for a game high 28 points while freshman and former St. Mary's High (LI) standout Charles McCann finished with 15 points. Assistant coach Mike Dunlap filled in as head coach tonight while Lavin continues to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

A Quick Hello And a Heartfelt Goodbye

                                                          
              I hope that as people in the New York basketball community find their way to this blog that they will remember me. Whether you do so by my given name (John Miciotta) my internet name (jpm114) or some other identifying aspect like my work years ago with Seton Hall, my work assisting young players and parents in choosing schools or even if I'm just "the guy in the wheelchair in the corner of gyms around the city" it's all good and I thank you. I have spent much of this summer away from basketball to deal with a specific aspect of my disability.  With the help of talented and caring doctors and therapist I have embarked upon a process that I hoped would help me manage pain more effectively and regain some of the strength I need to perform activities of daily living. So far it's working, the aches and pains which have at times kept me from games and from my keyboard have diminished and the things I need to do to get out in the world, are becoming manageable once again. The renewal I feel is being aided by the start of the basketball season. Despite the inanity of the adult basketball (aka the NBA) lockout, the start of the and high school and college seasons have me anxious to start seeing games, looking at players and writing again. But even as I start to smile more, take phone calls from coaches and friends, and look at schedules to plan my trips to the games, I can't help but think an essential part of all this is conspicuously absent and that basketball around here will still be great but not quite the same.

              To be sure the impact of the basketball program at Rice High School, will be felt for a while longer even though it closed its doors this past June. Players like Melvin Johnson (now at St. Benedict's in New Jersey) Dayshon Smith (now at Putnam Science) and others will continue to make an impact at the prep level. Others, like Durand Scott (at Miami) and Chris Fouch (at Drexel) will be college upperclassmen firmly established as college players. Still more, like Jermaine Saunders (at Cincinnati) and Manny Andujar ( at Manhattan) and others will begin their college careers in a short time. And they will take with them lessons taught by the last two coaches at Rice Maurice Hicks and Dwayne Mitchell, and perhaps most important they will bring to their new programs and coaches an expectation that was established at the school on West 124th Street and in Gauchos Gym where the young and talented Raiders practiced and played. Kemba Walker took t those lessons and lifted his University of Connecticut  to a national title. During the Huskies improbable NCAA run  Walker gave the nation a brief glimpse of what Rice basketball was about; tough defense, fearlessness, the willingness to take big shots and make plays and simply do whatever it takes to win. Although speed and transition basketball were essential to the success of Hicks' Rice teams, so was a controlled flex offense that allowed them to win even as teams tried to slow their tempo 

              .  Hicks of course will continue to have an impact on New York basketball as he  helps rebuild St. John's into a national power.  But long before there was a USA Today top 25 poll for high school basketball Hicks had been a tough minded clutch shooting leader for fine Raiders' teams before graduating in 1981, and before that, in the mid-60's Dean Meminger and Charlie Yelverton (Class of 1967) made Rice a local powerhouse before starring in college at the national level.  At Marquette "Dean The Dream" was a blur at point guard and ran a team that despite the dominance of UCLA made me love college basketball because of its connections to New York (with Al McGuire, Meminger and former St. Francis Prep Star Hugh McMahon) and the high school game I enjoyed so much. Meminger's time with the Knicks was highlighted by the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals game seven against the Celtics where his speed gave the Celtics fits on offense and locked up high scoring guard Jojo White on defense. It helped the Knicks hand the C's their first loss ever in a game seven at the Boston Garden and helped bring the Walt Frazier and Willis Reed-era Knicks to their second championship.
              Yelverton, a high riser who essentially played forward at about 6'3" stayed local at Fordham but achieved national  prominence when he led the Rams to a sweet 16 in l971. That team brought Fordham Basketball to heights it hasn't  approached since and made the career of one Richard "Digger" Phelps. And after a year in the NBA he enjoyed a long career in European pro basketball.
              Players like former Pittsburgh star Jerry McCullough, who came back after a long stint in Europe to help Dwayne Mitchell coach the Raiders to a runner up finish in the CHSAA last year, and Felipe Lopez helped Rice stay strong in the 80's. and 90's. Lopez helped coach Lou Demillo  win a title in 1994 on the way to becoming a McDonald's All-American. Hicks arrived shortly thereafter for the start of the 1994-95 season and Mitchell, who had previously coached with Ted Gustus at Brooklyn's Nazereth High School came shortly thereafter.  The school remained a national power until its closing, Hicks won six city titles produced many a division one prospect including Walker, who blossomed into a pro.  Fans of local basketball will remember many different things about what was an unprecedented  run of success in an extraordinarily tough CHSAA. They'll remember Walker's speed, Keydren Clarke's deep range, Anthony Glover's toughness, Kenny Satterfield's clutch game that helped them beat a Christ the King team that featured Erick Barkley, Lamar Odom and Speedy Claxton and 7'2" Shagari Alleyne's 12-12 shooting performance in the city finals against neighboring rival All Hallows. Not every kid who became part of the program was able to stay there but those who did were better players and people for having done so.  High School basketball in New York will survive just as it did when Power Memorial and Tolentine closed, but Rice, a special school in a special place that brought great kids and teachers together will be missed and while the basketball community should mourn the loss, what Rice and the people who made it what it was, gave us should never be forgotten. As I start to see games again and write again I know  basketball will always be special but it won't be the same because the school that set the standard for others to aspire to is gone forever. Farewell to the Green and Gold Raiders, you will be missed but remembered always