Xavier Pounds Way to Big Win vs. St. John's

              On paper Xavier is one of three new teams in the realigned Big East. But in last night's impressive 65-53 win over St. John's they looked about as old school Big East as it gets.

              The Muskie's half court defense and patient offense created a tempo that suited them perfectly. And while it may be a slow pace in terms of possessions Xavier was quick and active as well as physical. After a first half where neither team led by more than 5 points Xavier did not pull away with the help of a quick spurt. Instead they built a lead that grew to as much as 10 points by methodically pounding the ball inside.

              Center Matt Staibrook got Xavier going early and finished with 13 points before fouling out. He was one of three Xavier bigs who hit for double figures. Fellow starter Isaiah Philmore matched Stainbrook's total  but the guy who Muskie coach Chris Mack called  "the best player on the floor" , freshman forward Jalen Reynolds, finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Many of them came on simple post up plays that led to point blank shots against a defense that St. John's coach Steve Lavin admitted offered a "lack of resistance"

              Defensively Xavier effectively bottled up St. John's penetration. And their patient and potent offense helped on the defensive end as Xavier held the Red Storm  without a fast break point.

              St. John's was coming off what can be gently described as a topsy turvy week that Lavin called "the most challenging" of his career. St. John's players and coaches alike refused to make the week that saw a new baby for Orlando Sanchez and a terrible family tragedy for Rysheed Jordan into an excuse. But Lavin admitted that the team's preparation  was affected negatively by those events. Jordan played well in the second half, scoring 11 points, but Xavier's defense limited the Johnnies to 31% shooting and 0-9 from 3 point range.

              The loss comes at a critical time as St. John's battles with Xavier and other teams for an NCAA tourney birth. Their conference record at 8-8 and their 1-5 record against RPI top 50 teams makes their position tenuous at best.

              JaKarr Sampson was St. John's only double figure scorer with 14 points. Xavier limited St. John's leading scorer D'angelo Harrison to just 4 points on 1-11 shooting. For Xavier star guard Samaj Christon complimented his teammates great work inside  with 15 points 7 boards and 6 assists.

Carrington's 42 Lift Loughlin to B-Q Title

              Ironically Khadeem Carrington. the star of Bishop Loughlin's 90-71 Diocesan Title win, did not make two of  his team's most back breaking shots.  In a twist that captured how good a night it was for the champion Lions fellow seniors Mike Williams and Darius James  combined for 7 points on buzzer beating shots to end each of the first 2 quarters. Williams buried his signature shot, a deep right corner trey, was knocked down on the play and converted the free throw to give Loughlin a 23-18 first quarter lead. Then James connected on a left side three pointer as the second quarter buzzer sounded. His basket pushed Loughlin's margin to a robust 16 points.

              In between those two plays,  and for the entire game ,Carrington was flawless connecting for 23 of his game high 42 points in those first two quarters. He scored with his patented lefty jumper from the right elbow and on an assortment of tough drives to the basket.  Surprisingly he did not make a three pointer, but he more than compensated  up for it with great decisions and athleticism that got him to the line for 14 free throws. He made every one of them.

              Darius James' three to end the second quarter came at a time when Christ the King was beginning to find its stride on offense. Adonis Delarosa scored 8 of his 23 points in the first half and Travis Aston connected on two left corner triple on his way to 16 points when before that basket. Carrington then had his own signature moment , a beautiful baseline drive from right to left for a reverse layup to open the third period and seemingly take away any hope of a Royals' comeback. Williams added 19 points for the  Lions and Javian Delacruz chipped in nicely with 16.

              Thanks to this convincing win Loughlin earns the top seed from Brooklyn-Queens in next week's intersectional playoffs. Christ the King will enter the playoffs as the second seed.

             

Sampson And St. John's Use Strong 2nd Half for win vs. Butler

              To get where you want to go, sometimes you need to remember where you've been.

At game's end, St. John's 77-52 win over Butler was decisive, but not easy. The Bulldogs succeeded in slow playing St. John's to a 33-30 halftime advantage. While the tempo they set was a key part of Butler's early success the lead was also forged in the paint where senior forward Khyle Marshall pounded the glass for what JaKarr Sampson called "a game's worth of stats " that included 16 points and 7 boards.

              While St. John's coach Steve Lavin was quick to give Butler credit, he also lamented , "I didn't  think the team played with an appropriate sense of urgency in the first half". And while that may be true the lack of energy can also be attributed partially to the absence of Chris Obekpa since the energy his shot blocking and defense had provided was missing.

              The Red Storm found that sense of urgency, according to Sampson, by remembering where they'd been."At halftime we said we'd worked too hard to get into this position to let it slip.  We came out more aggressive."

              For the game, St. John's turned that three point deficit into a lead that stretched to 29. For the team it was their 9th win in 10 tries. And for Sampson, he not only scored a career high 23 points but helped St. John's defense hold Marshall scoreless and without a rebound for the entire second half. And while the improved energy and urgency was key to the win, so was the calming influence of guard Jamal Branch was also essential.  The numbers will say 10 points and 5 assists but his poise, which shows in the box score in the form of just one turnover combined with his ability to get Samson touches provided a needed offensive spark.

              With games coming at Villanova on Saturday and against Xavier Tuesday they will need that sense of urgency from start to finish. If they can remain in the top 3 of the league standings an NCAA tourney bid is well within their grasp.

Backcourt Lifts Johnnies Past Georgetown 82-60

            St. John's  82-60 win over Georgetown at Madison Square Garden last night was both important and impressive on a few different levels.

            It was impressive because they held and maintained a double digit margin from nearly start to finish after starting the game with a 15-0 run. It was impressive also because they avenged a 77-60 New Year's Eve loss to open league play . And perhaps the most impressive aspect was that they were able to attack the Hoyas right at their strength; in the backcourt.

            Freshman  Rysheed Jordan and junior D'angelo Harrison shared game high scoring honors with 24 points apiece and thoroughly dominated  a Hoyas' backcourt that many consider the league's most explosive.  Markel Starkes mad D'vonte Smith-Rivera combined for just 29 [points and hit just 10 of 25 shots.

            Jordan kicked off what would become a festive evening for St. John's fans. He was the catalyst for the 15-0 spurt that opened and may have ultimately decided the game. He scored the game's first 7 points,  assisted on a JaKarr Sampson basket and, following a Harrison triple, finished the rally with a steal and layup.

            The Hoyas would make a couple of runs thanks to Jabril Trawick who finished with 13 points. They pulled to within 56-49 with 10:45 when Harrison stepped into and buried a straight away trey to give help St. John's regain a double digit advantage. And when Georgetown made a second run the two guards were money from the free throw stripe. Harrison shat a perfect 8-8 for the game.

All those elements made the win impressive but it was also  important. It lifted the Johnnies to 7-6 in league play, and let them begin in the best way possible a home stretch that will break a logjam of 5 teams in the middle of the Big East standings of teams that are battling for two or perhaps three spots in the NCAA tournament. Games against Xavier and at Marquette, like tonight's win, afford the Red Storm an opportunity for wins against teams in front of them in the standings and it was perhaps with that in mind that coach Steve Lavin had this reminder for his team. "We haven't accomplished anything yet." And while that may be true, the team has won 7 of its last 8 and finds itself nearly out of the 0-6 hole they dug for themselves to start the season. The play of the two guards was indeed the most impressive aspect of this win, and perhaps this stretch of games. It may prove to be the most important aspect heading into tournament play because those games, are controlled by guards and the pair wearing red and white are playing as well as any in the conference, and perhaps the country.

Harrison's Clutch Play Gives Defensive St. John's just enough for a win Vs. Creighton

You could almost hear the frustration in Creighton coach Greg McDermott's voice when the subject of post game questioning  turned to D'angelo Harrison's go-ahead basket with 2:09 left in St. John's 70-65 win over the 12th ranked Blue Jays at MSG.  The Jays had taken a 63-62 lead when Austin Chatman converted the second of two free throws. A moment later, as coach McDermott said with just a hint of consternation,"....Harrison makes a three off of one pass".

              Coach McDermott's apparent testiness was understandable because Harrison's basket seemed an anomaly in a game that had been a defensive struggle in the second half. It was also a game where Creighton seemed to be at the end of their playbook finding ways to get playbook finding ways to get consensus national player of the year candidate  Doug McDermott the ball in scoring position.

              McDermott had gotten off to a quick first half start thanks to great movement without the ball on his part and great movement of the ball by his teammates. But according to coach McDermott the quick start on offense may have had a negative affect because as he said "it may have made us a little lax defensively". Again the coach's frustration was well placed as St. John's led 40-36 at intermission.

              From there the game was more typical of the old school Big East games For the game there were 11 ties and 9 lead changes. And St. John's held McDermott in check not by lowering his shooting percentage (10-18 from the floor) but by limiting his touches in scoring position. Dougie McBuckets did not get a shot off for a bit more than 8:30 minutes to end the game.  The combination of Sir'Dominic Pointer, who challenged him with diligence and JaKar Sampson, who challenged him with length did a superb job against McDermott and, as Pointer suggested gave  someone besides McDermott a chance to beat them.
              Harrison's clutch shot was part  of a 19 point effort that included that clutch shot and 9-10 from the free throw line. As coach Lavin spoke about how Harrison thrives in those clutch moments one could not help but think that a great college basketball game simply came down to one team's ability to take a star away and one star's ability to escape the game's ebb and flow to get and make a clutch shot.

              With the win, St. John's first against a ranked opponent this season, they're now 5-6 in league play with a game Thursday at Seton Hall and a rematch against another Big East bubble team Georgetown. It's been a long climb out of the hole they dug for themselves but for St. John's  last night's win could mark a turning point that lifts them to an NCAA bid. Welcome to "pre March Madness" it will be a blast.

Royals' Big Man Returns in a Big Way to Lift CK Past Loughlin 67-49

              It took Christ the King's 6'10" cemter Adonis Delarosa  a while to shake the rust off. Coming off a two game suspension following a flagrant foul in Christ the King's loss at Bishop Loughlin on Jan. 31 Delarosa was a factor at the rim and on the boards but everything seemed just a little off. A normally reliable free throw shooter, he missed some early in the game. And a couple of passes and rebounds went off his normally reliable hands.

              Fortunately for the Royals and Adonis, his teammates and in particular Travis Alston helped the Royals  start quickly. Alston's 8 first quarter points included a powerful fast break finishing dunk and a long three pointer from the wing. Scoring from he and  Rawlie Alkins combined with poor shooting by Bishop Loughlin  gave the Royals a 27-18 halftime advantage.

              Loughlin tried to counter the Royals size and length by moving the ball quickly but even when they succeeded getting good shots they had an uncharacteristically hard time finishing them. Though they missed  a many layups a late rally punctuated by a vicious left handed dunk by Khadeem Carrington kept the Lions within striking distance.

              With a surprising assist from their own big man, 6'8" senior center AJ Vernon the Lions finally slowed down a bit and began to find the range on offense. Vernon's good work inside which included a nice spinning one handed bank shot combined with Javian Delacruz' outside shooting brought the Lions back. They trailed by just 34-29 after 3 quarters and pulled to within one on a Delacruz triple early in the final stanza. Mike Williams had a right wing three point attempt that bounced off the rim that would have given the Lions the lead and that's when Delarosa really went to work.

              Perhaps not surprisingly the first skill of Delarosa's to show itself after a rusty beginning was his best skill; his passing.  On one play he got the ball at the elbow and quick passed it down to Alston on the opposite side block for a basket. The impressive thing about the play was to see his eyes looking for the next pass as he caught the "hockey assist" from Andre Walker. His 14 point final quarter explosion included several tough catch and finish plays, and rebounds where he had to get from one side of the rim to the other. His size might mean he's not fast but he's exceptionally quick, not only with his feet but in the way he sees the game. He put an exclamation point on a 23 point 11 rebound effort with a spinning baseline drive that included effective use of a lefty dribble, and a block at the other end.

              His work combined with Alston's 21 points and 11 rebounds helped the Royals even the regular season score  against the Lions. Both teams have held serve at home and if form holds in the Brooklyn Diocesan playoffs it will set up a great final next week. While a lot can happen in the playoffs and Hayes remains the team to beat in the New York Archdiocese "AA" these two teams may be  headed towards a rematch of last year's intersectional  final. New York's own "March Madness" is almost here. And some great hoops is on its way.

Davis Comes up Big as Molloy Beats CK in OT 71-68

              Archbishop Molloy's senior guard C.J. Davis capped a terrific 21 point performance with clutch  plays  that helped the Stanners to a second straight upset; this time at Christ the King 71-68.

              C.J. was exceptional from start to finish but saved his best work for the game's closing moments; the part of the game coaches often refer to as "winning time". With his team trailing 65-62 Davis buried a left side triple to tie the  game with 2.5 seconds left in regulation. After CK scored the first three points of overtime and Molloy crept to within one,  Davis  found a crease in the Royals' defense and drew a foul. The first one needed a little assist from the rim to drop in and tie the game at 68. After a time out by Coach Joe Arbitello to ice him Davis promptly swished the next one. The Columbia University recruit then sealed the win by stealing CK's inbounding pass. With .1 seconds left he made two window dressing free throws that provided the final margin.

              Davis and the Stanners  a masterful job controlling  tempo in the first half.  Time and again he used his change of pace dribble and ability to play through contact to get to the rim. And when he wasn't scoring himself he was getting teammates involved. With the help of contributions from fellow senior Jason Cethoute  and sophomores Aaron Walker and Isaac Grant, Molloy  took a 36-31 advantage into halftime.

              Christ the King used a terrific transition game to lift themselves back into the game in the third quarter. Travis Alston, who scored 21 of his game high 23 points in the second half and sophomore Tyrone Cohen were terrific.  They helped the Royals fight through adversity created by an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from star Rawile  Alkins  and the absence of Adonis Delarosa, who served the balance of his two game suspension for a flagrant foul during the Royals' loss at Loughlin a week ago.   Alkins finished with just 13 points. And Delarosa's absence meant that the Royals did not have his sure hands and passing ability to be the hub of a normally productive half court offense.  Take nothing away from Molloy however who earned a terrific road win and have now won consecutive games over two teams ahead of them in the Brooklyn Queens  "AA" standings; Loughlin and Christ the King. They seem to be hitting their stride coming down the stretch and could spring another upset or two in the playoffs

              The Royals will have their return match with Bishop Loughlin on Sunday at CK. These are two very good teams and the game deserves better than the extracurricular nonsense that marked last week's game. If the nonsense is absent it should be as good a game as any played in our region this season.

Xaverian and Wadleigh Continue Super Sunday Tradition

 A different kind of sports tradition continued on Super Sunday  in Brooklyn. Some years ago two of New York City's most well respected high school basketball coaches ; Jack Alesi of Xaverian and the late great Mike Crump of Wadleigh High began what would become an annual game between two schools that would not normally play each other in the midst of hotly contested league competition in the CHSAA and PSAL.

              "We got a call from Mike in '06 when he needed a game and since then it's been a yearly tradition that  we play each other, Xaverian assistant Chris Alesi said.  Sometimes, the Clippers would visit Wadleigh as part of the annual Rucker Classic held there but as Chris explained, "....mostly it  was Super Sunday at Mike's request".

              This Super Sunday marked Wadleigh's first visit to Xaverian since Coach Crump's sudden passing on January 11th. Before the game Joe Hunter, Crump's friend and long time assistant coach who is now charged with the daunting task of succeeding  Mike under the most tragic of circumstances captured the real significance of the day when he said simply, "We have to keep the spirit of this game alive".

              Through the years the "spirit of the game" had become an intense but friendly rivalry.  In conversations with Coach Crump through the years he would often say that the value of the game for his  team was to help them get ready for a playoff  run by facing a tough well schooled CHSAA team. Both Coach Crump and Coach Alesi viewed the game as a unique  opportunity to face a good team while stepping away from the rigors of league play. The competition between the players was always intense but at the end of the day both teams got what they needed  because they got better having played each other. This Wadleigh team, like all those he coached reflected Mike's intensity.

              For Mike, the game was  one of many opportunities he used to first build a program at Wadleigh and then sustain a its success. With that in mind, it must be remembered that the most important reason for Mike's  success was the force of his personality. His unique combination of intensity, good humor and kindness drew people of all shapes sizes and stripes to him.

              In the stories and tributes that followed Coach Crump's passing much was made of his success with what were referred to as "second chance kids". While I suspect that's a part of his legacy that meant a great deal to him, two other aspects of his success should be remembered as well.

              Mike not only built his program with second chance kids, he did it almost exclusively with kids from the Harlem neighborhood that he served so well, and that he loved so much. Perhaps Mike's greatest of many great gifts was his ability to get into his kids lives and his passion that their lives be better because of the time he had teaching them.

              It also should be remembered that the challenge of building a basketball program at Wadleigh was unique in part because of the history of the school and building  on West 114th street. It had only been re-chartered as a co-educational high school in 1993 and by the turn of the century the building had  been split into its current two unique schools Wadleigh and Frederick Douglas Academy.

              In his own unique way Mike persevered and essentially built a program from scratch when he arrived  at Wadleigh 14 years ago. His success, which included 5 PSAL Manhattan titles and regular season titles in each of his 9 full seasons, is even more impressive considering that he, unlike many other coaches, did not have a history upon which to draw. His challenge was unique and he succeeded I think largely because he embraced it with the same zeal that he embraced teaching and changing his kids lives. Coach Hunter, his players and future generations of Wadleigh students will continue what has become a great program but Mike's place as the program's "founding coach" if you will, will be remembered always. And the program will always reflect his values of putting kids first and doing things the right way

              Yesterday's game resulted in a win for Xaverian but the outcome was secondary. what mattered  was that an annual game, between two programs and coaches had continued. I'm sure, as coach Hunter said, Mike's spirit was with us. I'm also sure that Mike's life and passion will always be a part of Wadleigh, New York basketball and the lives he touched.