St. John's Loses Big East Opener And Maybe More as Ponds is Injured

                Providence had begun to pull away with a flurry of three-point shots against a St. John’s defense that had been good in non-conference play. They could not contain the penetration of Kyron Cartwright, who finished the game with 15 assists in addition to a game-high 21 points. His passing and the three-point marksmanship of he and his teammates triggered an 11-0 run for the Friars and helped them salt away what would ultimately be a 94-72 win in the Big East opener for both teams last night.  The loss was a difficult one but it could be the least of St. John’s problems as they move into the grind of conference play.

                Shamorie Ponds the Red Storm’s do-everything point guard was injured early in the second half. He attempted to play through the injury but struggled before sitting out the final nine minutes of the loss. Without him and Marcus Lovett, who missed his sixth straight game with a knee injury of his own, St. John’s offense sputtered, laying a goose egg from three-point land on all 10 tries in the second half. Providence converted on 11 of 16 threes and while the “points in transition” statistic may have been even, much of the Friars success from beyond the arc came on secondary transition where one swing of the ball lead to open looks.  As Chris Mullin lamented “…. we’ve been good (on defense) all year, tonight we were horrendous”.

                Lead by senior guard Cartwright, the Friars new exactly what to do to take full advantage. He was one of four double figure scorers for Providence as fellow senior Jalen Lindsey scored 18 points making 6 of 10 three-point tries while former Frederick Douglas Academy standout Alpha Diallo had a double-double of his own with 18 points and 12 boards.

                Ponds had put up a game’s worth of stats during the first 20 minutes, scoring 14 of his 16 points while finishing with 6 assists and 3 steals. Despite a strong effort St. John’s trailed 41-40 at the half as Providence’s depth with both playing numbers and scoring options was tough for St. John’s to handle. Marvin Clark scored a team-high 20 points for the Johnnies but they simply could never gain traction first with Ponds struggling and then with him out of the lineup. St. John’s will have to flush to move on from this quickly to get ready for Sunday’s game at Seton Hall, but for now Johnnie Nation holds its collective breath waiting for news on Ponds that may well determine the fate of their season. According to multiple reports an initial diagnosis revealed no structural damage to Ponds’ knee but he will reportedly undergo a what is being described as a precautionary MRI today.

As The Royals Make a Change They Seem to Find Their Stride vs. St. Rays

                It may have taken some fans in attendance at Christ the King by surprise that only one of the team’s twin towers, freshman Moussa Cisse was introduced as a starter and junior Kofi Cockburn began the game on the bench. It’s worth noting that the change did not last very long; only a few minutes into the game. It’s also worth noting that all three players involved in the switch, Cisse, Cockburn and forward Jared Harrison-Hunte all had strong moments in what would be an 82-64 win over St. Ray’s. Time will tell whether or not the change will have a lasting impact but if the first impression is an accurate one it may help the Royals find their stride as they enter the New Year and the rigors of league play.

     Even though the change to the lineup came up front, the Royals’ quick start on offense was triggered by the back court. A 10-0 game starting burst included consecutive 3-point baskets by talented sophomore guards Quaran McPherson and Ryan Meyers. The two youngsters combined with senior Tyson Walker not just for scoring but to move the ball with drives and quick crisp passing and the trio of forwards were the beneficiaries. Cockburn, who came off the bench, was particularly impressive finishing plays with both a soft touch and some powerful dunks. Harrison-Hunte helped clean up whatever the two bigs did not get to and, more significantly helped the Royals control the defensive boards. Meyers would finish with a game high 18 points and showed a lot more than just his shooting skill. He had several terrific assists to the big men and also made good decisions when the proper play was to keep the ball moving. McPherson added 15 and Cockburn 14 for the Royals, who led by a dozen after the first quarter and saw that margin reach as high as 23 points.

     At a time when analytics and statistical analysis have become such a part of basketball as they have in all sports, the effect of the line-up change is hard to quantify using numbers alone. Whether they were on the court together or separately Cisse and Cockburn were game changers on defense with shot blocks and alterations. I think the best part of the rotation was that they were simply able to navigate foul troubles, while both guys picked up 3 fouls early, they maintained a substantial margin and their aggressiveness from the game’s start to its finish.

    St. Ray’s faced a difficult task that was made even harder with the absence of tough senior forward Darius Lee due to an injury. The Ravens had a highlight sequence when Gary Grant scored on a dunk over one of CK’s towers and junior Jalen Reneau connected on a transition triple. Once CK regained their footing the game was in hand for the Royals and while much of the focus may have been on CK’s talented big men, their guards, particularly Meyers showed terrific ability and that they may indeed provide the edge the Royals need for a title run.

Christ the King Uses Depth and Size to Surge Past Xaverian

                Kofi Cockburn finished with a game high 17 points as Christ the King used its size and balance to earn a hard fought and convincing win over Xaverian 67-46 in Brooklyn yesterday.

                The fact that Cockburn, the 6’11” junior center was CK’s only double figure scorer may seem odd if you read about the game on web sites like this one or saw only a box score. But if you watched the game the reason that’s true is readily discernable. It is a tribute to just how deep and well balanced the team is, and while early season losses to Cardinal Hayes and Iona Prep indicate that the Royals have work to do in order to reach their full potential, today’s all-around effort is an indication that the talent is there for a deep post season run and perhaps another city title.

                To be sure Cockburn and fellow big man freshman Moussa Cisse set the pace with their ability to run the floor and protect the rim. Cockburn finished with 8 rebounds in addition to his 17 points while Cisse, who also stands 6’11” finished with a team high 14 rebounds and 2 blocks to go along with 8 points of his own.  Cisse is a remarkably fluid athlete given his size and age and showed remarkable range defensively not only as a shot blocker but as a guy who got to several of those rebounds with quickness that compliments his length. Cockburn might not be quite as athletic as his similarly tall teammate but with bulk and an improved shooting touch that compliments Cisse’s quickness and athleticism the Royals’ “twin towers” appear destined for success at this level and beyond.

                Xaverian tried to counter with their perimeter fire power as guards Isaiah Amazan and Billy Reyes each finished with 13 points. They battled as best they could on the inside but that task was made more difficult by the absence of Mike Graham who rolled his ankle in the Clippers’ Friday win vs. St. Francis Prep. Without him sophomore Elijah Hardison had his hands full despite help from the guards but his effort included 4 blocks and a couple of nice low post moves. He has been a hard-running big man and an active defender who can give Xaverian an additional weapon if he can improve offensively.

                Christ the King’s ability to control the paint likely made the difference in this game but their perimeter players did some good work as well. Senior leader Tyson Walker had filled the stat sheet with 7 points 5 assists and 4 steals while a pair of talented sophomores, Ryan Meyers and Quaron McPherson each provided tough defense and a steady floor game for the Royals. McPherson, who arrived from the Patrick School with a reputation as a scorer had 7 rebounds and 4 steals and did not force his own scoring. Meyers, who lead last season’s freshman team also had a quietly effective game scoring only when opportunity came, feeding the post nicely and being active with his great hands defensively.

                Slowly but surely both of these young teams are learning what it takes to compete in one of the country’s toughest high school leagues. More is expected of Christ the King and they will continue to get better especially as they figure out how best to play defensively. It’s early but both these teams, though very different with respect to how they play will likely be very good by season’s end.

Xaverian Works Overtime for First League Win 77-71

                Sophomore Billy Reyes scored 23 points while junior Isaiah Amazan added 20 to lift Xaverian and new coach Clyde Chapman to their first league win over a tough, St. Francis Prep squad 77-71.

    It makes perfect basketball sense that these two teams would need overtime to decide what was a hard-fought contest as Xaverian and St. Francis enter this season facing very similar circumstances. Both Chapman and The Prep’s Jim Lynch are beginning their first varsity seasons after serving apprenticeships at sub varsity levels. The two teams are also similar because they feature underclassmen as their primary scorers and offense for both teams comes primarily from the perimeter since both teams have guards who can drive the ball to the rim and space the floor with good shooting.  That perimeter emphasis   became even more important for the Clippers in the game’s opening moments when junior forward Michael Graham left the game with a leg injury.

                Graham, an improving 6’7” forward had established himself as a force around the basket in the early going for Xaverian.  His fast start to the season included a 22-point effort in a hard-fought loss to St. Ray’s on Sunday. In his absence the visitors from Queens went right at the Clippers taking the ball strong to the basket and finishing drives at the rim and sometimes kicking the ball for three point tries. The perimeter trio of junior Justin Hendrick, sophomore Anthony Lopez and senior Brandon Tatis all scored with strong drives and shots from distance. The youngest of the group, Lopez is a 6’2” guard with terrific length and a quick and long first step and is a prospect D-1 programs should watch closely. They helped St. Francis forge leads of 18-12 after the first period and 33-27 at the intermission.

    Xaverian started quickly in the third period behind the backcourt tandem of Amazan and Reyes. Their good work plus key plays from senior Josh Denis and junior Zack Hayn helped the Clippers re-take the lead in the third period and set the stage for a terrific see-saw battle that showed off both teams’ ability to make clutch plays at key times. Lopez and Hendrick were high scorers for the Terriers with 21 and 18 respectively while Tatis added double figures and tied the game in the final minute of regulation with a tough drive out of the post.

                While the Clippers went ahead for good on two free throws by Amazan in the overtime and then iced the game with 4 free throws from Reyes, an unexpected contribution off the bench, and on the defensive end of the floor may have provided the difference for the Clippers.  Sophomore reserve Elijah Hardison filled in admirably for his injured team mate Graham. While he finished with just 6 points he provided a tough defensive presence in the paint in a game when his teammates struggled to keep St. Francis’ guards in front of them.  While Xaverian’s offense came from the perimeter Hardison’s play around the basket was just as essential to a well-earned win for the young Clippers and their new coach.

   Both Xaverian and St. Francis figure to be part of a large and competitive middle ground in the CHSAA’s “AA” league. They do not have the size to match up with the top four of Christ the King, Molloy, Stepinac and Hayes, but they have the ability to space the floor and score and, if the young core of both of these teams can continue to improve they could be dangerous come March.

As St. John's Basketball Looks Back The Current team Wins Big 90-55

                On a day when St. John’s honored a cornerstone of its storied basketball past, the current edition of the basketball team took a half to get in gear. With star guard Marcus Lovett missing because of a sprained knee, the aggressive defense and quick ball moving offense that have been part of their best basketball were both decidedly absent. Sacred Heart took advantage of offensive rebounds, kicking the ball out for threes and a defense that, in the words of their coach Chris Mullin gave up “15 or 16 middle drives and as athletic as we are that should not happen to us” Mullin summed up the first half effort succinctly when he said, “We were just participating and not competing”.  As the first 20 minutes drew to a close St. John’s, despite those struggles had briefly pushed their margin to 8 points. But they saw that margin evaporate when they gave up a pair of triples to Kinnon Larose. Sacred Heart then tied the game at 34 on a jumper by De’Von Barnett before Marvin Clark converted of offensive rebound for a basket to give St. John’s a scant 2-point margin at the intermission.

    No one connected with St. John’s offered the week layoff or Lovett’s absence as excuses for the slow start, and perhaps that’s one reason why they were able to shake it off quickly. As they came out to start the second half their energy was completely different.             An 10-2 run by St. John’s moved the lead to 46-36 before the first media time out and from there St. John’s athleticism and energy controlled the game. Shamorie Ponds finished with a game high 22 points while Clark and Justin Simon added 14 apiece. No one had a better game though, then Tariq Owens who finished with 12 points 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Those numbers, as good as they are obscure the fact that his individual game mirrored the tale of two halves he and his teammates had just experienced. His coach pointed out, “In the first half there were probably two or 3 plays for Tariq where they threw him the ball and he fell or it hit him in the nose, Mullin said. “But then in the second half he catches a lob with his left hand above the top of the box.”

St. John’s ended up routing the Pioneers 54-21 over the latter 20 minutes and ended up scoring the kind of decisive win they need as they head west for two tough tests against Grand Canyon and Arizona State. Mullin warned his team that both those teams are high powered and they must bring energy to start the game or “we’ll be down by 25.” On the road and perhaps without Lovett they face a tough task indeed.

St.John’s Unveils Lapchick Statue

  Prior to today’s game St. John’s unveiled a statue to honor the legacy of coach Joe Lapchick. Coach Lapchick was first a star player for teams such as the Original Celtics and the Cleveland Rosenblums. At 6’5” he was widely considered to be basketball’s best center in the 1920’s and 30’s and was known as a slick passer and clever player. In 1936 he began the first of two coaching stints at St. John’s. In 20 seasons combined he compiled a 334-140 record and 4 N.I.T. Titles. Between his stints at St. John’s he coached the NBA’s New York Knicks.  From 1947-’56 he coached the Knicks to a 326-247 record and 3 trips to the NBA finals. He was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of fame in 1966 and is perhaps best remembered for his actions on behalf of social justice as both a player and coach. As a player his Celtics teams would barnstorm against the “black fives” of that era such as the New York Rens .  The Rens featured hall of famers Pop Gates, John “Boy Wonder” Isaacs and Charles “Tarzan” Cooper. Lapchick would begin each game by embracing fellow center Cooper just prior to the opening tap. As coach of the Knicks he signed Harlem Globetrotters star Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton to a Knicks’ contract. In 1950 Clifton, with Lapchick coaching became just the second African American player to appear in an NBA game just 4 days after Earl Lloyd had broken the league’s color line as a member of the Washington Capitals.