Red Storm Passes First Test In Hoops For Heroes Classic at MSG

 

     Time will tell if Sunday’s 85-71 win for St. John’s over New Mexico at Madison Square Garden will provide the springboard that elevates the Red Storm to an NCAA tournament berth. The battle of the Pitinos, father and son coaches, headlined the proceedings and while Dad’s team beat his son’s defending Mountain West Conference Tournament champions, they know new and difficult tests will follow starting on Thursday when they meet Baylor in the Bahamas. On Sunday the energy, toughness and ability to make winning plays led to an important win against a very good club. The game helped raise funds for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

     ‘I thought we played really good defense in the first half, coach Pitino said of the effort that saw the Johnnies sprint to an 11-point half time advantage. “They (New Mexico) put pressure on you in pick and rolls.”

   The Johnnies were ready, starting Deivon Smith and RJ Luis in a move Pitino said was “just about matchups”. “We had to have Deivon on their point guard (Donovan Dent) to start the game”.

    Starting Smith had a positive impact on the offense as well. The numbers will say that he scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half but his ability to guard Dent with a little help from Zuby Edjifor hedging screens and his ability to push the pace with his quick handle helped the Johnnies put the Lobos back on their heels at times. New Mexico came in as one of the fastest paced teams in the country but they struggled at times with the pace St. John’s, Smith and RJ Luis in particular set.

    Luis finished with 21 points 11 rebounds and a career high 7 assists. He continued the outstanding defense on Dent that Smith provided to start the game He guarded him effectively using his size, length and an agility that he likely did not have last year due to shin splints. His 11 boards led the way as part of a great team effort on the boards for St. John’s who outrebounded the Lobos 49-32. Edjifor added 10 boards to go along with 13 points.

    St. John’s lead by 16 points with 1:27 left in the opening stanza when a quick 5-0 burst by the lobos trimmed that margin to 40-29 at the intermission. Kadary Richmond who finished with 14 points 8 rebounds 4 assists and 4 steals, tipped in the basket to open the second half for the Johnnies to keep the Lobos from extending that rally. Seven turnovers were a blemish on an otherwise fine performance many of his fine plays, including finding Aaron Scott and RJ Luis with passes on baseline cuts, came as New Mexico crept to within single digits.

    Smith and forward Aaron Scott combined on two three-point baskets that may have been the biggest momentum stoppers of all. With 7:16 left after New Mexico pulled to within 63-59 on a great seal and score by Nelly Junior Joseph. Smith had his own shot blocked but retrieved the miss and found Scott who connected on a right-angle triple that pushed St. John’s margin back to 7. Moments later with 4:30 left and St. John’s up by nine Scott became the passer, reversing the ball to Smith who buried a long triple of his own.

    St. John’s had taken and passed a great test on Sunday, one that Luis said the team needed before facing Baylor and Georgia for certain and either Tennessee or Virginia in the middle 2^nd of 3 games.  The Gauntlet, as Rick Pitino called it will be crucial as the Red Storm tries to build a tournament worthy resume

Johnnies Roar Back to Beat Quinnipiac 96-73

 

       Trailing 39-35 at the intermission, St. John’s seemingly flipped a switch and looked like the team fans saw at Carnesecca Arena for last week’s win over Fordham. The final result, a 96-73 win for the Johnnies was not in any way indicative of how close the first 20 minutes had been

            “Give them credit they made us play bad”, Rick Pitino said. “They moved the ball well and shot the ball well. Pitino said.

    Miami of Ohio transfer (and New Jersey native) Ryan Maybury blistered St. John’s defense connecting on 5-8 triples in the opening 20 minutes while point guard Savion Lewis of Half Hollow Hills East on Long Island controlled his team’s space and pace beautifully to take full advantage of Maybry’s hot start. Pecora’s squad also seemed to frustrate the Johnnies with what looked like a match-up zone defense. Pitino cited his team’s very first offensive possession to explain their first half struggles against coach Tom Pecora’s zone defense. “Zuby pops out and takes a 3 right away”, he said. “You can shoot the three but you need to create some movement before you do.”

   St. John’s was able to change the game’s momentum quickly. R.J. Luis’ inside work helped spark a 13-4 run to wipe out the first half deficit. His inside play combined with Devian Smith’s fine passing opened things up for smooth shooting sophomore forward Brady Dunlap. Perhaps his best sequence in what was his best game came during a 16-4 that he started with 8 straight points. The stretch included a pair of 3’s and a tough two pointer where he flashed into the key and made a quick release two pointer. He finished with a career high 20 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor and 5-8 from beyond the arc. Pitino credited Dunlap’s hot shooting with breaking the game open and also cited Smith, who finished with 10 assists to go along with 13 points. Luis had a double double of his own scoring a game high 24 points and adding a career high 13 rebounds. Simeon Wilcher scored in double figures with 14 points. Kadary Richmond despite a quiet scoring game had 6 assists and 6 boards. Reserve center Vincent Iwuchukwu’s numbers were modest (6 points and 6 boards) in 15 minutes but his running the floor and presence at the rim gave the Johnnies a lift.

     Last but not least it’s worth noting that even as he praised his team’s ability to achieve a 61-point second half, he sounded an ominous warning. It was also unexpected since it referenced the Saturday game vs. New Mexico that follows Wednesday’s game vs. Wagner. With the Lobos’ win earlier this week vs. UCLA he said “If our transition defense is like that (in the 1^st half) against New Mexico they will kill us.” Even for a Hall of Fame coach family bragging rights still matter.

St. John's Throttles Fordham in 2024 Season Opener

 

    In last night’s season opening win over local rival Fordham at Carnesecca Arena St. John’s shot 54.5% from the field. Not bad considering that the team devoted much of their preseason work to defense.

    “This year it’s been about 80/20”, coach Rick Pitino said of his emphasis on defense in practice. He explained further that the bulk of that time has been spent on the basics, half court man to man defense.  “We haven’t focused on pressing, haven’t focused on 2-2-1.  All we’ve been doing is working on our man defense our switching defense.” He then explained why, harkening back to last season’s slow start which many fans believe cost them an NCAA tourney bid he said, “….we knew we had to be ready early in the season because of Quinnipiac, New Mexico and then the Bahamas. We have a long way to go but we’re getting better.”

   The emphasis on defense may have been one of several factors that helped the tesm play free and easily. Especially in the first half they eschewed the 3-point shot in favor of a dominant effort both in the paint and in transition. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher finished with a team high 17 points+ on 7-9 shooting from the floor. That he shot just 1-2 from beyond the arc may worry some fans but it’s likely a sign that he’s simply more comfortable as a sophomore and will go to his bread-and-butter middle game while taking the three when he can shoot in rhythm.

           “Especially in the beginning of the season last year trying to figure everything out. From the pace of the game to the physicality of everything with a year under my belt and having so I can grow and become a better player Everything just feels like I’m just going with the game and not really thinking too much,” Wilcher said.

The comfort he described is likely aided by two transfer portal additions Kadary Richmond and Devian Smith.  Richmond played, with new teammates, the kind of game that Big East fans have come to expect from his time at Seton Hall and New York hoops fans know from his time at PSAL power South Shore High. He finished with 16 points 10 rebounds and 5 assists. He and forward Aaron Scott another portal addition from North Texas State helped provide a mobile and physical presence that can help the defense all season long. Smith added a team high 6 assists and provided steady pressure on the ball defensively. St. John’s led by 14 at the half and broke the game open as Scott and sophomore forward Brady Dunlap found the range from beyond the arc. Jackie Johnson III a senior transfer from UNLV kept Fordham within hailing distance in the 1^st half and finished with a game high 23 points. The Johnnies will play Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday at 2pm.