St. John's Handles Baruch in Exhibition Opener

    As dress rehearsals go, last night was about as good as it gets for St. John's.  They handled Baruch College 99-49 in an exhibition win that stood in direct contrast to Chris Mullin's debut just about a year ago. In that game  St. Thomas Aquinas college beat an undermanned  and inexperienced St. John's team handily.  This year, with 5 new faces and a group of returnees that were  eager to bring about a different outcome, they made quick work of the Bearcats.

     The Red Storm did have a jittery first few minutes as they missed their first six field goal tries but that proved to be their only detour on the way to an easy win. In those moments they appeared to be looking to quickly  for the three point shot and began to play better once the ball went inside. Juco scoring ace and Bronx native Bashir Ahmed got the offense going with a quick post up for a basket and it seemed like St. John's relaxed after that. Ahmed scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half  as he and 3 other newcomers joined  returning sophomore  Federico Mussini in double figures for St. John's Mussini finished with a game high 21 points.  Guards Marcus LoVett and Shamorie Ponds added 14 and 12 respectively and  forward Richard Freudenberg had 12. Each of the young players filled the other columns on the stat sheet. LoVett had a team high 5 assists  while Ponds had  a team high 5 steals.

              Perhaps more than the numbers and certainly more than the game's result, last night was important because it gave the coaches, fans and the players themselves a chance to see how the team would function with all the new faces.  There were plenty of good signs as Coach Mullin experimented with lots of different combinations thanks to options that simply were not there for him in his rookie season. "I liked our effort and I liked the way we shared the ball," Mullin said of his team's play. And with respect to the different combinations many fans had been looking forward to seeing he mentioned that LoVett and Ponds played well together both offensively and defensively.  I would hasten to add that the presence of those two was a big help to Mussini and may continue to improve his production all season. With the ball handling and playmaking duties now well shared by 3 fine guards Mussini had fresh legs and his shooting remained sharp from the game's start to its finish. LoVett and Ponds both played  much better in the second half. Ponds made his impact defensively while LoVett flashed some of the playmaking abilities the team will need from him once the opposition gets tougher. His best moment came in the second half when he drove and found center Yankuba  Sima with a pretty no-look dime.

              Mullin also put  Ahmed and Fruedenberg together with great efficacy. "We like them together because they have different  skills," Mullin said of the two forwards. "We see Richard as more of a spacer and shooter and Bashir as more of an attack the basket guy." They combined on one play that saw Fruedberg throw a perfect diagonal pass to Ahmed on the wing with which Ahmed smartly drove to the basket and scored.  All in all this was an impressive dress rehearsal for both coach and players alike.

Off the court news and notes: Sophomore swingman Malik Ellison sat out the game with an elbow injury but  will reportedly play Saturday in a closed scrimmage vs. pre-season top 25 URI. Top 2018 recruit and Archbishop Molloy 7'1" center Moses Brown was at the game. The game was a basketball family  affair for Mullin since Baruch is coached by long time friend John Alesi. John is of course the son of  former Xaverian coach Jack Alesi who was an assistant there when Chris led the Clippers to a state title in 1981. Jack was also Mullin's first coach in the CYO program at St. Thomas Aquinas Parrish in Brooklyn's Flatlands section

Coach Mullin's Second Season Brings Hope for Improvement and Reasons for Optimism

              When Chris Mullin was asked at media day what to expect in this his second season as the school's head coach he had several answers. He was quick to point out that the talent level and depth were better. And after two recruiting cycles; one where they moved swiftly and found some good talent and another which included a consensus top 40 high school prospect and a top 5 juco player both with New York roots. But his most simple and direct response came when he said that this season was "a debut for everybody".

    It's easy to understand why Coach Mullin and the players would be eager to turn the page from last year's 8-24 season. While several of the young players they recruited in the immediate aftermath of Mullin's hiring demonstrated that they could help the team progress they simply did not have enough numbers and talent to survive in a new Big East conference that remains intensely competitive and produced a national champion, Villanova, in just its third year of existence. Those players, including all Big East freshman selection Kassoum Yakwe and a pair of talented perimeter players in Malik Ellison and Federico Mussini have helped provide a welcoming environment for the newcomers.  "We have a bunch of gym rats who love the game," Mullin said. "It's fun being around guys who just had a two hour practice and after they're just shooting and hanging around the gym."

   Five newcomers will be seeing their first  action for St. John's this season but thanks in part to that "gym rat" mentality there's no division between newcomers and returnees. "The biggest advantage is that the guys who returned know what we want done in our system," Mullin said. But everyone connected to the program acknowledges that the wide recruiting net cast by the coaching staff has upgraded the talent level in the program. "Practices have been much better, more competitive," Ellison said. "Everyone has bought in to what coach wants and is trying to build."

              The aforementioned wide recruiting net brought home a pair of New Yorkers who both helped their teams to championships last season. Shamorie Ponds the consensus top 40 recruit helped Thomas Jefferson to both city PSAL and State Federation titles. Bashir Ahmed, a 6'7" Bronx native who began his career at JFK high returns home after leading Hutchinson Junior College to a national title and earning juco All-American honors in each both of his seasons there. Both local stars bring lots of scoring potential to St. John's and that makes another freshman Marcus LoVett perhaps the most important of the newcomers. The Indiana native who sat out last year due to NCAA freshman eligibility rules brings a playmaking dimension to a recruiting class that primarily addressed  the team's shooting struggles . "He's really meticulous in his preparation and unselfish," Mullin said of LoVett. "He's had some big scoring nights in high school but I think he likes to pass more and get his teammates involved." It's worth noting that Ellison, who was at times asked to play the point last year echoed those thoughts and sees LoVett's arrival creating chances for the other guards to play off the ball and look to score. "He creates a lot, and I think I can be more of a scorer."

   The Red Storm also added some international flavor to the recruiting class in Richard Freudenberg who a native of Germany who adds length, shooting ability and another spoken language to a team that already speaks six of them. The hope is that his shooting ability from the power forward spot will help space the floor and add  to a frontcourt that includes Ahmed, a junior and Yakwe, along with fellow sophs Yankuba Sima and Tariq Owens. The trio of second year players add length and shot blocking  but the team's perimeter defense  must improve to  take full advantage of their ability to protect the rim. If they can combine that with improved offense they will surely be improved and competitive against a tough non-conference schedule and in league play.

              Year two of the Coach Mullin era brings with it a deeper and more talented roster and a group that's eager to work together towards improvement and success.  Time and patience will still be needed as the building process of the team and the program continues  but progress has been made that should show itself  on the court this season.

Hoyas Find Right Fit at Point Guard with Local Star Waters

              With a little less than a month to go before young players can sign early letters of intent for Men's basketball, verbal commitments are coming in quickly and a summer's worth of speculation and conversation in internet chat rooms devoted to college basketball will change as fans begin to sort out recruiting fact from fiction.

              Much of the cyber chatter has, no doubt, centered on where the most highly ranked prospects will go and who will end up at Kentucky and Duke, the two teams  that have used the "one and done" rule to greatest advantage. At this time of year it's also worth noting that some of the best work done on the recruiting trail happens when a coaching staff succeeds in landing a player who's not only talented but fits the roster perfectly; a player who not only adds to the team's strengths but could well help them address aspects of play that need improvement.

              With the announcement today of Tremont Waters' commitment to Georgetown, JTIII and the Hoyas may well have found just such a player. The speedy point man who will play this season at Notre Dame High School in West Haven Ct. is, at 5'11", a guard who combines the scoring ability of a new aged point guard with the playmaking and game management ability of an old school floor general.

              He sees the floor extremely well, is a more than willing passer, and a creative scorer who can make shots both off the catch and off the dribble. But more than his individual talents, it's what he can add to a talented team that makes this such a good fit between program and recruit. Georgetown has had as talented and deep a roster as any since the current Big East began three years ago. And talented players such as New York center Jessie Govan, explosive wing L.J. Peak and all purpose power forward Marcus Derrickson all  figure to be back when he arrives next season. That's plenty of scoring punch but the Hoyas under JTIII have been a team that tries to generate offense from a system that uses motion and passing that the coach learned at Princeton under Pete Carill. At times, especially in tournament play, the Hoyas have struggled to make plays when the offense breaks down and at the end of the shot clock.

  As much or more than any guard the Hoyas have brought in recently, Waters could give them both the ability to score within the offense with his shooting  and the ability score at the end of the shot clock with his ability to use the dribble to make plays for himself and his teammates. It's always difficult to ask a young player to assume a leadership role so time and patience will be needed to make this work. But with the system and talent  in place at G-town, Waters could be just the kind of player they need for a return to tournament success. He's simply a tough and talented kid who we think has found just the right fit.

Drawing From Experience Young Stanners Pass First Test

Archbishop Molloy 63 Boys & Girls 57: The day's opening tilt at  Baruch featured two of New York's all time traditional powers. With that in mind it's perhaps  ironic that much of the buzz surrounding the game centered on two young players just starting their varsity careers for the Stanners; 6'11" sophomore center Moses Brown and 6' freshman point guard  Cole Anthony.

              The Stanners started slowly thanks to some early hot shooting by Boys & Girls. Early three's by senior guard Gianni Ford and a nice drive by fellow senior Nehemiah Boone gave them a quick early advantage, and while  many were present to see the Stanners' young players it was their upperclassman who helped them gain needed traction early in the ballgame.

              Senior forward Isaac Grant  scored inside to get Molloy started on his way to a game high 22 points while junior forward John Herring provided an early scoring threat from outside. Those two combined with steady play from seniors Justin Cole and Dom Pirolo to keep the Stanners within two points after the first quarter. Once those guys helped their team stay close the two youngsters had a chance to shine and did just that.

              Brown's first contribution came on offense when he converted a layup at the end of Molloy's press offense. But his biggest contribution came on the defensive end. Statistically that meant 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Visually it meant an infinite number of altered shots and an ability to get to rebounds out of his area. Like any player who grows early as he has  he'll need to get stronger to secure more of those rebounds but the nose for the ball is definitely there. And oh by the way his 14 points included a nice turnaround jumper and a pair of free throws.

              Cole Anthony may have had a more difficult challenge than Brown in this game because he and his teammates faced a group of perimeter players from Boys & Girls that was typically tough and physical. While the early good work from his teammates helped settle him down he demonstrated an unusual ability to get to wherever he wanted to go with the ball. And while some in the audience were critical when he kept getting back to his right hand to finish plays, the skill of making the move and getting the shot one wants is a skill that typically takes a player longer to master. And twice he used that skill, once on a pull up jumper and once on a triple to help hold off rallies by the Kangaroos. He not only finished with 14 points and 5 assists but helped Molloy cool off Ford and Boone. They finished with 21 and 12 points respectively for Boys & Girls.

A Surprising Assist Helps St. John's Past Rutgers

              Head coach Chris Mullin  called his team's 61-59 win over Rutgers on Thursday "a total team effort". The team had rallied from as many as 16 points down in the early stages of the second half to eventually forge the win. And the team effort to which Coach Mullin referred included not only the coaches and players but an assist from the front office so to speak.

     "Credit Joe Oliva", Mullin said referring to St. John's interim AD who also serves as the schools general counsel. "At about 4:30 today he brought us the news that Felix was eligible."

              Felix of course is  Felix Balamou the junior wing man who missed the previous two games due to an NCAA investigation. His reinstatement to the roster could not have come at a better time for a team that began the year short in numbers and had lost freshman Malik Ellison to a foot injury.

For the entire first half and a good portion of the second half, St. John's could not find any rhythm on offense. And while Rutgers did not look much better they did take advantage of 12 Johnnie turnovers in the first half to take an early lead and when former Loughlin star Mike Williams and reserve Bishop Daniels scored 5 straight points that lead was 7 at the intermission.  Another Rutgers rally that ended with a Mike Williams triple made the score 45-29 with just under 15 minutes left.

              Balamou then went to work, converting a layup and then assisting on a three pointer  by Amar Alibegovic. From there Mullin and the coaching staff did a terrific job putting Balamou in position to make plays. Often on the post or on the baseline he was required to make a quick decision but not required to handle the ball to initiate offense. Balamou's execution combined with excellent the coaching staff's ability to move him around lead to an individual stat line for Felix that included 8 points, 11 rebounds. 7 assists and one turnover. The assists/turnover ratio impressed his coach who called it "outstanding at any level". The 11 rebounds were a function of the amazing energy Felix brings with him an time he gets a chine to play.

              St. John's kept coming even when Rutgers got some scoring answers from D.J. Foreman and Deshawn Freeman. They finally took their first lead of the second half on two free throws by Ron Mouika with 1:18 left. While their execution down the stretch was far from flawless Rutgers which had left the door open a bit for St, John's with quick shots could not take advantage. St. John's did just enough to earn a tough win as they head to Maui and a difficult week of basketball tests.

For St. John's Federico Mussini and Yankuba Sima each had 13 points while Ron Mouika added 12

For Rutgers Bishop Daniels had a game high 21 points while Mike Williams added 13.

Graduate Transfers Lead St. John's Past UMBC

`The phrase "graduate transfer" has become an important part of the lexicon of college sports in recent seasons, particularly it seems in men's basketball. The term describes players who have completed undergraduate degrees and have playing eligibility remaining. For programs like St. John's, building under new coach Chris Mullin, they become important players because they lend experience and can help a young core understand how to compete at the college level.

              Last night St. John's two graduate transfers, Durand Johnson from Pittsburgh, and Ron Mvouika from Missouri State played pivotal roles in helping the Red Storm to a 75-53 win over UMBC last night

              They combined with freshman Federico Mussini, who had a second straight outstanding game with 18 points and 6 assists. The Red Storm used a terrific defensive effort to carve out a 9 point halftime advantage  but the aptly named Retrievers used  a terrific rebounding effort and timely 3 point shooting to pull to within 33-31 with just over 17 minutes left. That's when Johnson connected on three straight baskets and started St. John's on a 14-6 run that extended St. John's advantage to 47-37 and they never looked back. Johnson finished with 15 points and credited some timely advice from Mvouika for his hot second half shooting, "He told me to let go of the first half and just play my game", Johnson said of his fellow grad student teammate who showed off some hot shooting of his own with 16 points including 4-4 from 3 point distance. Freshman center Yankuba Sima had 5 of 11 blocked shots for St. John's and lead a defense that held former Manhattan Center HS  standout Aki Thomas' squad to 27% shooting.

              St. John's next faces local Big Ten rival Rutgers Carnesecca Arena on Thursday as part of the Big Ten Big East Challenge that will honor the Big East's late founder and first commissioner Dave Gavitt.

             

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Red Storm Find the Mark From 3-Point Range For Mullin's First Win

                  For New York basketball fans who remember Chris Mullin's playing career at St.John's a fun yet wistful discussion would begin whenever someone, often with a Brooklyn accent, would pose the question "How many would Chris have scored if he had  the 3-point line in college?"

              Without the 3 point line from 1981-85 Chris electrified the city with the help of great teams at St. John's. In his first game as the school's coach the program is a long way from the heights he helped it reach back then but his team used the triple to get their coach his first win, a 66-57 win over Wagner.

              The Red Storm made 9-20 shots from beyond the arc. None was larger than the one made by freshman guard Federico Mussini with 1:15 left in the game when he took a drive and kick pass from Durand Johnson and buried a buzzer beating three from the corner. The shot gave St. John's  a six point margin (60-54) and just enough breathing room to move past coach Bashir Mason's stubborn  Seahawks.

              Wagner used a 9-0 advantage in fast break points and some rugged play inside to play their foes from the Big East tough in a game that saw 9 ties and 19 lead changes. Mussini, one of three freshman starters for St. John's  finished with a game high 18 points and made 4 of 6 treys.

              Coach Mullin emphasized the victory's long term importance saying, "The lesson is that we're building this one brick at a time. Despite setbacks or good times we have work to do..."

              The setbacks Mullin may have been thinking of include an exhibition loss to D-II St. Thomas Aquinas and recent news that freshman Marcus LoVett and reserve Felix Balamou have both been deemed ineligible by the NCAA. LoVett was given partial qualifier status while Balamou was suspended indefinitely due to an unspecified violation. When asked about the news off the court Mullin offered a quick but firm no comment perhaps preferring to keep the focus on his team and their play.  As his young team learns the lessons of team building "one brick at a time" Coach Mullin may well be learning what it means to be more than just the coach but the face of a program. With his own coach Lou Carnesecca watching and offering council before the game, Chris and his team made a good start building towards a bright future.