Ponds Takes Control and Helps St. John's Get Tough Win

              Perhaps, as St. John's forward Bashir Ahmed suggested, St. John's 76-70 win over Cal-State Northridge (CSUN) did not happen "the way we wanted to". But there was certainly a lot for Chris Mullin and his young charges to be happy about. After all they earned the win without their best offensive player  Marcus LoVett, who missed the game with a sprained ankle. And they won it despite the fact that the second half saw them cool down  considerably from a hot shooting start.

              St. John's had made 7 of 10 tries from beyond the arc in the first half but coach Reggie Theus, yes that's the guy from UNLV the Bulls and the NBC Saturday show "Hang Time", and his team found offense near the basket. The ball did not move freely for either side but the visitors from California played tough and trailed by just four (40-36) at the half.

 As Chris Mullin said after the game, "Not having him (LoVett) affects everything, starting lineup, rotations and guys roles, I thought overall our guys did a good job stepping up".

              Offensively the task of stepping up was left to Shamorie Ponds, who normally teams with LoVett in what has been a potent St. John's backcourt and he responded about as well as anyone could have expected. His 25 points came on 10-18 shooting from the floor and 3-7 from beyond the arc. Combine 5 assists with one turnover and you have a great performance from any point guard, especially a freshman playing in his ninth college game.

 "He's calm, he has good instincts and he trusts them", Mullin said of Ponds. And those instincts helped him in a different role brought about by LoVett's absence. They not only helped him get is team off to a good start but allowed him to help his team make an adjustment when their three point shooting went cold  (3-11) in the second stanza. He was able to get key baskets driving the ball to the basket. Along with Bashir Ahmed whose  13 points included 8 free throws, they got just enough offense to, as their coach suggested "grind this one out". It may not have been the artistic success that Friday's win was but for a team still learning how to win it likely felt every bit as good.

Notes and Observations St. John's had two other double figure scorers. Malik Ellison had 10 points and tied Ponds with a team high 5 assists. His playmaking was vital to Ponds' ability to be an aggressive scorer, trust his instincts and not think too much in his new role.  Federico Mussini's 12 points came on 4 of 7 three point tries and included three straight in the span of 51 seconds in the first half. His explosion helped the Johnnies regain their footing after CSUN had pulled ahead briefly in the first half. Mullin said that LoVett would likely  get an MRI tomorrow and was uncertain about his status for  the game vs Fordham on Thursday. Fordham's own point guard, reigning A-10 rookie of the year Joe Chartouny  missed Saturday's loss to Harvard and his status for Thursday is uncertain as well.

Punter's Late Basket Lifts All Hallows past Xaverian 67-66

              Kieffer Punter hit a tough mid range step back bank shot with just under a minute and a half to go that gave All Hallows the lead for good at 65-63. From there two more free throws from Punter and strong defense help them earn a tough win at Xaverian Sunday afternoon.

              Punter's clutch shot put the finishing touch on what was a well balanced and winning effort for the Gales. He finished with 17 points while fellow senior guard Carnell White finished with a team high 23 for the visitors from the Bronx. The Gaels also got key contributions from another senior Cameron Otiti as well as promising sophomore Nick Johnson. They scored effectively both at the rim and from beyond the arc. That consistent offense combined with defensive stops in the closing moments helped coach Marvin McCullough's squad earn a tough win.

              At 6'4" Punter has the skill, size vision and shooting ability to play both  guard spots. He has been the focus of the Gaels offense for the last two seasons and, like his team, has struggled through growing pains. If yesterday's game is an indicator of the season both Punter and the team could be ready for a good season. While they will likely struggle against teams with good size such as Molloy, and CK, their ability to play with poise and confidence yesterday on the road as Xaverian rallied from a 7 point third quarter deficit  bodes well for the rest of their season. They found multiple sources for points and Punter did a great job making decisions, both scoring himself and getting his team mates involved.

              The Clippers played their first league game without league game under new coach Tommy Burns and struggled to find offense in the early going. All Hallows did a terrific job keying on the Clippers' senior  wing Zack Bruno, who overcame a slow shooting start to finish with a game high 29 points. Sophomore Isaiah Amazan and senior John Boyle each augmented Bruno's effort with strong games although  both sat for long stretches thanks to foul problems. Boyle is a 6'6" wide body who finishes effectively with either hand around the basket. He's also the team's best screener and his ability to do that helped  create scoring chances for Amazan and Bruno in the second half. He's someone division 2's and 3's should have their eye on.

              Right now both of these teams are building and All Hallows is further along in that process while Xaverian will likely spend much of the year trying to find out how this edition of the team can play following last season's memorable championship run. The top of the CHSAA "AA" division will be filled with great size as well as talent and while these teams don't have big men there's plenty of talent for colleges at all levels to watch grow and develop..

Struggling Red Storm Drops 5th Straight 79-72

The murmurs from observers and St. John's fans wondering whether or not their team was in trouble no doubt got a bit louder tonight as St. John's lost to MEAC Conference foe Delaware State 79-72 at Carnesecca Arena. The win was the hornets' first over a D-1 team this season and with it they broke a 20 game losing skid against D-1 non conference teams.

              St. John's fans had hoped the team would leave behind the struggles of a winless four game road trip which saw them struggle with defense, shot selection and rebounding. Instead each of those things showed themselves in what was a loss that looked even worse to the eyeballs then it did on paper.

              Delaware State played a half-court game that moved quickly. Third year coach Keith Walker's squad had the patience and poise to seemingly make multiple passes on every possession and seemed to get whatever shot they wanted. Sophomore guard Devin Morgan led three double figure scorers with  26 points for the Hornets their offense produced 53% from 3 point distance and 58% from the floor overall..

              And for St. John's the shooting  numbers were dismal,38% overall and 32 from 3, and while the red storm did out rebound the Hornets, the contrast in the way the teams played can't be grasped simply by looking at numbers. One team's passing was crisp, the other's was not, one team's defensive rotations were solid while the other gave away at least two baskets on plays where two defenders rotated to block a shot while none "stayed home" for the rebound. And perhaps most significantly one team knew how to play down the stretch and the other did not.

              Delaware State's largest margin of 15 points came on a triple by Morgan midway through the second half. From there St. John's rallied primarily behind Bashir Ahmed who finished with a game high 19 points. They got to within 69-63 on a Shamorie Ponds steal and layup with 3:16 left. There was, unlike much of the game, life in the building and life in the legs of St. John's players. From there both teams traded turnovers and Marcus Lovett forced a tough shot that missed. State finally put the game away when Morgan and DeAndre Hayward each converted steals into layups and put the game away for good. Only time will tell whether St. John's has a  team learning to compete at this level or one with deeper problems. For now though they have their work cut out for themselves simply trying to find their footing and maybe figure out what they do best.

Remembering Former Grady Coach Jack RIngel

              One of the best things about following and writing about  high school basketball in New York City  is getting to know the history. Sadly, when a person who was a vital part of that history passes away there's a mix of emotions. While the basketball community here will surely mourn the death of former Grady coach Jack Ringel, the remembrance will also be filled with thoughts of a great era of high school hoops in the 1980's and '90's; an era that Coach Ringel, who died Sunday at the age of 67 in a tragic car accident, played an essential part in making great.

              I'd like to begin my remembrance with a nod toward that history by noting that Coach Ringel was part of one of New York's great but underappreciated coaching trees; the one that starts with the late NYU point guard Mark Reiner, who coached powerhouses at  Canarsie High and Lincoln . Many of  his lieutenants became prominent  high school coaches including Bobby Hartstein at Lincoln, Ted Gustus who coached at Nazareth and Bishop Loughlin and of course Ringel, who served a year as Hartstein's top assistant at  Lincoln before moving to the opposite side of  Ocean Parkway to what was then Grady Vocational and Technical High School.

              He faced what seemed to be a daunting task building a program in the shadow of Lincoln where Hartstein and his charges had become the dominant PSAL program of the 80's. And the fact is that he was in his ninth season when he won the first of three city title 1990. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the job he did building the program is that once he laid the foundation and built success at Grady, it did not represent a takedown of Lincoln.  The Falcons simply rose to the level of the Railsplitters and in doing so created the PSAL's signature rivalry. Hartstein and Ringel remained good friends but competed fiercely and the twice yearly regular season meetings between the schools were always played  before packed houses as the two teams competed for supremacy in what was then known as Brooklyn Division I (aka the "Black and Blue" division a high school hoops version of the old NFC central)  Both schools achieved consistent regional  prominence and competed for national recognition that was typically reserved for the city's Catholic powers such as Tolentine,  Rice, Molloy and Christ the King. The fact that both Grady and Lincoln enjoyed such success is not only a tribute to two fantastic coaches in Hartstein and Ringel, but it speaks to the depth of talent there was  in Coney Island and Brighton Beach, the  communities served by the two schools. In those days there was more than enough talent to go around and both coaches did a great job developing kids and getting them ready for college

    As college players, Ringel's  guys were typically undersized regardless of the position they played and unwaveringly tough both physically and mentally.  The list of players Ringel made ready for division one programs includes but is not limited to the following players: Maurice Brown & Tyrone Grant (St. John's) Woody Souffrant, Roberto GIttens and Norman Richardson (Hofstra)  Quincy Douby  and Jamal Phillips   (Rutgers) Eric Leslie (Rhode Island)  and Efrem Whitehead (Duquesne). Two of them, Richardson  and Douby played in the NBA and Douby was a first round  draft  pick. Ringel's legacy includes over 450 wins in 24 seasons at Grady, three city titles and one New York State Federation title.  It also includes the impact his passion and advocacy had on the players  who were part of a lifetime of service to kids in New York City.

     At 67 Jack Ringel left us way too soon and sadly leaves behind a young son who plays soccer and of  course basketball. Here in New York he'll be remembered as a force of nature who made the kids and school he worked for better. His life was cut short but it was extraordinarily well lived. Rest in peace my friend you will be missed.

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.