Clippers Take King Tournament Title, And Other Notes from the Tournament

       I’d like to begin this recap by saying thank you to athletic director Guy DeFonzo and his staff at St. Thomas who put together a great tournament and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I was well positioned and situated.  I’m sure at least some of my readers may recall in conversation that the Msgr. King Tournament was an important part of Christmas Time growing up for me.  My dad would take me to those games and the time we spent watching games there and talking hoops created some of the happiest memories I had with him.  Thank you to Mr. DeFonzo and his staff also for allowing me to look back briefly on those happy days.

    This year’s Msgr. King Tournament was the 50^th held and the 5^th since it was re-established in 2014.  It saw Xaverian High School post 3 convincing wins including an 83-63 win over McKee Staten Island Tech in the championship game. Sophomore guard Shawn Fulcher took home his second in season tournament MVP honors, making an impact on all areas of the game. On offense he helped push the pace created opportunities for his teammates with great passing and took what the defense gave him by scoring from middle distance.  His shooting and shot selection must continue to get better if the Clippers are to capitalize on their strong start as league play continues in 2019. In addition to Fulcher’s strong play and leadership, other Clippers showed why they could be a force to be reckoned with this season. Fulcher’s backcourt partner and fellow sophomore Nick Folk continued to establish himself as one of New York’s best young shooters. His tournament resume included a 21-point performance in the semi-final vs. local rival St. Edmund’s and a well-earned spot on the all-tournament team. Senior big man Michael Graham continued his strong start to the season by providing a long active finishing presence under the basket. Perhaps the key element to the Clippers’ tournament win and their strong start might be the bench, where a quartet of reserves all made essential contributions to what would ultimately be a winning effort.  Billy Reyes, a 6’3” junior guard made clutch shots and got key rebounds throughout the tournament and his work in the third quarter of the final game was key in helping the Clippers put some distance between themselves and a tough McKee squad. And it helped him earn the tournament’s coaches award named in honor of the late Pudgie Walsh, who built and coached the Brooklyn Mariners semi-pro football team.

  A pair of junior guards, Noah Salcedo and Ian Byrne provided energy and toughness off the bench that complimented the two starting guards. Byrne in particular was a spark defensively, giving up size to the tournament’s leading scorer, MSIT’s Kalique Mitchell, but making him earn every inch of real estate as he drove to the basket. Finally, junior forward Elijah Hardison provided important minutes in relief of Graham and allowed the Clippers to have a forceful presence under the basket from start to finish. He’s a young player who, like several of the Clippers’ underclassmen appears to be improving with each game.

   While Xaverian’s guard duo, balance and depth earned them a great win several other players did terrific work throughout the tournament. Runner up McKee featured the tournament’s leading scorer Kalique Mitchell, a 6’4” senior who was a fearless driver with terrific length. Sophomore guard Jahbrey McFarlane also showed out for McKee with his terrific outside touch. Other all tournament selections included 6’ junior guard St. Edmund Prep, senior guard Jaylen Womack of Notre Dame (Utica) and 6’3 junior Sal Saputo of St. Mary’s (LI) Congratulations to the winners and again to those at St. Thomas who have brought the tournament back for local fans of all ages to enjoy.

Clippers do Just Enough to Earn Road Win at Christ the King

   In a game where Xaverian got just enough offense, made just enough stops down the stretch, and got just enough from their bench they earned an important 70-68 road win at Christ the King Friday night.

     For the Clippers it was their third road win in league play, following wins against two more Queens rivals Holy Cross and St. Francis Prep. In these wins and a tough 75-70 loss to pre-season league favorite Cardinal Hayes the Clippers, who started the game with two sophomores and a senior in Michael Graham who missed all of last year with an ankle injury, showed an ability to play well in close games that’s typically unexpected from a young club.

     The Royals and Clippers are teams that mirror each other because of their young talent on the perimeter. For Xaverian sophomore guards Shawn Fulcher and Nick Folk helped the Clippers forge an early lead.  While Folk made two first quarter treys, Fulcher displayed the poise of a veteran guard working the pick and roll with senior forward Graham. The impressive part of those plays by Fulcher was that a guy known for his speed and quickness never got rushed and instead waited for plays to develop and fed Graham for at least 3 dunks by my unofficial count.

     Christ the King’s own talented back court matched the Clippers.  Sterling Jones did not have as many assists as Fulcher but the sophomore showed terrific outside shooting ability. His partner, junior Ryan Meyers continued as he has all season to effectively mix his driving and shooting ability.  After a fine sophomore season where he took on the role of a spot up shooter, he is beginning to show fans and college coaches that his game is much more complete and that he is indeed one of the best in the deep reservoir of New York Area guards. They combined with Quaran McPherson to help the Royals stay even in a nip and tuck struggle. The Clippers first quarter margin was 19-14 but behind Meyers and Jones they rallied to tie the game at 36 at the intermission. And were it not for two free throws by reserve guard Ian Byrne, who earned them hustling for a loose ball, the Clippers would have faced a halftime deficit following a quick start.

     Byrne’s hustle play was just one of several key contributions from the Clippers’ bench which may have provided the difference in the game. Junior wing Billy Reyes provided an outside shooting compliment to Folk’s good early work that gave the Clippers an early 3^rd quarter advantage before Christ the King rallied to tie it at 54 as the final stanza began.  Byrne and fellow reserve guard Noah Salcedo gave solid minutes helping the Clippers navigate foul trouble on the perimeter for Fulcher and senior Isaiah Amazan, while junior Elijah Hardison, who did not enter the game until the final quarter, provided defensive plays and toughness after Graham picked up his fourth foul.

    At the end of the game neither team was perfect as they both struggled shooting from both the field and the free throw line down the stretch. Xaverian did just enough to grind out a tough win and both teams showed that they will be in the thick of things this season. Christ the King will improve not only when super-soph center Moussa Cisse returns (reportedly in mid-January) but as their young players, particularly Jones, gain experience. Xaverian’s young team should see similar growth as their young players, along with inexperienced senior Michael Graham gain experience. These two teams will likely vie with a talented and veteran Bishop Loughlin squad for the top spot in the Brooklyn-Queens “AA” division. We’re not even out of December and a great season is already shaping up.

St. John's Stays Perfect With Convincing Win Over St. Francis

     St. John’s gave fans an early Christmas present as they raised their perfect record to 11-0 with their most dominant performance of the season in an 86-52 win over St. Francis of Brooklyn. The Johnnies set the pace on defense where they held the Terriers to just 28% shooting forced 14 turnovers and blocked six shots. On offense, forward LJ Figueroa and reserve guard Mikey Dixon tied for game high scoring honors with 13 points while Marvin Clark and Shamorie Ponds added 12 apiece. Clark had his best all-around game of the season adding 7 rebounds 4 assists and 3 blocks.

    St. Francis lead briefly 6-4 when, with just under 16 minutes left, St. John’s would begin a 10-0 run capped by a Justin Simon rebound and length of the court drive that culminated with a powerful right-handed dunk. The Red Storm extended that run to 22-6 to take control of the game. They then answered a 7-1 Terriers’ run with a buzzer beating banked in trey by Dixon that gave them a 37-25 lead at intermission.  The Johnnies then scored the first 8 points of the intermission to put the game out of reach for St. Francis.

    The game provided an opportunity for the team’s trio of freshmen to get some playing time and each took advantage. Swingman Greg Williams connected on his first four shots, including a rim rattling dunk when he cut to the basket and took a pass from Figueroa. Center Josh Roberts had a dunk of his own and two rebounds. Marcellus Earlington’s 4 minutes of action featured 7 points and 5 rebounds as well as a play that will likely earn him some praise in a film session. After he missed a free throw off the back of the rim, he alertly followed it up for a basket while everyone watched. He was, apparently the only player on the court who knew he was shooting the front end of a one and one situation.  It was that kind of night for St. John’s and the play of the youngsters put a fitting cap on a very good night.

     Next up for the Johnnies is their final contest before Big East play begins. They’ll host another Northeast Conference foe Sacred Heart beginning at 8 pm.

Strong Second Half Propels St. John's to First 10-0 Start since '82-'83

                Perhaps it was the dreariness of a cold and rainy Sunday that caused St. John’s and Wagner to start so slowly in yesterday’s game at Carnesecca Arena. In the post-game presser coach Chris Mullin put his finger on what was happening. “Nothing stuck out to me that we were doing very well or very bad. I felt like we were participating and not competing…. we started the game out pretty good but then we let Wagner get comfortable.”

     For the visitors from Staten Island “comfortable” meant trailing by just one at the half (29-28) thanks to tough inside work from forward AJ Sumbry and outside scoring from Chase Freeman who connected on a couple of first have treys. When guard Romone Saunders opened the second half with a two-pointer to give Wagner a lead the momentum of the game seemed to turn on a dime and change completely.

       Shamorie Ponds, had one of his 14 assists when he hit LJ Figueroa in rhythm for a 3-pointer. The pass and shot began an 18-2 run that helped the Johnnies seize control of the proceedings and earn a 73-58 win over the Seahawks.  Ponds set the pace as he has all year committing just one turnover and adding to the impressive assist total 16 points and 9 rebounds. He shot an efficient 4-7 from the field and made all 6 of his free throws. The margin and his coach’s desire to keep him healthy kept him from achieving St. John’s first triple double since the artist formerly known as Ron Artest did it against Seton Hall in 1999.

                Ponds’ response to being taken out was typical of the player and person Red Storm fans have gotten to know and enjoy for these three seasons.  “I wasn’t upset. I wanted to get it (the triple double) but I know where coach is coming from. He did not want me to get hurt.”

    Ponds’ terrific passing eye and hands found eager teammates looking to finish or connect on in rhythm jumpers. LJ Figueroa had another typically efficient game scoring 19 points on 8-13 shooting including 3-6 from beyond the arc.  His two-point field goals were also fun to watch because he has a great knack for scoring in traffic where he never seems to jump the highest but always seems to have perfect timing. Timing also seems to be an important part of his ability to finish in transition, almost like a great scorer in soccer who has an ability to time his runs to be in position not only to receive a pass but have a good shot at the basket. Marvin Clark II finished with 14 points while Mustapha Heron added 10 for the Johnnies.

       The win gave St. John’s their first 10-0 start since the 1982-83 season when their coach was just a sophomore. That year the Redmen began the season with 14 straight wins and won their first Big East Tournament Title. It is also just the team’s third 10-0 start since 1950.

   St. John’s will be back in action Wednesday to face St. Francis of Brooklyn. Tip off will be at 6:30 pm.

Figueroa Leads the way as St. John's Earns Sixth Straight Win.

       In what would ultimately be a convincing 85-64 win for St. John’s Shamorie Ponds played as he had in the win at Rutgers on November 16^th, putting aside his role as a dominant scorer and helping others, particularly Mustapha Heron and LJ Figueroa to provide the scoring punch. While those two games stand in direct contrast to Ponds’ emergence as both a dominant and more efficient scorer in leading St. John’s to a 6-0 start this season, his 6 assists, 2 turnover 6 rebound effort last night was essential to a winning effort.  While it may have been statistically less impressive than his 35-point 7 assist 7 steal game winning shot, MVP performance a week ago against VCU it was likely every bit as important in the context of the Red Storm’s season. As Ponds took a secondary role, other players flourished, especially sophomore forward Figueroa.

       All season long Figueroa has been an exceptionally reliable second scoring option for St. John’s, as well as the ultimate mismatch guy in Chris Mullin’s offense. And he has played that role not only scoring and creating opportunities for teammates, but he’s done it while averaging a team high 8 rebounds playing much of that time as an undersized front court player.

     “He has great instincts, he really does. He has a really good nose for the ball for rebounds”, coach Chris Mullin said. “He’s got great energy.”

   All of that was on display as the Massachusetts native who arrived via Odessa (TX) JC helped St. John’s take control early with a 20-6 run to start the game. He ended that game with the second double double of his career, scoring 25 points while hauling in 13 boards and adding 5 steals. His triple with just over four minutes left in the opening stanza gave the Red Storm a 43-17 advantage. The second half saw some sloppiness from St. John’s and saw the visitors trim their margin to 15 but they could get no closer.

In addition to Figueroa, St. John’s got 20 points from Mustapha Heron, who bounced back from a poor shooting effort against VCU, while Mikey Dixon continued to provide strong scoring punch off the bench with 14 points on 5-8 shooting that included 4-7 from beyond the arc.

   St. John’s travels to Florida where they will face ACC rival Georgia Tech, and former Christ the King star Jose Alvarado, on Saturday at noon. The game will be part of the Air Force Reserve HoopHall Invitational.

Strong Opening Night Lifts St. John's Past Loyola (MD)

    St. John’s began what they hope will be a long and successful run in the 2018-19 season with an opening that went significantly better than last week’s dress rehearsal.

    “The effort was a lot better”, coach Chris Mullin said of his team’s convincing 76-55 win over Loyola (MD) in a game that featured the St. John’s debuts of seven players, most notably Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron. The wiry strong 6’5” wing did not disappoint. The numbers looked good, 15 points and 7 rebounds, but the eye test looked better perhaps because he and Big East Player of the Year candidate Shamorie Ponds worked so well together.

    Ponds had a terrific all-around game that could be an indication that he’ll be an even better player this year than last even though he’ll likely not be counted on to score as much with the arrivals of Heron and reserve Mikey Dixon who finished with 13 points off the bench.

   While Ponds did indeed finish with a game high 20 points, the rest of the stat line, 9-15 shooting 4 assists combined with just two turnovers, was more efficient than many he posted last season. Combine that with 3 rebounds and three steals and you have a line that indicates a complete player and, perhaps more significantly for the team’s fortunes, one who doesn’t have to force action.

   The Red Storm’s improved energy and effort helped lift them to a quick 9-0 start to open the game. They expanded that to 13 before the Greyhounds were able to gain some footing. They closed the gap to 21-14 before the Johnnies responded and pushed the lead to 19 with a rally capped by a lefty triple from Heron that made the score 37-18. They maintained that margin and then expanded it to 25 with a 6-0 half closing spurt that included an “and one”3-point play from Dixon and a 35-foot buzzer beating triple from Ponds which gave the Red Storm a 48-23 halftime edge from which they never looked back.

    St. John’s will face a tougher test when they meet the Falcons of Bowling Green from the Mid Atlantic Conference (MAC) on Friday at 6:30 pm. For long time fans of local HS hoops the Falcons’ coach is former Adlai Stevenson (BX) star Michael Huger. He is now in his 4^th season coaching his college alma mater.  

           

St. John's Gets a Warning Shot in Exhibition Win

       Yes, St.John’s 71-54 exhibition win over Division II Maryville University was “only an exhibition”, and yes, they were missing a key guy in transfer Mustapha Heron, who missed the game because of a concussion. The visitors from St. Louis played great and by doing so not only gave coach Chris Mullin a game that should get his team’s attention, but gave all involved in what looks to be a promising season for St. John’s a glimpse will face in the immediate future.

    For teams from the other major conferences such as Rutgers, Cal and Georgia Tech, the upcoming games represent an opportunity to get a win against a Big East foe that will look good on a potential tournament resume. For teams like Bowling Green as well as local rivals St. Francis & Wagner, a game against St. John’s is a chance to score a confidence boosting upset that could help them in conference play once the calendar turns to 2019.

  By playing as hard smart and effectively as they did Maryville gave St, John’s a blueprint of how games like the ones coming up can turn into unexpected losses. They moved the ball so crisply that they made twice as many threes (12) while taking just four more three-point shots than St. John’s and while they were out-rebounded and out-scored in the paint by substantial numbers, watching the game it seemed as if they took advantage of every defensive lapse with either a three or a well timed cut, pass or drive to the basket. All of those are key ingredients to the upset recipe in college basketball and if the team wants to put itself in the best position for a tournament bid they must not allow the opposition to use that upset formula.

    St. John’s led by just 4 at the intermission and had the Saints take a brief lead on a triple by Chaz Glotta before regaining their footing for a win. The Saints success from beyond the arc demonstrated perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Red Storm’s effort. On all but a handful of occasions, St. John’s was late closing to opposing shooters and often without a hand up to contest. Only juco newcomer LJ Figueroa, who drew praise from coach Mullin for his energy, and Shamorie Ponds, who filled the stat sheet despite a rough shooting night seemed to play with the competitive energy that will be needed against better competition and especially when conference play begins

   St.  John’s will learn a bit more about themselves on Tuesday when they face Patriot League foe Loyola (MD) . For them, Maryville should be remembered for firing a kind of warning shot that should remind them simply that their energy and effort have to be better for them to have success.