St. John's Loses 2-OT Heartbrealer 84-83

Of all the 5 losses St. John's has had to open Big East play last night's 84-83 loss to Providence  was easily the most difficult to take.

              "This was a high level Big East game," coach Steve Lavin said. "We just came up short."

              The Johnnies effort was indeed praise worthy as they rallied from an early double digit deficit. Providence built a 14-2 lead as St. John's seemed nervous staring down the barrel at an 0-5 start in conference  play. But they were able to find offensive answers primarily in the paint from JaKarr Sampson. They trailed by just 36-29 at the intermission, which put St. John's in pretty good position in despite the starting backcourt of D'angelo Harrison and Rysheed Jordan scoring just two points between them.

              St. John's continued to pound the paint in the second half. They tied the game at 50 with just under 9 minutes left when Jordan fed God'sgift Achiuwa but Providence was able to rebuild a lead thanks mostly to Bryce Cotton. Each time the Friars appeared to put distance between themselves and St. John's the Red Storm found their way back. Sampson , Achiuwa and Orlando Sanchez helped give St. John's 54 points in the paint. And when they finally took their first lead with just over three minutes left it was on a Harrison three pointer that was St. John's first in 10 tries. It came on a scramble situation thanks to an offensive rebound by Sanchez.

              St. John's had chances to win as time ran out in regulation and in each of the overtimes. Harrison  fed Sanchez for a great look from the top of the key that he missed. At the end of overtime one  Harrison waited till the clock ran down but ended up losing the ball and shooting an off balance shot. And then, in the second overtime with St. John's up one Bryce Cotton alertly tied up Max Hooper to give the ball to the Friars on alternate possession with 21 seconds left. He then made a tough right handed runner to give the Friars the winning margin and score the last of his game high 21 points. According to Lavin Hooper was in the game at that point because Sampson's leg cramped up and they needed a good shooter. Cotton likely recognized that Hooper was not strong with the ball and was able to get the tie up rather than giving a foul to gain possession for the Friars.

              St. John's then put the ball in the hands of their fastest player Phil Greene. On the play things "broke the way we expected" according to Lavin because the threat of Harrison's shot kept potential help defense from providence honest. But even with everyone spaced properly and a good drive from Greene the layup missed. Achiuwa, who gave St. John's a much needed physical presence fouled on the rebound and the Friars' Carson Derossiers purposely missed the two free throws with less than a second remaining.

              St. John's now takes a break from Big East play on Saturday against Dartmouth on Saturday.

CK Holds Off Xaverian 54-49

Christ the King completed a terrific weekend with a 54-49 home win against Xaverian. Following their impressive win at Molloy on Friday the visitors from Brooklyn played this game within a much tighter scoring window. The Royals' junior forward Travis Atkins was the best the best player on the floor scoring from the wing and on the baseline and getting his team extra possessions with great hustle and effort. The Royals took an early double digit lead behind the play of Atkins and Andre Walker on the outside while Adonis Delarosa provided his usual presence at the rim.

            It appears that with more games Delarosa's stamina has improved to a point where his footwork and lateral movement can be the factor they should be in games. Combine those with his two best tools, size and soft hands, and throw in the fact that he's a willing and able passer and you have a guy who is recruitable at the highest levels of college basketball even though he's not the "run and jump athlete" that many look for in a 6'10" center.

            Christ the King held off a young Xaverian team which forced them to play nearly the entire game within an 8-12 point window. There were several times during the game where the Royals seemed on the verge of breaking the game wide open only to have Xaverian make a key play or two that allowed them to hang around. Sophomore guard Nyonty Wisseh penetrated beautifully to score and set up teammates while Sayon Charles provided offense as well. A late rally and some missed free throws by the Royals made the final close. While the Clippers gained valuable experience and confidence playing a good team tough, the Royals continued to show the progress that seemingly began in Binghamton over the holidays.

            

Delarosa and Alkins Power CK Past Molloy 83-76

                             Senior center Adonis Delarosa and sophomore wingman Rawlie Alkins figured to be go to players this year. They were primarily support guys on a city championship team led by three seniors Jon Severe, Jordan Fuchs, and Malik Harmon. Two of them, Harmon and Severe, have moved on to division one college basketball. While Fuchs will head to Indiana on a football scholarship after a year of prep time on the gridiron, Severe has emerged as the leading freshman scorer in the nation for Fordham while Harmon is earning important minutes for St. Francis (Pa.)

              The loss of all that talent and leadership meant  that Delarosa and Alkins would be asked to be the foundation players. To be sure there were some early struggles for both the stars and the role players. In a particularly difficult and unexpected home loss to co-league favorite Cardinal Hayes  something just didn't look right. They weren't active on defense and often their offense was limited to one pass and a shot.

              Fast forward to a tournament win in the Stop DWI Classic in Binghamton that included a win in the finals against a talented Long Island Lutheran team, and add a quick turn of the calendar to 2014 and suddenly things are looking much better for the Royals and much tougher for the rest of the CHSAA's "AA" league.

              Facing what figured to be a difficult road test against a smaller but hot shooting and fast paced Molloy team, the Royals took away their transition game and,  with Delarosa anchoring the defense at the rim, aggressively moved to cover their shooters. Offensively, the  Royals  looked to Delarosa, who took advantage of the small court at Molloy, got down the floor quickly and established great post position. He scored a team high 18 points for the Royals while Alkins would add 16, including  three treys and a vicious transition slam  in just 3 quarters of action.

              The Royals took a 43-30 lead at the half, and extended that to 67-43 after three quarters. Molloy used a zone press and some hot outside shooting to rally to within 7 in the closing seconds and make the final score closer than the game itself. Gabe Kilpatrick finished with a game high 19 points while C.J. Davis added 16  for the Stanners. But the best player on the floor for them was senior forward Jason Cethoute  who continues to provide energy scoring and toughness even when he gives away size inside.

              Christ the King will look to continue their winning ways at home against Xaverian on Sunday while Molloy heads to St. Ray's in what should  be great battle against a team that's young but very talented. Sunday while Molloy heads to the Bronx to face a young and talentedSt. Ray's team in what should  be great battle.

             

Kilpatrick's Trey Nudges Molloy Past Xaverian 54-49

              Gabe Kilpatrick's contested 3-point basket with just under a minute left in the game proved to be a game winner for the Stanners. From there C.J. Davis tacked on 4 free throws to provide the final margin  in what was a well earned road win in Brooklyn yesterday.

              Xaverian's half court defense helped keep the game at a comfortable tempo for them. And some key plays on offense helped them find their footing against a Molloy team led by a trio of  seniors in Davis, Kilpatrick, and energetic forward Jason Cethoute. With help from senior leader  Rob Rossiter, who tied Kilpatrick for game high scoring honors with 18 points, the Clippers made enough  plays and shots to take a 22-17 advantage after two quarters. The playmaking of sophomore guard Dyontay Wisseh complimented Rossiter's work inside while junior sharpshooter Bard Featherston, freshman wing Zach Bruno and junior Najee Larcher each made contributions to what was a terrific first half effort.

              The Stanners looked to seize control early in the third quarter when Kilpatrick and Davis connected on a triple and a two pointer in their first two possessions to tie the game. With Rossiter leading the way, the Clippers regrouped  nicely. Forward Sayon Charles provided much needed inside offense while guard Dorian Isaac made two great drives for scores and reminded fans watching why he is one of the CHSAA's best on ball defenders. He had two great strips when Davis  tried cross over in front of him that not only resulted in turnovers but kept momentum on Xaverian's side. Charles picked up his fourth foul, and with his scoring and defense missing the Stanners got the opening they needed and their trio of seniors took advantage of it.  Kilpatrick showed a very quick release from deep and Davis augmented Gabe's scoring with 16 of his own.  The young Clippers, who had a three game winning streak broken provided a tough test for Molloy that will help ready them for Friday's matchup against Christ the King. The Royals will look to defend their turf as one of the league's top teams while the Stanners, playing at home, will look to break through as one of the league's top 3 teams. The battle will be epic and should not be missed.

              

A Belated Thank You to Mike Quick Plus other Observations

              My intention was to include this in my New Year's Eve post but when writing about Angel Nunez and Jevon Thomas got a bit long I decided to post it separately.  I'd like to look at both teams in the present and the future. For St. John's the look ahead will focus on the immediate future while my peak at Columbia will look more down the road as they anticipate adding one of New York's most talented and resourceful players, C.J. Davis of Molloy.

St. John's Beats the Lions 65-59 Of course the most important aspect of any game is the outcome and St. John's managed to get a win though not without a huge scare. The Johnnies had built a seemingly comfortable 14 point margin early in the second half. But Columbia helped by ex-Northport High center Luke Petrasek, who had 2 baskets, and a block followed by an athletic play to save possession during the rally. The Lions briefly took the lead before St. John's got a follow basket from Orlando Sanchez and two baskets from JaKarr Sampson as part of what would ultimately be a decisive rally and a good win.

St. John's Immediate Future Make no mistake the win against Columbia was a good one even though it was closer than most thought it would be. As coach Steve Lavin suggested the best thing  his team did was maintain its poise in the face of a furious rally. He also mentioned that any  coach would like an extra month to prepare for conference play. Two familiar struggles for his team, 3 point field goal defense and rebounding may have prompted that lament. Columbia shot 9-18 on from 3 and held their own on the boards as they were outrebounded  by just 4 (35-31). That lack of ruggedness in the paint came to the fore in Tuesday's 70-60 loss to Xavier as they were outrebounded and outscored  in the paint by decisive margins.  As they look to Saturday's game vs. Georgetown and beyond, St. John's faces a league that may have 3 new teams but maintains the physical style that has marked the league since its beginning. St. John's has  more than enough run and jump athletes but time will tell whether they can win consistently in what figures to be a bang around league just as it has always been.

A Look at Columbia Prefaced With A Brief Thank You The brief thank you goes to Mike Libert my colleague  and friend at NYCHOOPS.com and also to Mike Quick and the fine folks at MSG Varsity  who do such a great job covering high school sports in the tri-state area. It's thanks to them that I got a chance to see Columbia's Luke Petrasek while he was still a hidden gem at Northport High School. It was easy after watching the 6'10" lefthander who did not have a scholarship offer prior to March of his senior season it was easy to see why he  as highly thought of by those in the know. He quickly demonstrated a soft touch and good hands . Beyond those physical tools he also proven to be a willing and effective passer and, despite being"175 pounds soaking wet" as former St. Dom's coach Rob Pavenelli described him, he's was more than willing to mix it up and compete for rebounds. That motor which many coaches refer to as "the skill of playing hard" has served him well at the college level more than any other. As he, along with the rest of the young core of players he's a part of at Columbia continue to  mature and expand their games they will no doubt challenge for an Ivy League title and an NCAA tournament berth.

What adding C.J. Davis Means for the Lions The 2013-14 college basketball season has been marked by the quick rise of freshman players like Jabari Parker of Duke and Julius Randle of Kentucky, who bring NBA ready ability to talented teams. It's worth remembering that players like those are exceptional and more often than not the most impactful  freshmen are talented players who fit well with their new teams  and add to that elusive but essential element of chemistry. Coach Kyle Smith could be on the verge of just such a situation  when C.J. Davis arrives from Queens next fall. He will join an already talented roster which returns everyone from this year's team. And his ability to read the game both offensively and defensively, deliver passes on time and on target and his outstanding court awareness will add to the Lions' ball already strong core that includes Petrasek and leading scorer Grant Mullins, who may shift to shooting guard at times while Davis takes the point. C.J. might have been considered a step slow by high end programs but he brings skill, poise and mental toughness that are essential to winning. Coach Smith will also learn quickly that he's a quick study so his learning curve will be brief. Congratulations to both C.J. and the coaching staff at Columbia. This will prove to be a terrific New York basketball marriage.

Happy New Year As Two Local Stars Make their Season Debuts

Two Local Players Make Season Debuts I have grouped these two events together for editorial purposes but specifically one (former Hayes standout Angel Nunez) made his season debut  while the other (Kansas State guard Jevon Thomas) made his collegiate debut. Nunez, who also prepped at Winchedon  (MA) Academy and began his career at Louisville played for his new team, Gonzaga, in their West Coast Conference season opening win against Santa Clara. He had 4 points and 3 boards in 13 minutes of action. Though his time on the court was brief and marked by tentativeness, playing him at power forward gives coach Mark Few a different kind of player at that spot than he's had in the past. It remains to be seen whether Nunez will be able to stretch the floor with his shooting but he will almost certainly be able to drive the ball against power players who have to guard him on the perimeter. On defense he gives the Zags a  potentially terrific option against teams that play "4 out 1 in" offense. Injuries and depth in front of him kept him mostly off the floor in his two years at Louisville but once he gets acquainted with how to compete at the college level he will be a key player for them as the season enters its home stretch in February and March.

As for Jevon Thomas I could not help but smile a little at the irony of him playing his first college game in Brooklyn, for Kansas State which blew out Tulane in game two of the Brooklyn Winter Hoops festival at Barclay's Center. Anyone who has read my writing at other now defunct sites or talked to me at games knows that Jevon's ability to pressure the ball and his pass first approach to the game have made him a favorite of mine. What's ironic about him playing in Brooklyn is that the route he took to college can be described gently as circuitous. It included stops in Queens (Bayside High) Long Island (OSNA) North Carolina (Quality Education) and finally Delafield Wisconsin (St. John's Prep). It also included verbal commitments to St. John's and Dayton before he sat out spring semester last year and fall semester this year at KSU.     Thomas' story could have easily had the typically sad ending that you hear all too often these days when a kid gets pulled in several different directions and loses focus.   But the minute he stepped on the court for the Wildcats, a  subway ride away from his Queens home, it became a story of perseverance and staying the course. In his 19 minutes on the court he scored just two points but gave KSU fans a glimpse of how he can help them with 4 assists and 3 steals in those minutes. The consummate point guard will likely need some time for the game to slow down for him but once it does look out. He will be very good.    That said he's already accomplished something special getting to Manhattan... Kansas that is.  Congratulations and good luck Jevon.

                                                                                                                                       

Merry Christmas Plus Notes and Observations.

Seton Hall Gets Good News on and off the Court: The good off the court news is that leading scorer and former Seton Hall Prep star Sterling Gibbs' knee injury appears to be considerably less serious than it looked when he hurt it driving for a basket in last Saturday's loss to St. Peter's College. According to informed sources and his twitter account the injury is "only" a hyperextension and he could be ready for the Pirates Big East opener on New Year's Eve. The good news on the court is that freshman Jaren Sina was terrific filling in for as the Pirates beat Eastern Washington. The former Gil St. Bernard star scored 17 points and had 8 assists without a turnover in 35 minutes of action.

Congratulations to D'angelo Harrison: The star guard from Missouri City Texas arrived in the Big Apple with lots of hype and save for a brief suspension at the end of last season he has more than lived up to it. On Saturday his 29 points led the Red Storm to an impressive win over Horizon League foe Youngstown State. His first three pointer of the game broke the school's career record for 3 point makes.

More on Nathan Ekwu: On Saturday I wrote about the 6'8" senior in my game story recapping Cardinal Hayes' victory over Christ the King and now I'd like to add a bit to what was a brief scouting report. Both Ekwu and 6'9" junior center Akintoye Ojo, his countryman from Nigeria and now his teammate in the Bronx, have been described  "raw" and "unpolished" but for those who  watch games at the high school level take a closer look before jumping to that conclusion. Several parts of Ekwu's game are  quite polished including his shooting touch and  his defensive footwork which, despite his height and girth allow him to defend both on the perimeter and under the basket. Combine those things with great timing as both a rebounder and shot blocker, and a willingness to pass the ball and you have a guy who looks like a high major prospect. He may not have a go-to scoring move just yet but everything else is right where it needs to be.

 Merry Christmas Everyone To all who may find their way to this entry I want to extend wishes for a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season.  Remember to cherish family  both immediate and extended. That's  what makes life, and not just the holidays, a wonderful gift.