Game thread open - St. John's vs Georgia Tech

For the fanbase with expectations built high by the full roster and the years of experience, the disappointment in last night's loss to Penn State is palpable.

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But even with the loss, Steve Lavin finds reasons to be encouraged as he learns about his team - and figures out the best way to deploy them.

"We're disappointed to lose in overtime," Lavin said, "but there are a number of elements we can learn from - the three point shooting, the assist turnover ratio, Max Hooper stepping up when called upon, and the the team that rallied from 15 down, and to be plus 9 on the boards.

"Obviously, we'd love to have the free throw back, with two seconds to go. And to have not fouled their three-point shooter. Both teams made that mistake down the stretch, but it cost us."

Georgia Tech is a different kind of team entirely. Brian Gregory's team lost 77-67 last night; but Mississippi had an 18 point lead with two minutes to go, but allowed late shots to reduce the margin of victory in a game where Ole Miss dominated with shifting pressure defenses.

Where Penn State was weak in the post, Tech's strength is on the inside. They have two capable and talented big men in Robert Carter (9 points per game, 10 rebounds per game) and Daniel Miller (10.6 points, 7.6 rebounds per game) who are rim protectors and able to score inside.

They run in transition and share the ball among their guards and wings, including Tennessee transfer Trae Golden, their leading scorer at 14 points per game, and Marcus Georges-Hunt, possibly their most physically talented player who scores 13 points per game with 5 rebounds and 2 assists per contest.

If you're wondering, brothers Stacey Poole and Solomon Poole are the team's best long-distance shooters. Solomon scored 24 points on 5/9 three-point shooting, mostly in garbage time against Ole Miss.

More from Rumble In The Garden

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• St. John's vs. Penn State final: Johnnies fall in overtime 89-82
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• St. John's vs Penn State: Barclays Center Classic preview
• St. John's vs Penn State in Barclays Classic: Q & A with Black Shoe Diaries

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