Rumble In The Garden: All Posts by Tim FergusonHere in good times and badhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52646/ritg_fav.png2024-03-18T19:36:13-04:00https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/authors/tim-ferguson/rss2024-03-18T19:36:13-04:002024-03-18T19:36:13-04:00Looking back on a rollercoaster ride of a St. John’s men’s basketball season
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<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino yells out instructions in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wCPBc5H1vNYDzppXLrlQ2beEbic=/0x0:3324x2216/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73216655/usa_today_22557783.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Plus observations from fans at the Big East Tournament</p> <p id="SbHp6G">The March 15th game against Connecticut ended with Daniss Jenkins hitting three free throws to drop the deficit to five with seconds to go. A young man approached me in the Madison Square Garden hall, having seen my red tee shirt with a white “S-J” across the front. I had never met the individual before, but he, for some reason, felt compelled to talk to me. “St. John’s was awesome,” he began, “they never gave up. That guard Jenkins is a pro. I expect they will do well in the tournament. I have to tell you - my seat was costly, but I got my money’s worth with this game”. </p>
<p id="ISrMg1">I wondered which team he supported during the tournament, so I asked, and he replied, “UConn.”</p>
<p id="thUk71">Even Huskies fans felt that St. John’s not only belonged in the tournament but that they would do well in it.</p>
<h2 id="YejigY"><strong>The dream</strong></h2>
<p id="ijcOCp">The dream began just about one year ago today. Coach Mike Anderson was leaving, and Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino was on his way to Queens. Optimism reigned. </p>
<p id="r1jPSv">Coach Pitino was meeting with Joel Soriano and asking him to be captain. As time passed, all but one additional player (reserve forward Drissa Traore) from the 2022-23 squad moved on.</p>
<p id="o1hEHe">In the next few months, ten other transfers from Kansas, Oregon State, Connecticut, UMass, VMI, Iona, and Ivy League schools, Yale and Harvard, would join the Johnnies along with two four-star freshmen, Simeon Wilcher and Brady Dunlap to create a buzz amongst fans. The long-term goal was a twenty-win season and an NCAA tournament invite. For some seniors and grad students, the goal was more than an invite to the tournament; it was a deep run during the games.</p>
<p id="8U6w2H">Joel Soriano’s vision was different: to help bring St. John’s back to the glory it once had on the basketball court.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Soriano on what making the tournament this season would mean for St. John's: "This would be a start. Once we get there, that's going to be the standard that this program is going to have to live by in order to make St. John's a powerhouse again."</p>— Rumble In The Garden (@rumbleSBN) <a href="https://twitter.com/rumbleSBN/status/1765854133720957156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a>
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<h2 id="vio4Rc"><strong>The early season: behind schedule</strong></h2>
<p id="GqOXcf">After adding perennial powerhouses Michigan and West Virginia, as well as accepting an invitation to the Charleston Classic to potentially face teams like Houston, Dayton, and Utah, the team and fanbase anticipated the strength of the schedule for the 2023-24 season would vastly improve. </p>
<p id="WTrWGB">The presentation of the program noticeably increased. St. John’s only scheduled five games at Carnesecca Arena, the number of games played at Madison Square Garden increased to eight, and the Red Storm would play three games in Elmont’s UBS Arena. Optimism reigned even despite an opening season loss to a Michigan deemed at the time to be a competitive team from the Big Ten.</p>
<p id="db3pkF">Unfortunately, schedule makers could not have anticipated sudden down years for the Michigan and West Virginia basketball programs.</p>
<p id="BWjI2o">Early in the season, during a press conference after a victory, Coach Pitino invited Chris Ledlum and Jordan Dingle to join him. He expressed pride that the two Ivy Leaguers would choose to attend St. John’s to “continue their education and find an opportunity to be in the tournament in their last year of the collegiate ball.” To join a dream was impossible for the Johnnies in past years!</p>
<p id="D45dp2">The Johnnies ended the nonconference schedule with an 8-3 record. A win over Utah was deemed a Quad One win, but only a little else was noteworthy, except the loss to Michigan, which was a true detriment to their dream. The early-season performances did not suggest that the dream of an NCAA bid would become a likely outcome.</p>
<p id="OGZg1u">Completing the dream would depend upon performance in Big East league play.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">FINAL: Boston College 86, St. John’s 80<br><br>The Red Storm crumble after holding a 10-point lead early in the second half. Now 6-3, they have a lot of work to do in Big East play in order to go to the NCAA tournament.</p>— Rumble In The Garden (@rumbleSBN) <a href="https://twitter.com/rumbleSBN/status/1733994289519055273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a>
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<h2 id="Pgqn96"><strong>The rollercoaster of the Big East</strong></h2>
<p id="1jp9y0">At the beginning of the season, a record of 12-8 in league play seemed the benchmark for an NCAA tournament berth. The Johnnies were on target in the first five games, notching a 4-1 record.</p>
<p id="XadUXU">The next ten games began with a one-point loss at Creighton. Following it was a disastrous loss at Seton Hall, in which Seton Hall had a 28-0 run throughout the end of the first half and continued well into the second half. Only a spirited effort by inserted second-teamers made the final score somewhat respectable.</p>
<p id="UidHzW">A one-point loss to Marquette at home followed. The Big East record was now 4-4. Except for the loss to Seton Hall, the Johnnies were within four points in all of the games against the top three teams in the conference. If St. John’s made one or two critical free throws at the end of a game, corrected a missed defensive assignment, successfully won that 50/50 loose ball battle, or got a favorable call, that could have flipped one or more of those losses into the win column.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big East Twitter:<br><br>Foul? <a href="https://t.co/EHyjRU8IDr">pic.twitter.com/EHyjRU8IDr</a></p>— Ryan Cassidy (@ryancassidycbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryancassidycbb/status/1746262621454483747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2024</a>
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<p id="pSUBBs">On January 24, 2024, a 70-50 thrashing of Villanova righted the slump, but the slump quickly reinstated itself. After blowing a nineteen-point lead at the UBS Arena to Seton Hall less than one month later, the Johnnies appeared dead to playoff chances. Fans called for Coach Pitino to play the underclassmen more in preparation for next season.</p>
<p id="yRkybO">A victory over a struggling Georgetown team began to set the tone for a 5-0 ending to the regular season and a league record of 11-9.</p>
<p id="UyWgsD">From day one of the season, an 11-9 record in the Big East was never seemed enough to ensure an NCAA bid. Couple that with an average performance in the non-league games, and the Red Storm needed to do something significant in the tournament.</p>
<h2 id="T0Jslm"><strong>The Big East Tournament</strong></h2>
<p id="cr69yf">Fans verbalized that the purpose of the Big East Tournament was to ensure enough success to ensure a league bid. The evaluation of NET and Ken Pom rankings convinced them that one significant win would do it. Staying out of the first-day tournament games was deemed essential, which the Johnnies accomplished with their late-season victories. </p>
<p id="5nhB4i">To his credit, Coach Pitino set a higher goal: bringing a Big East Tournament Championship to St. John’s. </p>
<p id="Q8n2xg">To this date, the stars were aligning for the Red Storm. A win-or-go-home game with Seton Hall was set, and the Johnnies impressively did just that. But the dream was simply a dream. One of two outcomes was needed to ensure the dream would come true. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DINGLE. AGAIN.<br><br>GO CRAZY <a href="https://twitter.com/StJohnsBBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StJohnsBBall</a> ‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/Jdingle25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jdingle25</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BIGEASTMBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Z562eeCt9">pic.twitter.com/9Z562eeCt9</a></p>— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1768370181183537193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a>
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<p id="1ZnDJ7">The first would be a victory over the number one team in the country, the University of Connecticut, on March 15. If not a victory, then a competitive showing and having the stars align for the Johnnies just one more day. In the second scenario, the Johnnies only controlled one of the two requirements.</p>
<p id="juc2Hu">Before the Big East semifinal game, there was a consensus amongst almost all fans, whether St. John’s fans, UConn fans, or neutral observers that any team in the Big East, save Georgetown and DePaul could defeat any other team on a given night. Partway into the game, a young fan entered with UConn ahead by five points and asked, “Do we have a chance?” I simply answered, “Yes, if we keep playing as we have so far.”</p>
<p id="bHMuMw">One play that did not go Johnnies’ way could have made enough of a difference to lead to what many deemed the impossible dream of defeating UConn in the Big East Tournament. </p>
<p id="xCMg5b">Four and a half minutes into the game, the Johnnies led 13 to 8. Alleyne and Luis had substituted into the lineup. Alleyne drove down to the right of the key and saw a cutting Luis. He made a perfect pass to him. Luis took a dribble, drawing 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan towards him instead of forcing up an off-balanced shot. Luis passed to Soriano just to the left of the basket. A perfect play so far. Soriano went up strong for a dunk, but he was met by Clingan, who blocked his shot at the rim. </p>
<p id="1SdPOV">The Huskies pushed the ball downcourt and found an open Hassan Diarra under the basket, who was fouled by Chris Ledlum as he laid the ball in. Ledlum came out of the game and stayed on the bench for the remainder of the half. Diarra made the free throw. </p>
<p id="iOSt96">If Soriano had been able to complete the dunk, the Johnnies would have been up by 15 to eight and dropping back into a defensive position. Instead, the three-point play by Diarra made the score 13-11, still in favor of St. John’s but a five-point turnaround. The Johnnies lost the game by five points.</p>
<p id="8MbGnU">Of course, an analysis like this hardly predicts a different outcome in the game. But couple that one play with the basket taken away from the Johnnies at the end of the first half when Jenkins’ layup was a split second too late, and the impossible dream might have come true.</p>
<p id="yVtcqD">The bottom line in this game was that the more talented Connecticut team enjoyed a top performance from their guards and prevailed.</p>
<p id="aM8wDt">Fans were proud of the Johnnies after this performance and confident of their success in future tournament games, whether in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.</p>
<h2 id="sZuO4H"><strong>The Waiting Game</strong></h2>
<p id="jR53HT">Four games were of focus on Saturday night. The favorites had leads in the first half in two of the four games: Florida Atlantic versus Temple and Colorado versus Oregon. The underdogs pulled through in the second half. The second two games were competitive throughout. St. John’s fans were tweeting, “Just let us get two of the four games.” But the stars aligned against the Johnnies in all four games. </p>
<p id="6soHsG">The impossible dream of upsetting the Huskies ended with a picture of Daniss Jenkins and Joel Soriano sadly walking off the court, never to play for the Red Storm again.</p>
<h2 id="RShwTu"><strong>Summary </strong></h2>
<p id="QuSQVf">It was a memorable year. The six-game win streak near the end of the season, which included a blowout win over Seton Hall in the Big East tournament, was a joy to watch for St. John’s fans. Fans from all Big East teams expressed respect for both the Connecticut Huskies and the Johnnies after their epic 96-91 Big East semifinal contest. </p>
<p id="EV8GQB">Why St. John’s did not join other Big East teams in the NIT tournament is a disappointment for fans and players alike. The team deserves the opportunity to play in that tournament. The excuse of needing to focus on the coming year and deny these seniors and transfer students a chance to wear the red and white for at least one more game is just plain wrong. </p>
<p id="3Yk4ZK">The last time the team won in the National Invitational Tournament was in 2003. What better recruiting tool could there be for recruits than seeing the Johnnies perform in the NIT and then challenging them to say, “I want to be on the team that makes it to the NCAA tournament next year.” </p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/3/18/24104993/looking-back-on-a-rollercoaster-ride-of-a-st-johns-mens-basketball-seasonTim Ferguson2024-03-11T00:26:27-04:002024-03-11T00:26:27-04:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s men’s basketball’s 86-78 win over Georgetown
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<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
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<p>Multiple players unexpectedly stepped up to give St. John’s momentum entering the Big East Tournament</p> <p id="er5NCi">Madison Square Garden was rocking before sixteen thousand fans, particularly in the last eight minutes of the second half. It was a day to honor the seniors: Joel Soriano, Daniss Jenkins, Chris Ledlum, Jordan Dingle, Nahiem Alleyne, and Sean Conway. As tradition on Senior Day, Soriano, Dingle, Jenkins, Ledlum, and Conway were the starting five. After their recognition, the team huddled just before the game. Jenkins was seen energetically talking to teammates in a huddle, who were giving him attention, ready to wrap up the Big East regular season with a win.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1D1d2Cky_E2V7G9uu1PlTlEtKs4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25329287/03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown__DSC7517.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>The six seniors honored during Senior Night, from left to right: Joel Soriano, Chris Ledlum, Nahiem Alleyne, Sean Conway, Jordan Dingle, and Daniss Jenkins</figcaption>
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<h2 id="nnqLXv"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="1iN5wH">Two fans shared that Nahiem Alleyne was hitting every jump shot in early warmups. “Look for Alleyne to play an important role in the game,” was the prediction.</p>
<p id="xQxRtw">Alleyne was inserted into the game five minutes in and played substantial minutes of the first half. As Johnnies fans had predicted, he played a role, scoring six points, including a three from the right of the circle with a second left in the first half, to give the Red Storm a four-point cushion going into the second half.</p>
<p id="E78TTQ">The other outstanding senior in the first half was Daniss Jenkins. At the first official timeout of the game with 15:41 left, St. John’s took an early 10-0 lead. Jenkins led the way with eight of the ten points.</p>
<p id="vPQd8J">Georgetown worked its way back into the game as the ultimate leading scorer. Jayden Epps got hot, and Joel Soriano struggled to convert on his free throw attempts. But Jenkins led and accumulated 13 points in the half while setting up teammates with three assists.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IuHh8qAOwPgEhYblyReGCEa8ros=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25329288/03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_DSC08754.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Daniss Jenkins with the ball</figcaption>
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<h2 id="hqwmk1"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="YC4nm0">At the half, the statistical lines were similar regarding three-point percentage, assists, and steals. However, there were two significant differences. The Johnnies were shooting 59 percent from the field compared to the Hoyas’ 46 percent. In contrast, Georgetown out-rebounded the Johnnies 17-10. </p>
<p id="lJLnYC">Soriano was doing his part with five rebounds, but no one else had more than one. One fan shared at halftime, “I hope Coach Pitino gets on their case in the locker room and they come out on fire.”</p>
<p id="zB5ltB">The fire would come from a sophomore who scored only two points in the first half.</p>
<h2 id="eKCAUG"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="ei2jtO">R.J. Luis stepped up his game offensively and defensively (see takeaway three). However, the most impactful moment of the second half did not involve Luis. </p>
<p id="yMnYo7">With the Red Storm up by seven and just over four minutes to play, the big man for the Hoyas, Supreme Cook, had received a pass under the basket from a teammate. He went up for a dunk to the right of the paint. Soriano blocked it. Cook recovered the ball and went up again from the same position to the right of the rim. Soriano blocked the second attempt. Cook again recovered the ball. Soriano held his ground. As Cook tried to spin away, he stepped out of bounds. </p>
<p id="CV6J2J">The Johnnies pushed the ball upcourt. Dingle missed a three, but Chris Ledlum took down the rebound and laid the ball in. Cook fouled him, and Ledlum hit his free throw after a Georgetown timeout to give the Red Storm a ten-point lead.</p>
<p id="MqN4iK">The Hoyas made a couple of corner threes and went into a trap defense when a Johnnie ball handler crossed the midcourt line. The Johnnies broke it, drew fouls, and, over the last minute and forty seconds, went six for six from the free throw line, leading to a hard-fought 86-78 victory.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7-QAKMDb1QOVAj1hmVGMwnfp0qA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25329294/03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_DSC09247_1.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Rick Pitino on the sideline</figcaption>
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<h2 id="eRYXUQ">
<strong>Takeaway #1: The Red Storm found ways to win without great shooting nights from Dingle and Soriano</strong> </h2>
<p id="xuUdtD">Jordan Dingle, who had been shooting extremely well during the win streak, did not repeat his recent performances. He went two for eight from the field and missed all four of his three-point attempts. He did make five of five free-throw attempts.</p>
<p id="zyCrxj">Joel Soriano collected ten rebounds and five blocked shots. In the post-game news conference, Rick Pitino praised Soriano for his outstanding defensive play. He hit three of five shots and consistently drew fouls against Georgetown’s front-court players. However, he was not his usual accurate self from the charity line, converting only three of nine attempts while his teammates were hitting 87% of their shots from the free-throw line.</p>
<p id="rYYDrs">Despite these aberrations in recent shooting from two of the team’s starters, the team was able to pull out a victory over a game, hard playing Georgetown team that can shoot threes accurately.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LOGsgqjdbULAty2msODhFosWKpU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25329300/03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_DSC08757.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano holds the ball in the post</figcaption>
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<h2 id="B3fBRB"><strong>Takeaway #2: There will be no easy games in the Big East Tournament</strong></h2>
<p id="ACmAyJ">When it comes to playing in Madison Square Garden, particularly the Big East Tournament, St. John’s must expect the best from all opponents. The challenge presented by the second-to-last-place Georgetown Hoyas made that clear. Despite falling behind 10-0 in the first five minutes of play, Georgetown fought on and won the rebound battle by game’s end, 28-25. They did not give in despite their slow start. </p>
<h2 id="2IgtoV"><strong>Takeaway #3: Different players are stepping up every game</strong></h2>
<p id="YBoMFV">Daniss Jenkins has been a paragon of consistency and earned recognition on the All-Big East Second Team. Recently, there has been a different Johnnie stepping up in an impactful role. </p>
<p id="rT1yp2">Over the last four games, Jordan Dingle has emerged as a consistent scorer from three-point range, an area of consistency St. John’s sorely needed.</p>
<p id="v5tNRd">Ten days ago at Butler, Glenn Taylor led the way with stellar defense and scored 17 points, most significantly stretching Butler’s defense by hitting five three-pointers throughout the game. </p>
<p id="74Vs3d">On March 9, it was R.J. Luis who stepped up by scoring sixteen points in just 21 minutes of playing time. Just as significant was the defense he played on the high scorer Jayden Epps of the Hoyas. </p>
<p id="NKA0Kp">With the Johnnies lead at just one, 61-60, Rick Pitino called time out. To this point in the game, Epps was mostly unstoppable. Coming out of the timeout, it was evident that Pitino was calling on Luis to focus on defense against Epps. He was not to be the daring defender, stepping into passing lanes, making steals, and initiating a break downcourt that had been his defensive style during much of the year. </p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bYdmAgxMqnzbGXwfFR0rvb-Neiw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25329293/03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_03.09.2024_SJU_vs._Georgetown_DSC09189_1.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>R.J. Luis makes breakaway dunk</figcaption>
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<p id="DHzK0d">This time, his assignment was specific. Luis was to stay with Epps whether he had the ball or not. The Hoyas were looking for Epps to lead them, but Luis’ defense neutralized Georgetown’s top scorer, who had already scored 21 points in the game. He had the Johnnies’ number after scoring 31 against the Red Storm on February 21.</p>
<p id="mZNR31">With Luis taking up the defensive challenge, Epps was held to but two free throws in the last 7:43 of the game.</p>
<p id="EqPfoP">Previously, the 6-foot-2 Jordan Epps displayed the challenge that quick and aggressive guards have given the Johnnies all season long, beginning with the 26 points 5-foot-11 Dug MaDaniel poured in against the Red Storm in the game opener. Perhaps the Johnnies found a defensive stopper against these kinds of trigger-happy guards. </p>
<h2 id="htUFlU"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="OgZgO0">The Johnnies have surprised the basketball world by winning their last five games with two clear challenges included. There was a home win over a ranked Creighton team and an away win against a Butler team that has demonstrated an ability to defeat higher-ranked opponents on any given night. </p>
<p id="uCYb1a">By moving into fifth place, they earned a bye from the first round of the Big East tournament. It becomes a rematch against Seton Hall on Thursday. Probably the Johnnies’ two worst performances of the year were against the Pirates, but it’s difficult to beat a team three times in a season and the Red Storm are back at the Garden.</p>
<p id="gBRuIZ">This team is led by six seniors and grad students hungry for an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing twice to Seton Hall, the matchups against the Hall are suitable for the Johnnies. While it is tempting to predict who will step forward with Jenkins to lead the way, too often, it is the least expected. However, it is reasonable to expect a teammate will do so. </p>
<p id="F0mFQ9">If the Red Storm win on Thursday against Seton Hall, they will advance to their first Big East tournament semifinals since 2000 and face No. 2 UConn. Legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/03/jim-boeheim-on-st-johns-and-the-ncaa-tournament-i-dont-think-anybody-wants-to-see-them.html">recently commented</a>, “I don’t think anybody wants to see (St. John’s) in the NCAA tournament.”</p>
<p id="gOeyGS">History notes that teams with good chemistry, committed seniors, and great defense perform well in March. St. John’s share the first two characteristics, but we must see them grasp the third against Seton Hall.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/3/11/24096863/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-mens-basketballs-86-78-win-over-georgetownTim Ferguson2024-02-26T20:52:45-05:002024-02-26T20:52:45-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s 80-66 win over No. 15 Creighton
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<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Red Storm attacked inside the arc, played strong transition defense, and Glenn Taylor played out of his mind for all forty minutes</p> <p id="YUXDiY">St. John’s, playing before a packed Madison Square Garden, faced an opportunity to obtain a significant win before the upcoming Big East tournament. Facing the 15th-ranked Creighton Blue Jays, the Johnnies displayed seriousness during warmups. They were focused and displayed good form on jump shots, which regularly landed into the baskets. </p>
<p id="0dzQ6b">Coach Pitino made an entrance all dressed in white to match the whiteout theme of the game. There was a sense of something different coming. Would it be positive? The Blue Jays had beaten the number one team in the country, the Connecticut Huskies, by 19 points just five days before, their fourth straight win. A daunting task for the Johnnies, but one season ticket holder, when asked for a prediction, stated that he had a sense that the Johnnies would win.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B9gx87fZqSIIsq4KnN4Pq9GWJlM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25306930/02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton_02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton__DSC7228.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Rick Pitino stands in his all-white suit</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="FF7O3y"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="Ld2roP">The starters for the game were Daniss Jenkins, Joel Soriano, Chris Ledlum, Jordan Dingle, and Glenn Taylor. Fans were surprised at the inclusion of Taylor until a fan mentioned that Coach Pitino was looking for stalwart defenders to stand up to Creighton’s several offensive weapons.</p>
<p id="tIMGpt">Joel Soriano won the opening jump over 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner. Twenty seconds later, Dingle cut around a Soriano screen, received a pass from Taylor, and hit a twelve-footer in the paint for an early 2-0 lead. A minute and a half later, Jenkins passed to Soriano in the paint, cut around him, received a handoff, and hit a ten-footer, extending the lead to 4-0.</p>
<p id="AIhfnw">It was Soriano’s turn after Baylor Scheierman made a three-point jumper and Kalkbrenner dunked the ball for a 5-4 Creighton lead. Assisted by Taylor, the Red Storm big man hit a 17-footer from the top of the key to propel the Johnnies into the lead. </p>
<p id="WQbg1G">The teams traded baskets during the first four minutes. Then Taylor drove from the left wing across the paint for a layup and a 10-8 lead. Dingle and Ledlum followed with layups, and suddenly, the Red Storm had doubled the Blue Jays leading 16-8. In the first six minutes of the half, the Johnnies had only attempted one three-pointer. The offensive strategy was clear – attack and take the intermediate jumper if clear.</p>
<p id="NiYjLh">Bench players entered the game, and three, Simeon Wilcher, R.J. Luis, and Nahiem Alleyne, scored as the Johnnies opened up a 22-12 lead at the ten-minute mark of the half. All seemed well for the Red Storm.</p>
<p id="s98PCc">But Trey Alexander was not going to let Creighton go down quietly. Eight points by Alexander in a minute-and-a-half span cut the Johnnies’ lead to four. Alexander was on his way to being the game’s leading scorer with 31 points.</p>
<p id="R6xHd9">The Blue Jays eventually took a one-point lead on an old-fashioned Scheierman three-point play. The starters returned, and the defense tightened. A Wilcher jumper off a give-and-go play with Soriano put the Johnnies back in the lead. Tight defense led to Creighton’s third 30-second shot clock violation, and the Johnnies were off to a 17-3 run to put the Red Storm in the lead, 41-28 at the half.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QYUmadbraTX6Z9SnxsKjE6pfDj4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25306933/02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton_02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton__DSC7276.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Chris Ledlum rises to the rim for a layup</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="CdzlJr"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="OXtzRb">The Johnnies were outshooting the Blue Jays from the field, 56% to 33%. However, what stood out was the percentage of shots taken from three-point range. While Creighton was shooting 23.5 % on 17 threes in the first half, the Johnnies took only four three-point shots in the half, converting one by Ledlum. The Johnnies’ strategy of attacking the Blue Jays defense at mid-range and the paint worked. </p>
<p id="36GTNJ">The ball movement was slick as well, as St. John’s assisted on 14 of their 19 baskets. Also noticeable during the first half was the lack of Creighton fast breaks due to the Johnnies getting back down the court to cover any Creighton breakouts.</p>
<p id="QdlKEf">Just before the second half began, the fan, who had predicted victory during the pregame warmups, expressed the anxiety that everyone in the Garden had. “They can’t give this up, can they?” he asked. The reply was simple - “The first five minutes will tell us.”</p>
<h2 id="ptG7Ss"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="maJY1B">Alexander opened the second half with a jumper, cutting the Red Storm lead to eleven twenty seconds into the half. After a Jenkins miss, Kalkbrenner received a pass under the Johnnies’ basket and went up for a dunk, only to have Jenkins bat it away. Four seconds later, Soriano stole the ball from a flustered Kalkbrenner. Jenkins pushed the ball upcourt and found a hustling Soriano. A quick pass and layup restored the lead to 13. </p>
<p id="UKKxzF">Just 90 seconds into the half, Red Storm fans felt all right. </p>
<p id="AjJypT">The Blue Jays refused to go away. At the 7:29 official time-out, the Blue Jays had cut the lead to five. Visions of another collapse were growing.</p>
<p id="h99taT">After the timeout, Jordan Dingle returned to the game and cashed in with three scores in the following two minutes, growing the lead to nine, 63-54. Two more jumpers by Jenkins stretched the lead to eleven with four minutes to play. Dingle and Jenkins were taking over, and despite Alexander’s efforts to lead Creighton to a comeback, the lead was widening. St. John’s fans rose to their feet when a Jenkins three-pointer, assisted by Taylor, raised the lead to fourteen with 3:43 left to play.</p>
<p id="9yFYcr">Creighton sent several Red Storm players to the foul line in the last two minutes. It didn’t work as the Red Storm, with perfect foul shooting in the previous two minutes, walked away with an impressive fourteen-point victory, 80-66.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PfGKz0hklUVVaN71WqQvKjHZGc4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25306938/02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton_02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton_DSC08122.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Daniss Jenkins drills a three-pointer</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="zRqbxH"><strong>Takeaway #1: Attacking Inside-the-Arc</strong></h2>
<p id="ggTOwd">The Johnnies made a strategic decision from the beginning of the first half. It was to attack, attack, attack on offense. They attempted but four three-pointers in the first half while making 60 percent of their other field goal attempts. The ball, moving quickly, resulted in 14 assists. There was very little one-on-one play on offense in the half.</p>
<p id="125Q0a">Throughout the game, the Johnnies took 72 shots from the floor, of which only eight were from long range. In contrast, Creighton took 26 three-point attempts out of 63 total attempts, converting only six shots. </p>
<h2 id="nF3H6y"><strong>Takeaway #2: Good Transition Defense</strong></h2>
<p id="I2gwaz">In past games, the Johnnies were too often beaten down on the court as opponents converted fast break attempts. Not so versus Creighton. What was astonishing was that as the team was getting back, preparing to defend, the frontcourt was crashing the offensive boards. In the second half, the Johnnies took down 13 offensive rebounds. </p>
<p id="FYIw3b">The Blue Jays were often out of sync on offense. In the first half, they were called for 30-second shot clock violations on three occasions. Creighton’s shots were rushed on other possessions as the clock went down. The Johnnies often had a hand in the face of a Creighton three-point shooter, hence the Blue Jays’ poor percentage on shots from out deep. </p>
<h2 id="GIb70N"><strong>Takeaway #3: Glenn Taylor Jr. was the unsung hero</strong></h2>
<p id="clAqs8">It is important to note that we do not want to minimize scoring, and Jenkins was the team’s leading scorer with 27 points and was also was credited with six assists. Soriano took down seven rebounds and recorded five worthy assists for a center. Ledlum’s total was one assist and six rebounds. </p>
<p id="uiZ0P2">But it was Taylor’s all-around work that stood out. Taylor logged the second most minutes of a Red Storm player with 32 minutes, next to Ledlum’s 34. He tied Jenkins with six assists and added a team-high ten rebounds, made both of his free throws, and played stellar defense against Blue Jays top scorer Baylor Scheierman and took assignments against the red-hot Trey Alexander late in the game. </p>
<p id="K5CYbo">Jenkins was the game’s high scorer and provided needed leadership for the Johnnies. But Taylor should be considered the second most valuable Red Storm player for his all-around effort and accomplishments. Will he again be a starter in the upcoming pivotal game against Butler?</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OexJMt7rSSW4PbDs6JjW97MQb5E=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25306939/02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton_02.25.2024_SJU_vs._Creighton__DSC7339.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Glenn Taylor Jr. guards Trey Alexander 94 feet from the basket</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="cuAMYL"><strong>Outlook: What a Difference a Week Makes</strong></h2>
<p id="ALUkRx">In the fallout of Rick Pitino’s post-game press conference after the 68-62 loss to Seton Hall last Sunday, we at Rumble in the Garden called to focus on what went right for the Red Storm in the first seventeen minutes of that game. We challenged the Red Storm to find a way to repeat this success in subsequent games. Happily, this is what happened on Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p id="dkPrwU">The Johnnies have three regular-season games left. The upcoming game against Butler is on February 28. There is not much time to fine-tune the offense and defense as was available before the Creighton matchup.</p>
<p id="LsZnsb">The Johnnies have demonstrated what this team can do. Daniss Jenkins summarized that the difference in the game against Creighton was that the group no longer was scoreboard-watching in the second half. In past games, scoreboard-watching interfered with the players’ focus on playing the game. Against Creighton, the team went out and played old-school Johnnies basketball, attacking Creighton’s defense for all 40 minutes. </p>
<p id="COiR1z">The Johnnies demonstrated on Sunday that they can play very well over two halves. The Red Storm must prepare for the intensity Posh Alexander will bring in a hostile environment. Show the same determination, and an essential step toward earning that right to play in the NCAA tournament will be one game closer. </p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/2/26/24084249/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-80-66-win-over-no-15-creightonTim Ferguson2024-02-19T14:23:38-05:002024-02-19T14:23:38-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s meltdown loss to Seton Hall
<figure>
<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm guard Daniss Jenkins (5) drives past Seton Hall Pirates guard Isaiah Coleman (21) in the second half at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NJUEqX4Y_bUBPY9WLa2rueFkrAk=/0x0:3430x2287/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73150216/usa_today_22557849.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plus comments on Rick Pitino’s explosive postgame press conference</p> <h2 id="79wvRn"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="rQxINN">St John’s faced Seton Hall in a must-win game if an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament is to come. In front of a 9,500-person crowd at UBS Arena, the team came out on fire and, after a Zuby Ejiofor layup with 3:09 to play in the half, led 38-19. Joel Soriano was featured and scored eleven points, including two mid-range jump shots. The team held its own on the boards and converted two of four three-point attempts.</p>
<p id="3smIjd">The Pirates came back at the end of the half to close the gap to a twelve-point lead after Brady Dunlap missed a well-setup, open three at the end of the half.</p>
<h2 id="MsDbCx"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="rljIvJ">During halftime, a North Carolina Tar Heel fan who was at the game commented that he was impressed with the Johnnies’ zone defense and that it was playing very well, even with the spurt by the Pirates at the end of the half. Halftime statistics show the Pirates shooting at 38% while hitting only one out of seven threes. In contrast to the game on January 16, when the Pirates out-rebounded the Johnnies by 20, in the first half, St. John’s out-rebounded Seton Hall by one, 17 to 16.</p>
<h2 id="wdZFeo"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="Njk6c6">Johnny fans were open about their anxiety as the second half began. One expressed optimism that Coach Pitino had substituted liberally in the first half and that the team should be well-rested for the final 20 minutes of play.</p>
<p id="1PtgK9">There was a tentativeness by the Red Storm in the first couple of minutes of play. Seton Hall was not scoring a lot (three points in the first two minutes), but the Red Storm offense ran a weave with Soriano at the high post that rarely penetrated, resulting in one turnover and three contested jumpers. Coach Pitino called a time-out with 17:37 to play. A three by Al-Amir Dawes of Seton Hall dropped the lead to six. At 16:13 to play, Sean Conway, assisted by Jordan Dingle, hit a three to up the lead to nine. Fans breathed a sigh of relief. </p>
<p id="kUx0KO">Then, the roof caved in for the Johnnies. Seton Hall went on a twelve-to-one run to take the lead, 47-45, with 8:13 to play. </p>
<p id="kjHOpG">In the first 12 minutes of the second half, the Johnnies only scored four points after scoring 41 in the first half.</p>
<p id="iwVUEd">With five minutes to play, Daniss Jenkins hit a three to retake the lead, 53-52. But it lasted just eight seconds. With the Johnnies not getting back on time, a Chris Ledlum foul sent Dre Davis to the line, and he converted two free throws to retake the lead. The Pirates never gave it up, leaving UBS Arena with a 68-62 victory. </p>
<h2 id="1rZRdz"><strong>Takeaway #1: Focus on what went right, not on the problems</strong></h2>
<p id="8atmYO">The press conference after the game was <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/rick-pitino-press-conference-st-johns-basketball/2be840f165b2f4fe6e143a0d">shocking</a>. Describing the players on the team as “un-athletic,” Coach Pitino predicted, “I don’t think they are going to pick it up in the next week.” It was an inappropriate comment to share at a post-game press conference. </p>
<p id="PXMq9s">Say it all you want privately. We all, coaches, players, and fans, have to vent. </p>
<p id="gzeWHM">Confront the players privately, but do not put them down publicly. The team played exceptionally well in the first seventeen minutes of the game. Something went right. The season has five games, and a Big East tournament left. Evaluate what went right. Identify what worked. Then, find a way to help the team play that way for the full 40 minutes.</p>
<h2 id="QYDYQk"><strong>Takeaway #2: Zone defense worked</strong></h2>
<p id="tCkNu5">Many Johnny fans agreed with the North Carolina follower who described the first-half defense as very effective. There were a few lapses when getting back after the Johnnies scored, and Coach Pitino appropriately called players out for not getting back.</p>
<p id="513xxn">A solid match-up zone can work if the Johnnies are truly unathletic as the coach claimed. In the first half, the Pirates were very tentative in attacking the zone. The zone should be fine-tuned, game by game, as the season progresses.</p>
<p id="tVc32X">In the second half, poor offensive showing, missed shots, and frequent turnovers led to fast break opportunities for the Pirates. Red Storm defenders hustling back to defend were too out of position to counter the fast breaks. The result was often fouling as Johnnies tried to get into position to defend.</p>
<p id="1JYgb6">With about five minutes to play, the team went man to man on defense as the Pirates slowed their offense down to take time off the clock. Seton Hall outplayed the Johnnies in the man-to-man defense 14 to 9 in the last five minutes of play.</p>
<p id="vYpJe3">With a weaker-than-most Georgetown team being the next opponent, the opportunity to fine-tune the zone is present before the most challenging game on the remainder of the year, Creighton, on February 25, 2024.</p>
<h2 id="0tBvVX"><strong>Takeaway #3: Joel Soriano stepped up in the first half</strong></h2>
<p id="WpkSW1">He scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds in 29 minutes of play. He had three blocks and one steal. However, the only points he scored in the second half were from a putback dunk in the last minute of play. It was also his only shot attempt in the half. Soriano also showed a soft touch from the field, hitting two middle-range jump shots. </p>
<p id="xh7ugY">Getting Soriano touches in areas of the court in which he can shoot will be essential to the Johnnies’ success going forward. Find out how he got eight touches in the first half, even though he was on the bench for a significant amount of time, and yet got only one touch, a putback at the end of the game.</p>
<h2 id="WL53OD"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="eRIiRD">Despite his comments, we trust Coach Pitino has not given up on the season. The remainder of the season has five games. The Johnnies should consider four of them to be quite winnable games. In addition, there is a game with Creighton, a ranked team that the Johnnies almost beat in January at Creighton. </p>
<p id="MQ6RuN">The team must focus on one game at a time. Yes, an evaluation of what went wrong is necessary. But, when struggling, focusing on what went right during the first sixteen minutes of the Seton Hall game is equally important.</p>
<p id="jAAPq7">If the team is truly un-athletic, slow the game down and use a zone defense. Find a way to get the ball into Soriano and, most importantly, stay positive; the first sixteen minutes of the Seton Hall game tell everyone to continue to believe.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/2/19/24077474/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-meltdown-loss-to-seton-hallTim Ferguson2024-02-08T15:29:26-05:002024-02-08T15:29:26-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s 85-57 win over DePaul
<figure>
<img alt="DePaul Blue Demons guard Elijah Fisher (22) and St. John’s Red Storm guard Chris Ledlum (8) fight for a loose ball in the second half at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/omjaQRybQk-Dd3vAEKxqEfdj7Xk=/0x0:2909x1939/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73123447/usa_today_22458877.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dingle returns to form, the bench impresses, and Ledlum’s hustle stands out</p> <p id="y329Cc">The UBS Arena was partly filled as the Red Storm looked for a victory to begin momentum for the coming nine games of the season. The opponent, the DePaul Blue Demons, had yet to win a game in the conference this year.</p>
<p id="4bnGz8">Before the game, fans discussed which Johnny they felt needed to step up against the Blue Demons for the remainder of the season. The one name that most often came up was guard Jordan Dingle, who appeared to have fully recovered from his recent injury.</p>
<h2 id="bkpfEC"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="2nbtuw">The Johnnies opened with a starting five of Joel Soriano, Daniss Jenkins, Jordan Dingle, Chris Ledlum, and R.J. Luis. Coming out in a man-to-man defense, they were opposed by the Blue Demons’ zone defense.</p>
<p id="WVqKI6">A Luis pass from the top of the key to a cutting across the paint Soriano led to a Soriano layup and a 2-0 lead. Twenty seconds later, a Soriano screen freed Jenkins for a three-pointer from the top of the key for a 5-0 Red Storm lead at 18:13.</p>
<p id="RVxPCD">The first five minutes of the half were sluggish for both teams. At the under-16 media timeout with 15:47 remaining, the Johnnies led 5-4. Coming out of the timeout, Jenkins drove into the paint, and as the DePaul defense collapsed around him, he passed to a wide-open Ludlum on the right wing, who drilled a seventeen-footer. The Johnnies led seven to four.</p>
<p id="ocMP8l">The Johnnies’ full-court pressure rattled the Blue Demons into two consecutive turnovers on inbound passes. Both steals led to passes first to Soriano and then to Ledlum. Both front-court players drew fouls and converted their free throws. After a Jenkins steal and feed to Dingle, who drilled a three, the Red Storm was suddenly up 16 to 4 with fourteen minutes to play.</p>
<p id="r5N1JF">As the half progressed, the Johnnies introduced a dual of Jenkins and Ledlum bringing the ball up with Dingle and his replacements setting up on the wing. Upon crossing the halfcourt line, the Johnnies often ran a weave with Soriano or his replacement, Zuby Ejiofor, coming to the top of the key to set screens for their constantly in-motion teammates. There was very little one-on-one attacking.</p>
<p id="aURQVm">DePaul had a seven-point run, cutting the lead to 16-11, but Dingle responded with a three. When Glenn Taylor added to the three-point shooting barrage with a three, the Johnnies were up by nine, 22-13.</p>
<p id="mnRiYf">The remainder of the half found the Red Storm extending the lead to sixteen behind five points by Sean Conway and four by Nahiem Alleyne. The Blue Demons strung together a nine-point run to drop the Red Storm lead to five at 33-28, but Dingle broke the run with a three from the top of the key. </p>
<h2 id="hhkoPx"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="cTjcVY">Halftime statistics found Dingle leading the way with 11 points, followed by Soriano with eight. After hitting a three early in the game, Jenkins did not score. He focused on distributing the ball to teammates, having taken but four shots. </p>
<p id="l1m1Hs">Rebounding between the two squads was even, but the turnovers were different. The Red Storm committed just two, while the Blue Demons had nine.</p>
<h2 id="uXVVO7"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="kJFwV6">The Johnnies started the second half with the same lineup that was on the floor at the start of the game—leading by nine, 38–29, as the half began. For five minutes, the teams traded field goals and foul shots until a flourish of scoring by the Red Storm, starting with two threes by Jenkins and then two threes by freshman Brady Dunlap. Suddenly, with 12 minutes to play, the Red Storm led 60-35. </p>
<p id="mhxfDj">The St. John’s second team received extended playing time, particularly in the second half. On one occasion, after DePaul called timeout and the St. John’s second team was returning to the bench, Jenkins hustled onto the court to congratulate them, demonstrating his strong leadership. </p>
<p id="L57yDj">The Red Storm led all the way, essentially playing a man-to-man defense the entire game.</p>
<h2 id="0IQHxN"><strong>Takeaway One: Jordan Dingle returned to form</strong></h2>
<p id="fbMvgC">Jordan Dingle started the game, played 26 minutes, and scored 14 points, tying Jenkins as the leading scorer. More importantly, four of his baskets were three-pointers.</p>
<p id="pBEd9l">In the after-game press conference, Coach Pitino described Dingle as an “unbelievable scorer … there’s no shot he cannot make”. Pitino added that one goal for the Johnnies is to get easier shots for Dingle as he and Jenkins continue learning how to play together. Having missed several weeks of practice in the fall, coming back slowly at the start of the season, then missing some practice and game time due to a recent illness, perhaps this was the game Dingle broke out. Not only did he provide the long-range shooting the Johnnies desperately needed, but Dingle had five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.</p>
<p id="zUdUHR">If he can continue to perform in this manner, opposing teams may have to think twice before consistently doubling down on Joel Soriano. </p>
<h2 id="1lS1RP"><strong>Takeaway #2: The bench impressed</strong></h2>
<p id="LaSRQQ">Due to so many close games recently, second-teamers on the Red Storm were sparsely used. Not so this evening. The five starters for the Johnnies scored 47 points and took down 26 rebounds while playing 122 minutes between them. The reserves outscored them on a per-minute basis, scoring 38 points in 78 minutes of playing time while taking down 13 rebounds.</p>
<p id="xh0XLT">Standing out were guards Simeon Wilcher (eight points), Sean Conway (nine points), and Nahiem Alleyne (nine points). Those three shot at a fifty percent rate and contributed four three-pointers to the Johnnies’ 28-point victory.</p>
<p id="puFL6a">Freshmen Simeon Wilcher and Brady Dunlap demonstrated why they were highly-rated recruits. Wilcher played 12 minutes, scored eight points, and hit two long three-pointers.</p>
<p id="6tXICd">Dunlap played ten minutes and hit two threes, breaking out of a multi-game slump. He also demonstrated athleticism on defense with two blocked shots, one at the end of the first half when DePaul was trying to fight back into the game.</p>
<h2 id="vueTCa"><strong>Takeaway #3: Ledlum stands out</strong></h2>
<p id="r48gZZ">Perhaps the Johnnies are no longer the Jenkins/Soriano show. Along with Dingle and the bench, one other Johnny stood out: Chris Ledlum. </p>
<p id="8466Tp">A somewhat undersized strong forward, Ledlum demonstrated an all-over-the-court presence in the game. Playing 31 minutes, though only scoring six points, Ledlum did everything else superbly. He took down ten rebounds, leading the team. He had three assists, two steals, one blocked shot, and only gave up two turnovers while being Jenkins’s partner bringing up the ball after baskets made by DePaul.</p>
<h2 id="KswLE5"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="68iUgD">The team travels to Milwaukee to face seventh-ranked Marquette, whom the Johnnies lost to by a point on January 20 at the Garden. It was a disappointing loss, to say the least. Dingle did not play in that game, and Luis led the way by scoring 20 points.</p>
<p id="Mu2r7D">In that January 20th game, St John’s hit five out of 21 three-point attempts. Against DePaul, Dingle made four threes, shooting at 40 percent from long range. Will he be the extra ingredient that brings the Johnnies to victory? Since that game, Luis has played a lesser role, hampered by a shin splints injury. Will Marquette seek out a newly inspired Dingle or prepping to hold back a struggling Luis? Or does Marquette have the type of lineup Luis can again excel against?</p>
<p id="tVHUqb">The chess match between Pitino and Shaka Smart begins again this Saturday against a Marquette team that has won six in a row, though not against the strongest teams in the Big East.</p>
<p id="bc7xfi">Tyler Kolek led Marquette to a 15-point and 11-assist performance when he last faced St. John’s on January 20. Can Jenkins, an improving-on-defense Dingle, a recovered defensive specialist Alleyne, or perhaps a match-up zone slow him down? If possible, the Johnnies could eke out a win on February 10, 2024.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/2/8/24065956/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-85-57-win-over-depaulTim Ferguson2024-02-04T20:05:17-05:002024-02-04T20:05:17-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s loss to UConn
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2XLzrAiOLHqyhQ3uAuIwi05jMfI=/0x442:3166x2553/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73111635/02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_DSC07115.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jenkins can’t do it alone, the press has lost its bite, and shooting continues to harm St. John’s</p> <p id="RvPGdo">Throughout the Garden, energy was flowing. The stands featured more red than blue as the Connecticut Huskies and the St. Johns Red Storm were warming up. The fans were ready as Greg Banks performed a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner before the game to great applause.</p>
<h2 id="uT1Kf5"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="7QbBOj">Daniss Jenkins was ready, hitting a three from the top of the key, giving the Johnnies a 3-0 lead 13 seconds into the game. The Huskies responded quickly, breaking down the Johnnies’ pressure and attacking after missed Johnnies shots to jump to a 14-5 lead at the 15:28 mark of the half.</p>
<p id="TuX8Rn">A Jenkins layup cut the lead to seven just before a television timeout. Coming out of the time out, Brady Dunlap hit a three, followed by a second three from Jenkins, and the Johnnies were down by one, 14-13. </p>
<p id="1LCnQi">The lead jostled back and forth, and the Johnnies were picking up points from the bench. Taylor was fouled on a drive across the paint and made both free throws. R. J. Luis missed a driving layup, and Joel Soriano put back an offensive rebound. The Johnnies were up. 25-22.</p>
<p id="IdDS7X">The Huskies’ speed kept them in the game as they pushed the ball up the court against the Johnnies’ pressure. When the Johnnies got back in time, the Huskies struggled to get good shots off against what was a rotating Red Storm defense. In the first half, many Connecticut shots were taken with the shot clock nearly expiring, and the shooting percentage in these circumstances was low.</p>
<p id="iWppOl">With six minutes to play, Luis took a defensive rebound, sprinted up the court, and hit a jumper from the top of the key, giving the Johnnies a five-point lead. Connecticut called time out ten seconds later. Johnnie fans rose to their feet to give the Red Storm a lengthy standing ovation. A fan stated, “Beating the number one team in the country. That would be something.” Optimism reigned.</p>
<p id="32hS4H">A minute later, Cam Spencer, who ultimately led the Huskies in scoring, hit a three-pointer, and the score was tied. </p>
<p id="VDaWhF">Jenkins, who had played the entire first half, came out with two minutes to play. Nahiem Alleyne replaced him and hit two jumpers, and the Johnnies took a 37-36 lead into halftime.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ALISf_J5WS7DplALgbBUMkPrQ3I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25267132/02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_DSC07146.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Daniss Jenkins takes a jump shot</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="fQUvKP"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="cKMpNi">Connecticut was relatively even with the Johnnies in shooting, but the Huskies led in almost every statistical category. The Johnnies only led in two categories: they had four steals to three for the Huskies, and they committed fewer fouls (five) to the Huskies (eight). Both teams went four for eight on three-point attempts.</p>
<h2 id="0lP3Oh"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="hfQZsF">No one scored for the first two minutes. Then, the UConn guards took over. Super freshman Stephon Castle hit a jumper, and Spencer hit a three after a Chris Ledlum dunk. The Huskies were up by two at the 17:12 mark. Luis entered the game, and his athleticism began to show, taking down rebounds and hitting layups, keeping the Johnnies in the game. A Chris Ledlum dunk at the 13:16 mark put the Johnnies back in the lead. Could the Red Storm keep up the pace?</p>
<p id="MTiGRx">Twenty seconds later, another Spencer three initiated an 8-0 run as Connecticut took a six-point lead. It was the play of the UConn guards that was sparking their efforts. Soriano, assisted by Drissa Traore, hit a layup and converted a free throw, cutting the lead to four.</p>
<p id="EiARaF">It was the closest the Johnnies would get. Though the tall centers on Connecticut spent much of the half in foul trouble, Soriano could not overcome the quick hands of other UConn defenders who hounded him whenever he got the ball down low. On the Johnnies side, Jenkins played 36 minutes and paced the Johnnies with 19 points, thirteen of which came in the first half. His success diminished in the second half, and none of his teammates were there to pick the team up. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/62R78Bu-MUobq4H9OJLbnRAVG7o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25267136/02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_DSC07417.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano and Samson Johnson battle for position in the post</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="fqSLAW"><strong>Takeaway #1: Daniss Jenkins needs a reliable sidekick</strong></h2>
<p id="jGQNYJ">Daniss Jenkins has performed superbly in the past two games, particularly in the first half. His shooting percentage in the second half has dropped off. Jenkins averaged 37.5 minutes of play in the two games. Jordan Dingle is the next most frequently used Johnny, with an average of 29 minutes per game. Third on the list is R.J. Luis, with an average of 18.5 minutes, then Nahiem Alleyne, with 12.5 minutes per game.</p>
<p id="WRvfuE">In contrast, Castle and Spencer played 39 of the forty-minute contest, and fellow guard Tristen Newton played 37 minutes. Familiarity is established between guard tandems, in this case, a trio of guards, when being on the floor together.</p>
<p id="iGbYIu">The Johnnies have played 22 games and have not settled on a backcourt that plays together for a significant period in games. Injuries have interfered but it is time to settle on a unit that spends significant time together on the court.</p>
<p id="uhF9lZ">R.J. Luis is a jolt of energy when on the court. Is this jolt best used to impact the start of the game or to come in when the flow of the game requires a jolt? The vote here is for a jolt partway through the game when needed.</p>
<p id="4efZL9">So the backcourt of choice is now of Jenkins and Dingle or Alleyne. Nahiem Alleyne is the stronger defender and has recently demonstrated a touch with his jumper.</p>
<p id="yaXERv">Lastly, who can best relieve Jenkins to cut back on his minutes and keep him fresh? It could be freshman Simeon Wilcher, who flashed promise in the Villanova game. If not Wilcher, then Alleyne seems the stronger choice. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U5Y1rHroMRt6Zs1hm0gvnbnvoYU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25267137/02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_02.03.2024_SJU_vs._UConn_DSC07337.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Nahiem Alleyne attempts a layup</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="dc7cYb"><strong>Takeaway #2: The press was not even a threat</strong></h2>
<p id="SzcM0t">Is the inbound press after every made basket the best strategy? The goals of the press are threefold. First, to cause a turnover, and second, to delay the opponents from setting up their offense, possibly leading to a rushed shot due to the thirty-second rule to shoot. Lastly, it is to wear down opponents.</p>
<p id="ddk9Me">Regarding turnovers, the Villanova Wildcats struggled with the pressure in the backcourt, even in the second game after seeing it in the first contest. The result was several turnovers. The Johnnies’ pressure was less successful in creating turnovers against Xavier and Connecticut.</p>
<p id="IKw339">In terms of delaying teams from setting up their offense, there were a couple of moments in the first half of the Connecticut game when the Huskies were faced with putting up a shot with the shot clock near zero. But more often, the talented Huskie guards broke through the pressure quickly and found themselves with two-on-one or three-on-two opportunities. Similarly to Xavier, UConn relied on their three gifted starting guards to beat the Johnnies’ press. Only the Villanova game found the pressure a clear strategy.</p>
<p id="JZzSaJ">Lastly, it is not opponents who the pressure has worn down. The Johnnies have struggled during the second half of many of their games.</p>
<p id="RkkrNq">One last observation. After Dingle hit two field goals, cutting the Huskies lead to eleven with 5:49, the Red Storm dropped the press after a made basket. They hustled back to get set in their defense. In their next seven possessions, covering a period of 3 minutes 49 seconds, the Huskies had two turnovers, missed three three-pointers, and drew fouls twice, hitting three out of four attempts. Unfortunately, the Johnnies’ offense had little success, while the defense provided opportunities to catch up.</p>
<h2 id="4osabe"><strong>Takeaway #3: Foul shooting and three-point shooting continues to kill St. John’s</strong></h2>
<p id="zzsbMK">When playing a more talented team, it is most difficult to be successful when hitting 66.7% of one’s free throws. When hitting 28.6% of three-point attempts, it is almost impossible.</p>
<p id="8AwN7N">While prepping for a game against the team he played on the past year, Nahiem Alleyne seemed on fire, hitting threes and midrange, off the backboard, jumpers, hardly ever missing. Jordan Dingle was also nailing his jumpers.</p>
<p id="hA4Oe3">That pregame confidence failed to translate to the in-game setting. Jenkins took one shot for every three minutes on the court. Alleyne took a shot for every 4.7 minutes on the court, Dingle had a shot for every 2.7 minutes, and Luis had one for every 2.5 minutes. </p>
<p id="e54c2x">It’s pretty even shooting frequency except for Alleyne, who hit two out of three shots, the only one hitting more than half his attempts.</p>
<p id="M3SsYw">More playing time and an effort to isolate Alleyne for open shots may be something for the coaching staff to consider.</p>
<h2 id="ZPNrWY"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="CGh5tH">The Johnnies have lost five out of six after a two-point win over Providence on January 10, 2024. Coming up is a very winnable game against a struggling DePaul team on February 6. Two away games against Marquette, then Providence follows, and it will indeed be challenging. </p>
<p id="ykk0ST">The team is reportedly healthy, and an established rotation needs implementation. The DePaul game gives the coaching staff an opportunity to make final decisions about the rotation, and the team needs to come out on fire in every game, even against DePaul. The season is far from over, but if the team wants to make the tournament, St. John’s must beat DePaul and take one of their two games against Marquette and Providence.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/2/4/24061512/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-loss-to-uconnTim Ferguson2024-01-25T19:38:59-05:002024-01-25T19:38:59-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s home win over Villanova
<figure>
<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm center Joel Soriano (11) dunks in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lKwNz62ptytopwWzZMv-JFUx4zo=/0x0:5472x3648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73085784/usa_today_22366556.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Soriano bounces back, Wilcher impresses, and the defense suffocates ‘Nova</p> <p id="PWgCIG">An energized crowd dominated by shades of red was ready for the fireworks of the evening. With Anna Negrón sharing an inspiring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner before the game’s start, fans loudly applauded. One long-time season ticket holder stated, “I guarantee that the Red Storm wins tonight.”</p>
<h2 id="qOjd7V"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="7r3m17">Coach Pitino indicated a change of plans when the starting lineup of Joel Soriano, Daniss Jenkins, R.J. Luis, Chris Ledlum, and freshman Simeon Wilcher was announced. This was not only Wilcher’s first start; it was a rare occasion for the Johnnies’ two point guards to be in the same lineup.</p>
<p id="PwwOvC">Within the first few minutes, it was clear that change was on its way. Yes, Soriano was up at the top of the key for the first few sets. After a teammate passed by his screen, he would cut towards the basket, setting up down low. His teammates were looking for him. Early on, after a Luis three from the top of the key, Luis fed Soriano on the next Red Storm possession, who converted the pass into a layup and a 4-3 lead. The Johnnies never looked back.</p>
<p id="kdaVir">Freshman Wilcher was ready to perform, and with the Red Storm up by one, he blocked a Dixon layup, then ten seconds later assisted Soriano, who hit a jumper from the foul line for a 7 to 4 lead.</p>
<p id="ecTK4e">It was clear that something would be different in this game. The Johnnies came out in a man-to-man defense but quickly shifted to a match-up zone, then back to a man-to-man. The Wildcats seemed uncertain about how to attack. Soriano was quick to cover when Villanova could penetrate, and the result was a forced pass to whoever might hopefully salvage the play. </p>
<p id="lsZmFy">After the 11:10 official time-out, Glenn Taylor entered the game and hit a 22-footer from the left wing off a feed from Jordan Dingle. The second team was doing its part as the Johnnies went up 16-11. Then, after a Jenkins steal, Dingle extended the lead with a layup. Drissa Traore followed with a two-play contribution. First, he cleanly blocked a Mark Armstrong layup, then, eighteen seconds later, hit a three from the left wing, and the Johnnies were up 21-11.</p>
<p id="a66C0e">The rest of the half found the Johnnies ahead by eight or more points for the next ten minutes. The Red Storm closed out the half with two jump shots by Wilcher to take a 32-22 lead into the break.</p>
<h2 id="o0xbX0"><strong>Halftime</strong></h2>
<p id="4AcvZ6">A Villanova fan expressed disappointment in his team’s poor performance in the first half. When asked who most impressed him on the Red Storm during the first half of play, he responded – Simeon Wilcher for his athleticism, speed, and overall play. He summed up, “St. Johns has a good one there,” and referenced not only his assists but his block and steals earlier in the half.</p>
<p id="RpenE0">Statistics told the whole story. The Johnnies led in every major category except for turnovers, where the teams tied at six. Most impressive was a lead in assisted baskets, nine to four, and more accurate three-point shooting, 36 % for the Johnnies to 15 % for the Wildcats.</p>
<h2 id="rntA8q"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="TO7QiM">The first half featured balanced scoring for the Red Storm. No one accumulated more than six points, but six players had scored multiple baskets. Would the balanced scoring continue in the second half? Would the Johnnies continue their control of the boards?</p>
<p id="28yEtc">On an assist from Jenkins, Soriano hit a jumper to extend the lead to twelve. Then the Red Storm went cold, and then Eric Dixon began asserting himself. After a Dixon layup and two made free throws, the lead was down to six, 34-28. Twenty seconds later, a spectacular Jenkins pass to Chris Ledlum, cutting from the left corner to the basket, led to a dunk, and the lead was back to eight. </p>
<p id="w7boY6">For the next four minutes, it was mostly Soriano for the Johnnies and Dixon for the Wildcats trading baskets. A Hakin Hart layup cut the lead to five with 12:46 to play. St. Johns called a time-out.</p>
<p id="kjGGBX">The Johnnies had become careless on the offensive end with turnovers and poor shot selection. The Villanova zone had stifled the Johnnies in the half. After the time-out, the Red Storm fed Soriano deep in the paint. He spun to his left, going across the paint, and was fouled as he put up a six-footer. He made both foul shots, putting the Johnnies up by seven. </p>
<p id="KNzAGD">Dixon made a nice reverse layup with Soriano all over him to cut the lead again to five, but twenty seconds later, Jenkins hit a three, extending the lead to eight.</p>
<p id="Ejf8rV">A Soriano layup and foul shot extended the lead to double digits with nine minutes to play.</p>
<p id="mHliGE">He and Dingle led the Johnnies to a 70-50 victory throughout the game.</p>
<h2 id="pnW8zk"><strong>Takeaway One: Joel Soriano bounced back</strong></h2>
<p id="dryK5G">Soriano had not met his expectations in the previous three games. During pregame practice, he appeared relaxed and enjoyed warmups with his teammates. He was ready for an expected competition with Villanova star Eric Dixon. </p>
<p id="D0AUA0">It is evident that Dixon was also ready. The battles for advantageous position deep in the paint were apparent early in the first half. Both men battled, and it appeared to be a first-half draw. Soriano ended the half with six points, Dixon with five. </p>
<p id="x6RTl4">The offensive game plan included an effort to feature each player in the second half. Each frontcourt star responded, but Soriano’s five-for-five shooting successfully led the Johnnies through the first ten minutes as the Wildcats fought hard to close the gap.</p>
<p id="KKKxnc">Soriano hit a variety of shots, including jumpers. Having the confidence to shoot the jumper when open will go a long way toward expanding his game.</p>
<p id="fNMmwv">Lastly, Soriano’s defense was impactful. He only had one block and took down seven defensive rebounds. Most importantly, he was in position down low to thwart several drives by Wildcat players, causing them to pass the ball in desperation to teammates, leading to offensive possessions with little time to get off a shot.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm center Joel Soriano (11) hugs head coach Rick Pitino in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qindzRqqeWD8wqIjWoxsdPwK2mA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25249033/usa_today_22366554.jpg">
<cite>Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano hugs Rick Pitino in the second half</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="Iy3uPc"><strong>Takeaway Two: Simeon Wilcher flashed his high potential </strong></h2>
<p id="lpJ7lu">Daniss Jenkins has done an excellent job as the Johnnies’ point guard this season. However, he has often been on the court more than any other Johnnie. Wilcher’s performance against Villanova may lead to more playing time for himself and more rest for Jenkins.</p>
<p id="09O3oJ">Wilcher impressed in all aspects of the game. Yes, he struggled early on when T.J. Bamba beat him from the left corner and hit a layup, but that was it. Afterward, Wilcher was on his man and even shifted over to cover Eric Dixon on a drive and tied him up. He had two turnovers in seventeen minutes of playing time and demonstrated a shooting touch from 15 to 17 feet away. </p>
<p id="bkHMRz">The Johnnies need all-around guards who can shoot the outside shot. We saw Wilcher provide this against Nova. Can it be repeated? With his quickness, while handling the ball, he should be able to free himself for the mid-range jumper. Will Wilcher add mid-range shooting to his portfolio of skills?</p>
<h2 id="AgBSDJ"><strong>Takeaway Three: The defense shut down the ‘Cats again</strong></h2>
<p id="EiLfLa">Villanova struggled throughout the game with the Johnnies defense, which shifted between a match-up zone and a man-to-man. Over the season, the Wildcats’ field goal percentage was 42% on field goals and 33% on threes. In this game, their percentage was 37.5% on field goals and 16% on threes.</p>
<p id="ko0zUe">The Johnnies’ rotating defenses stymied the Wildcats, and the Johnnies’ dominance on the boards limited their second-chance opportunities to five offensive rebounds while the Johnnies took down fifteen.</p>
<p id="jMeYMh">Coupling the lack of second-chance points with an inability to even get shots off on drives to the basket doomed the Wildcats. </p>
<p id="WrwFuD">Just a few days ago, the Wildcats fought hard and lost to the number one team in the country, Connecticut, by one point. In that game, the Wildcats made 45% of their field goal attempts and 30% of their threes.</p>
<p id="a0srMj">Complex defenses similar to what the Johnnies run take time to learn. In this game, there was less pointing from one teammate to another about defensive positioning. It seemed to be coming together.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm forward Drissa Traore (55) and Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) fight for the ball in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B6k_6pVDzfARkv9-ZdRnDeXgJwY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25249035/usa_today_22366767.jpg">
<cite>Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Drissa Traore and Justin Moore fight for the ball in the second half</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="DGCxqr"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="PcyEX4">There is a week off until the next game at Xavier. It’s a week off for Nahiem Alleyne to get healthy and R.J. Luis to rest his shin splints amidst team workouts. There will be a week to continue to develop the defensive cohesiveness.</p>
<p id="2H94Zv">Will someone pick up the long-range shooting? Most Johnnies are shooting in the low thirties, with Taylor being the only one over forty at 43.6 percent. The good news is that the team shoots 33.3 % for the season while holding opponents to 31.3%. It’s not an extreme difference, but a clear difference nonetheless.</p>
<p id="tvEzwj">One true strength is rebounding, even with the poor game at Seton Hall figured in. The team has a wide margin when compared with opponents. The Johnnies average 40.2 rebounds to the opponent’s 34.2 rebounds per game.</p>
<p id="qTCGby">Compared to opponents, six extra rebounds per game plus a slightly better three-point shooting average should point to success. </p>
<p id="hREpUv">If the Johnnies continue to tighten the defense and get players healthy, the future looks positive. Facing Xavier away will not be easy, but the Johnnies have been competitive away from home and soundly defeated Xavier at Carnesecca earlier in the season. </p>
<p id="lkXE6H">It’s essential to take it one game at a time, making adjustments along the way. With Coach Pitino and his staff taking the lead, fans can be confident that game planning will be excellent. The potential exists for a successful future.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/1/25/24050974/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-home-win-over-villanovaTim Ferguson2024-01-21T20:34:54-05:002024-01-21T20:34:54-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s loss to Marquette
<figure>
<img alt="St. John’s Red Storm player R.J. Luis (12) dribbles into Marquette Golden Eagles player Oso Ighodaro (13) in game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 20, 2024" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lzHbSZLfN2dbkj5B8xazC1FvzBU=/0x0:3446x2297/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73074409/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette__DSC6779.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Luis and Ledlum step up, but defense falters in second half</p> <p id="g0f1OY">Fans were still determining which St. John team would appear. Would it be the team that battled down to the wire with Creighton a week before or the team that succumbed early to Seton Hall, beaten badly on both the offensive and defensive boards? </p>
<p id="PcmkmX">An interesting drill could be seen before the game’s start. Backcourt players would take a pass and a cut around a screener. A defender would step forward, altering the dribbler’s path to the basket. Taking two to three dribbles after clearing the defender, Jenkins, Alleyne, Conway, Dunlap, Taylor, and Wilcher were seen lofting 15 to 18-foot jumpers. The drill’s goal was clear – getting shots off a dribble and maintaining control while shooting. </p>
<p id="850SGb">With Jordan Dingle sidelined for a second straight game due to illness, the St. John’s starters were Daniss Jenkins, Chris Ledlum, Joel Soriano, RJ Luis, and Brady Dunlap.</p>
<h2 id="hEkX4k"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="MjiFXG">Marquette started the game with an end-to-end pressure defense. The Johnnies turned the ball twice in the first minute and a half. But once they beat the pressure, Ledlum drove into the paint and found Luis under the basket. A quick pass led to a Luis dunk, and the score was knotted at two. Thirty seconds later, after the Golden Eagles went ahead 4-2, Ledlum again attacked the basket and found an open Luis, this time on the left wing. A quick pass and Luis responded with a three-pointer for a 5-4 Red Storm lead. </p>
<p id="PiAHnM">The two plays were preludes to an outstanding performance by both Johnnies, which was to follow.</p>
<p id="fsIDNC">The Marquette game plan early on was clear – attack, attack, attack. There was little long-range shooting, and Coach Pitino called timeout at the 16:23 mark after another Marquette layup, this time by Kam Jones, assisted by point guard Tyler Kolek. </p>
<p id="wOWK5l">After the timeout, Marquette tried a zone trap in the Red Storm backcourt. The Red Storm quickly escaped, and the Golden Eagles dropped back into position. The full court pressure on every inbounds pass was discontinued as the Johnnies had found a way to beat it. </p>
<p id="0OWypC">St. John’s was now in a 2-1-2 zone on defense, and the lead jockeyed back and forth for the following ten minutes. The Johnnies’ zone caused the high-tempo Golden Eagles to slow their attack, leading to careless turnovers. Though the zone left some open areas for jump shots, Marquette struggled to convert. Halftime statistics showed the Golden Eagles missing all ten three-point attempts they took.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/J2kHp27Q8GDkSMpxYN_-j7geS0g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240812/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_DSC06722.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Zuby Ejiofor rises to the basket</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="YucOjo">With a team of Sean Conway, Zubi Ejiofor, Jenkins, Ledlum, and Luis, the Johnnies began to pull away. One exceptional play by Ejiofor stood out. The St. John’s centers were set up high in the paint to set screens. With 5:43 to play in the half, Ejiofor took a pass and, instead of handing off to a cutting St. John’s player, dribbled aggressively to the hoop down the left of the lane, converting and drawing a foul. When he hit his foul shot, the Johnnies were up by four, 26-22. It was the start of a 9-2 run that found the Johnnies up by ten with a minute and a half to play. </p>
<p id="7g6VFp">Marquette recovered to cut the lead to six by halftime, but an appreciative fan base gave the Red Storm enthusiastic applause as they left the court. </p>
<h2 id="Mcuqsg"><strong>Halftime Stats</strong></h2>
<p id="uthZh7">The Red Storm were leading by four, and Marquette’s 28 points scored in the first half was well below their scoring average. But one statistic stood out. It was rebounding. Seton Hall had outrebounded the Red Storm 43-25 four days earlier. Before the game, Coach Pitino stated that the team had to toughen up and execute each play as if it were the game’s last. And the team responded. Led by Ledlum’s nine rebounds in the half, the Johnnies outrebounded the Golden Eagles by twelve, 24 to 12. </p>
<h2 id="UUYED1"><strong>Second Half </strong></h2>
<p id="qxHe1x">Johnnie fans were eager for the game to resume, and, remembering that Marquette had been a ranked team throughout the season, they were cautiously optimistic.</p>
<p id="4A0Ob9">It did not take long for Red Storm fans’ anxiety to rise. Kolek fed David Joplin twelve seconds into the half for a three-pointer to split the Johnnies’ lead to three. With the Johnnies starting lineup back in the game and the Golden Eagles again being focused on Soriano, the Red Storm looked to R. J. Luis, and he delivered. Over the next four minutes, he and Ledlum were the Johnnies’ offense, with Luis contributing nine points and Ledlum three. During the same four minutes, the Golden Eagles’ long-range shooting came alive with additional threes from Kolek and Kam Jones.</p>
<p id="S3nNcF">The first official timeout was called at 15:43 after a Jenkins dunk, assisted by Luis, and a defensive rebound by Soriano. In their vintage 1990s uniforms, the Red Storm continued in the lead, 48-43. With all of the three-point shooting by Marquette, the Golden Eagles had reduced the Red Storm lead by a point. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tD-Jjijc2NlwKkPaxYxpRrZGIPc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240806/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_DSC06817.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Daniss Jenkins dunks the ball</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="vqsVrS">The Johnnies came out of the timeout in a man-to-man defensive to address the sudden long-range shooting by Marquette. Defensive adjustments by Marquette challenged Luis more effectively when he received the ball. It was successful as in the last fifteen minutes of play, he would score but an additional two points.</p>
<p id="jLXTu8">With 10:50 to play after a Glenn Taylor layup, the score was tied 56 to 56. In the next four and a half minutes, Marquette went on a 15-2 run, leading 71-58 with 6:20 to play. The Johnnies showed heart and responded with their own run, reducing the lead to one with 38 seconds to play. A missed free throw, a missed open three-pointer, and a missed thirty-footer as time was running out doomed the Johnnies to their second one-point loss to a ranked team in a week.</p>
<h2 id="xSJoHY"><strong>Takeaway #1: Luis and Ledlum display takeover ability</strong></h2>
<p id="ViIYBC">This season has found opponents, when playing the Red Storm for the first time, tending to focus on stopping captain Joel Soriano. This game with Marquette was no different. Someone had to step up, and that someone was R. J. Luis. Luis was hot at the start of each half, scoring five points in the first two and a half minutes of the first half, then opening the second half with nine points in the first four minutes. On his way to a twenty-point, four rebound, three-steal effort, Luis brought a slashing style to the Johnnies’ offense that complemented Soriano’s powerful play. </p>
<p id="os0tEE">Chris Ledlum is a blend of Soriano and Luis. When an opening to drive emerges. Ledlum will not hesitate to attack, yet he can also score from the perimeter 15 to 18 feet away, logging a double-double with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Due to Luis’s early season injuries and Ledlum’s ankle injury a few weeks ago, the trio of Luis, Ledlow, and Soriano is just beginning to discover how they best complement each other.</p>
<p id="QQF3mn">What will the future bring? Will the recent success of Luis and Ledlum take some of the focus off Soriano and open up more one-on-one opportunities for the Johnnies’ captain? Will the Red Storm develop a more efficient inside-out game with Soriano passing out of double teams to his teammates? Will the beneficiaries of these passes include Luis and Ledlum? There is excellent potential amidst these three frontcourt players.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XK2dJVZ-ZvHCA3OYwgJj_nu6MLw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240784/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_DSC06770.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>R.J. Luis and Chris Ledlum chatting during the game</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="XLywu7"><strong>Takeaway #2: Domination on the boards</strong></h2>
<p id="wIPr45">On January 16, 2024, Seton Hall outrebounded the Red Storm 43-25. Against Marquette, it was almost the reverse: 41 rebounds for the Johnnies and 28 for the Golden Eagles. Against a taller Creighton, the Red Storm held their own by taking down 41 boards to the Bluejays’ 40. In their other Big East loss against league leader Connecticut, the Johnnies outrebounded the Huskies 34 to 31.</p>
<p id="XngGVy">With the exception of the Seton Hall game, rebounding has been a strength of this team.</p>
<p id="bnK6Z5">The Luis, Ledlum, Soriano trio is aided by 6” 9” sophomore forward Zuby Ejiofor, who took down four rebounds in 12 minutes of playing time, while, in comparison, starting forward Brady Dunlap took down four boards in 33 minutes of play. Ejiofor also outscored Dunlap eight points to two. Dunlap did contribute four assists, tying Ledlum as the lead contributor on the team. He also made an outstanding play down the stretch, leaping for an errant pass and forwarding the ball, while in the air, to Jenkins, who drowned a three, cutting the Red Storm deficit to four with two and a half minutes to play.</p>
<p id="LeG5xH">Coach Pitino has made an interesting decision about how to use his frontcourt players and which combinations are most productive. This is still a work in progress.</p>
<p id="qlUL4Q">The squad, criticized for its lack of intensity during the loss to Seton Hall, was praised by Coach Pitino in the post-game news conference as he summoned the game up, “Tonight there was a moral victory. We were undermanned, and I thought our guys showed amazing character down the stretch to fight back against a very seasoned ballclub.”</p>
<h2 id="oBBjk0"><strong>Takeaway #3: Defense was a tale of two halves</strong></h2>
<p id="E6a6Zm">In the first half of the game, Marquette shot a respectable 41%, mostly on drives to the basket. They shot zero for ten from three-point range. The Johnnies led at the half 34 to 28. </p>
<p id="C43TDp">But everything changed in the second half. The Johnnies started the half with the same group that started the game. Due to the heroics of Luis and Ledlum as the half began, the Johnnies matched the Marquette shooting during the first five minutes. During this time, the Golden Eagles shot 72% from the floor and 60% from long distance. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s7znUZ_Pm5lpNyM5sKBgelWNMU8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240794/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette__DSC6839.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Oso Ighodaro dunks the ball</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="9RNtNm">After a timeout, Marquette adjusted, taking away some of the open lanes Luis had taken advantage of. Meanwhile, the Red Storm’s adjustments could have been more impactful.</p>
<p id="f5Y2VV">So what happened during the first fourteen minutes of the second half, when the Golden Eagles turned a deficit of six into a lead of thirteen? Several things. </p>
<p id="vVoszO">At the onset of the half, Marquette came out with a ball movement strategy that called to look to pass from one side of the court to the opposite wing as the St. John’s zone shifted from side to side. On several occasions, the Johnnies could not adjust their zone in time to defend.</p>
<p id="HJZcuT">Secondly, reigning Big East player of the year, Tyler Kolek, was able to penetrate when the Johnnies shifted to a man-to-man defense five minutes into the half. The loss of the Johnnies’ best perimeter defender, Nahiem Alleyne, to an ankle injury in the first half was significant. Alleyne might have been more effective guarding Kolek than his teammates. Once Kolek gained the confidence that he could beat his man, he could take advantage of Red Storm defenders having to switch off as he freed himself. Johnnie fans were heard commenting on how challenging it was to cover him. He and forward Oso Ighodaro ran several successful pick-and-roll plays, freeing Ighodaro for short four to six-foot jumpers in the middle of the paint.</p>
<p id="7QLOCA">Thirdly, poor shot selection in the form of long jump shots led to Marquette’s fast breaks after they took down rebounds. One such play found Dunlap ahead of most of the field on a break. Instead of attacking the basket, he pulled up for an off-the-dribble 25-footer, which missed. Marquette quickly pushed the ball downcourt for a layup after the miss.</p>
<p id="FumwuD">Lastly, there were times that the Johnnies, pressing the boards for offensive rebounds, were unsuccessful. When able to grab the rebound, the Golden Eagles quickly drove down the court with an advantage. </p>
<p id="15KYKS">The Johnnies took down 16 offensive rebounds during the game, but during the nine minutes when the Golden Eagles built their 13-point lead, the Johnnies did not pull down one offensive rebound.</p>
<p id="uzz3qS">To the team’s credit, they never quit. The team switched back to the match-up zone and reduced the deficit to two with a minute and a half to play. The only points for Marquette in the last 6:20 were two Kolek free throws. It was excellent defense, but the offense came up just a hair short.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tnJ0VHzFonphh3EjScaNaZbd80Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240802/01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_01.20.2024_SJU_vs._Marquette_DSC06954.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>R.J. Luis grabs a rebound on the floor</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="aGiSmC"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="EmKCmc">Villanova will come into town with their leader, Justin Moore, back in action. He led their team with 15 points in a one-point loss to Uconn the same day the Johnnies were being defeated by one by Marquette. Each unit will see this game on January 24 as a critical game.</p>
<p id="wPTvmQ">The Johnnies beat the Wildcats by ten on January 6, 2024. The Johnnies’ full-court press after making baskets stymied Villanova that day. Expect the Wildcats to be prepared this time around. The addition of Moore back in the lineup and the Johnnies potentially missing both Nahiem Alleyne and Jordan Dingle will make this game a tossup.</p>
<p id="baQAbM">Joel Soriano had a big game with twenty points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes of play when St. Johns beat Villanova in their arena. Was it because Soriano matches up favorably with the Wildcats? If he can repeat the performance and guard Jordan Dingle is healthy and ready to play, it would make this game very winnable for the Johnnies. Fans need to attend, as the Villanova fans will undoubtedly make their presence known.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/1/21/24046161/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-loss-to-marquetteTim Ferguson2024-01-11T23:45:03-05:002024-01-11T23:45:03-05:00Three takeaways plus observations from St. John’s narrow win over Providence
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uYPBe37GzU22aNwj8RSg-bgRrFo=/0x0:2700x1800/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73047740/01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_DSC05713.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The matchup zone is steadily improving, but turnovers were a red flag</p> <p id="Cd41d3">The St. John’s Red Storm entered the first Big East Madison Square Garden game of the 2023-24 season as seven-point favorites, a spread that many fans felt was high. Despite losing one of its star players, Bryce Hopkins, the Friars from Providence were still a formidable team.</p>
<h2 id="5Qlrga"><strong>First Half</strong></h2>
<p id="QDJp1Q">At the start of the game, the Red Storm came out on fire, led by three top-of-the-key jumpers by freshman Brady Dunlap. They were sandwiched around a three from the left wing by grad student Daniss Jenkins. The team’s young and old set the pace to an early 10-0 lead. One fan responding to Dunlap’s heroics quipped, “Nothing like committed practice to instill confidence.”</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FQqDLoyH8HXdiOF9FUDouhRhdqk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25221042/01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_DSC05710.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Brady Dunlap takes a mid-range jumper</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="1x4n3w">The lead ballooned to 20-5 at the 12:58 mark of the half after a Chris Ledlum rebound with a feed to Jordan Dingle on the left wing for a three. A minute later, at an official timeout, the Red Storm held a 20-6 lead. They held Providence to 33 percent shooting while converting eight out of eleven field goal attempts.</p>
<p id="rJaKT5">The matchup zone on defense was befuddling the Friars, who often put up shots with the thirty-second shot clock running down. </p>
<p id="YwHxZt">Devin Carter, who would eventually score 31 points in the game, came alive as the Friars trimmed the Red Storm lead to seven with 6:40 to play in the half. </p>
<p id="zmufSJ">The leading scorer for the Johnnies this season, Joel Soriano, did not score until Dingle found him low on the right block with two minutes to play in the half. A fake left the Friar defender off balance, and Soriano hit a smooth four-foot jumper for his only first-half points.</p>
<p id="gSHTsX">The Johnnies took a 40-29 lead into halftime, but fans expressed anxiety during the break. The Johnnies had been outrebounding the Friars when they built their big lead. Still, the Friars’ strategy had been changing, and they were successfully hitting the offensive boards, fueling a comeback. </p>
<h2 id="wvVrcx"><strong>Second Half</strong></h2>
<p id="DeBNDY">During the first half, the Johnnies centers, Soriano and backup Zuby Ejiofor, spent most offensive possessions setting screens 15 to 20 feet from the basket. One minute into the second half, the Johnnies displayed a new strategy. After a Luis rebound and push up the court, Soriano received a pass down low, spun across the paint, and put up a hook shot, drawing a foul from Carter. After Soriano made both foul shots, the Red Storm lead was back to eleven a minute into the half. The Johnnies seemed even better off as Soriano was now coming alive. But that was not to be.</p>
<p id="gshQv9">The Johnnies did not score for two and a half minutes, and a Carter three cut the lead to three. </p>
<p id="RWJu32">A Soriano dunk, assisted by Jenkins, expanded the lead to five with a little over sixteen to play. But a 6-0 run put the Friars ahead by one at the 14:30 mark of the half. It was the first time the Red Storm had trailed in a game since they lost to Connecticut on December 23, 2023.</p>
<p id="0y10o3">The Garden vibrated with the chant, “Let’s Go Friars.” It was a volume dwarfing any chants from Johnnies fans to this point in the game.</p>
<p id="OPcfDn">A minute passed then Dunlap, who had not scored since his early-game flourish, cut across an open lane to receive a perfect feed from Jenkins and dunked the ball. The Johnnies were up 46-45. They never gave up the lead, but the game had plenty of drama.</p>
<p id="G6uQto">The Johnnies were focused on getting the ball to Soriano down low, and the Friars were focused on impeding these efforts. They intercepted one pass, leading to a Carter breakaway dunk. Coach Pitino called for Ejiofor to replace Soriano, but before Ejiofor could enter the game, Soriano hit a layup off a feed from Jenkins and was fouled. He made the and-one free throw, and the Johnnies were up by four. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dhY5rxLXtbz93NJVqcOtTpMiuGk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25221043/01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence__DSC6037.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano is fired up after making a layup and drawing the foul</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="hnv7T8">Shortly afterward, Ejiofor replaced him. The Johnnies continued to feed the ball down low, this time to Ejiofor, who dunked the ball. On their next possession, the ball quickly went down low to Ejiofor, who drew a foul, going one for two on the charity line. The Johnnies were up by seven. </p>
<p id="wtpxDF">Ejiofor continued his heroics by blocking a Friar shot. Jenkins grabbed the blocked ball, sprinted down the court, and was fouled. The Johnnies took the ball out from under the Friars’ basket and found an open Jenkins in the right corner for a three. They led by ten.</p>
<p id="Yf3k1y">The lead extended to thirteen, 61-48, after a Ledlum free throw with eight minutes to play. The Johnnies appeared to be in control of the game. But the Friar team fought on. </p>
<p id="B7a5B7">With three minutes to play, a Carter jumper cut the Red Storm lead to four. The Johnnies brought the ball up the floor and went into a weave deep outside the paint. With time running down, R.J. Luis hit a jumper from the foul line, extending the lead to six.</p>
<p id="7aBumV">In the last two minutes, the Friars kept fighting, and the Johnnies kept missing free throws. The lead was 74-73 after a Carter layup with ten seconds to play. The crowd was on its feet, but one fan sat, stating, “I’m too nervous to stand; this game is too close.” </p>
<p id="RxN4Lq">Dunlap was fouled in the backcourt. Now, there were six seconds to play. Dunlap walked up the court limping from an earlier injury and missed two free throws, but Luis took down an offensive rebound and was fouled. Four seconds left on the clock. The nervous fan was beside herself and stated, “Just tell me what happened .”Luis hit one of two free throws for a two-point lead. Jordon Pierre, who had hit three three-pointers earlier in the game, raced down the court and put up a thirty-footer with time expiring. It came up short, and St. John’s narrowly won 75-73.</p>
<h2 id="CNv0PN"><strong>Soriano and Ejiofor’s ability to draw attention helped</strong></h2>
<p id="pbhQRC">Freshman Brady Dunlap hit three open jumpers in the first two minutes of play; two were off high screens set by Joel Soriano. Providence called time out right after the third jumper. After defensive adjustments by the Friars, Dunlap did not see an open jumper for the rest of the game. However, his only points through the rest of the game were important ones. He freed himself, cutting across the paint and dunking the ball, putting the Red Storm back in the lead for good. That was it for his offensive production.</p>
<p id="kzB0pn">The game plan called for Soriano and backup center Zuby Ejiofor to set high screens throughout the first half. The result: Soriano took two shots and Ejiofor one in the first half. The Johnnies, at times, tried to feed Soriano underneath the basket, but the Friars did an excellent job bottling him up. Nevertheless, even without his usual contribution to the scoring, the Johnnies went into the half with an eleven-point lead. Why? The Red Storm took advantage of lanes opening up in the paint as Friar defenders were focused on Soriano away from the basket. </p>
<p id="S8IHo3">In the second half, the game plan changed. Yes, there were still some high screens, but after the Friar run that brought them back into the game, the effort to feed Soriano intensified, and he responded with fourteen second-half points on three field goals and going eight for eleven from the line. It was not easy.</p>
<p id="dnIf0r">Partway through the half, Ejiofor subbed for Soriano. The Friars responded by focusing the defense away from the center position, and Red Storm teammates found Ejiofor open on two consecutive possessions under the basket.</p>
<p id="OxpJvO">The Johnnies seem to be becoming very aware of their teammates and taking advantage when the opportunity arises. It is part of a learning curve, and when it was needed most after the Friar run. Red Storm players, particularly Jenkins, focused on dishing the ball to open teammates. This was progress on the offensive end, which will bear fruit as the season progresses. </p>
<h2 id="UZ8yCz"><strong>The matchup zone is still a work in progress</strong></h2>
<p id="MsqVW8">Matchup zones are not easy to implement. It may take a season to master this defense. If mastered by Big East playoff week, then the Red Storm should do well.</p>
<p id="6eUnDH">The Red Storm appeared to open the game in a matchup 2-3 zone. As the Friars were methodically bringing the ball up, Red Storm players could be seen pointing to each other as to the proper rotations. Once Pitino’s defense was set, the Friars appeared frustrated. As the ball moved around the perimeter, St. John’s defenders moved quickly to defend Friar attackers. The Red Storm’s wings were careful not to get too far out of position, which might offer Friar wings open shots, particularly from the corners. The wings from the opposite side of the court would move into the paint in a good rebounding position. The result was a poor shooting performance by the Friars. Coupled with the Johnnies dominating the boards in the first ten minutes, the Red Storm established an early lead.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Sf9L6v5AtVr7xbL9M--rIcK6xAw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25221047/01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence__DSC5710.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Rick Pitino on the sideline</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="fz0vZ9">As the half continued, Providence began pushing the ball up court and found open avenues to the basket as the Johnnies zone organized itself. Coach Pitino changed defenses to straight man-to-man to disrupt the Friar flow.</p>
<p id="EXwMOs">The fact that the Johnnies could pressure the inbound pass after making baskets and then fall back into the zone was impressive.</p>
<p id="rs7CJy">The ability to make needed rotations on time is something that will improve with experience. Overall, the defense played well when not beaten down on the court by aggressive Friar attackers. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X0PUHqWueMv1sJ-v6As2kbRUdVc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25221046/01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_01.10.2024_SJU_vs._Providence_DSC05857.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano guards Jayden Pierre</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="kAD5ZZ"><strong>Turnovers remain a concern</strong></h2>
<p id="B7JpiH">Turnovers happen particularly with teams like the Johnnies, who play aggressively. In this game, the Johnnies led in all categories except for steals and turnovers. The Friars were credited with eight steals, and the Johnnies made four. </p>
<p id="q79WDb">Give Providence credit. Three of the steals were by 6-foot-9 Josh Oduro, who was hounding Soriano with swarming teammates whenever he ventured low in the paint. But some Red Storm turnovers were self-inflicted – careless passing being one. </p>
<p id="VGyDrL">The Johnnies run a lot of weaves on offense. As a result, it is a quick offense and is susceptible to mistakes. Each game, the offense seems a bit smoother. The Johnnies need to study tape of their individual and team performance to correct their errors. With the Pitino emphasis on preparation, it is fair to expect improvement in this aspect of the game. </p>
<p id="MBcZRb">The Johnnies committed 13 turnovers, while Providence had ten. In a close game like this game, turnovers truly matter,</p>
<h2 id="P7Cy0H"><strong>Outlook</strong></h2>
<p id="1gXgzM">When the Johnnies are playing according to script, they have been outstanding, but sometimes, despite being primarily a veteran team, they get careless and are inconsistent. If the team performs like the first half of the Villanova and Providence teams, they can compete with anyone.</p>
<p id="sTsX23">Upcoming is an away game at Creighton, where the Red Storm has shown little success in recent years. This is a test similar to the challenge of playing Connecticut. The team almost won that game, so expect the game against Creighton to be competitive. </p>
<p id="4FayQK">The matchups are very intriguing, particularly Soriano against Ryan Kalkbrenner. How will the newly used matchup zone do against a veteran and well-coached team, the Creighton Blue Jays? This Red Storm team will be prepared, and the Soriano/Jenkins duo will lead the way.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/1/11/24035439/three-takeaways-plus-observations-from-st-johns-narrow-win-over-providenceTim Ferguson2024-01-03T19:15:43-05:002024-01-03T19:15:43-05:00Three takeaways and observations from St. John’s 86-70 win over Butler
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4vO8vN4Cedr_G_6OaO0Cr5wUMZ8=/0x0:4392x2928/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73020858/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_DSC05419.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Hagan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dunlap and Luis emerge as forces, but the Red Storm defense requires fine-tuning</p> <p id="Au19tw">It was a sellout crowd that filled the stands well before the start of the game. Posh Alexander, starting point guard for the Johnnies the past three seasons was ready for the game, but not as a Johnny. Transferring the Butler Bulldogs before his senior season, the familiar court of Carnesecca Arena brought smiles to his face; he was ready for the game.</p>
<p id="xMHyDl">However the conversation among fans, before the game, was not focused on Alexander’s return. It was all about Chris Ledlum. Would he play and how well could he support Joel Soriano in combatting an expected challenge from a strong Butler frontcourt?</p>
<p id="6ZEtuW">The Red Storm ran an interesting, fast-paced drill in pregame warm-ups for the guards, Jordan Dingle, Nahiem Alleyne, Daniss Jenkins, and Simeon Wilcher. Dribbling past a screener, each Johnny made a sharp cut towards the basket and then put up a 15 to 20-foot jumper. The drill tuned the backcourt to be prepared to take on the shorter but quick backcourt of Alexander and D.J. Davis.</p>
<p id="K1d9Cv">When starting team introductions were announced, St. John’s fans gave a round of applause for Alexander who returned it with a wave to the stands. Then everyone, Bulldogs, Johnnies, and fans were ready for the game everyone saw to be a challenge.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9MZ1xv5FA8WeXXCxKbiSe8blOJg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202207/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler__DSC5205.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Posh Alexander stands inside Butler’s pregame huddle</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="OJn9YH"><strong>First Half</strong></h3>
<p id="YjyYlS">Alexander was ready to lead the Butler Bulldogs but the Johnnies were equally ready. Joel Soriano won the opening tap and the Johnnies ran a weave with him at the foul line setting up picks. It was similar to the practice the guards were running in the pregame. Jenkins cut off a pick towards the basket as Soriano spun towards the basket on the opposite side of the paint to be a recipient of a Jenkins feed. He obliged with a dunk and a 2-0 Red Storm lead. it was a play the team would run several times during the game.</p>
<p id="iREoff">Alexander responded with a layup, assisted by Davis, to knot the score at two. R.J. Luis, starting the game and on his way back from an injury, wowed the crowd with a reverse layup. The Johnnies pulled ahead 4-2 with 18:41 to play.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XcW7E1Ebzrx34a6DzB3TpRd8wvc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202208/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler__DSC5284.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>R.J. Luis cuts from the baseline and makes a reverse layup early in the first half</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="4mOTLr">Three minutes into the half Chris Ledlum took down an offensive rebound then limped off the court. Coach Pitino inserted freshman Brady Dunlap to the surprise of fans expecting to see Glenn Taylor as the first Johnny off the bench. </p>
<p id="H3C8Rf">A few seconds later, Dunlap took an inbounds pass from under the basket and hit a turnaround seven-footer to put the Johnnies in the lead 6-4. </p>
<p id="YnAV7F">St. John’s was in pressure defense after making baskets, falling back into a zone. Butler turned the ball over. Dunlap missed a three, his only miss on the way to a ten-point first half. Alexander drove hard to the basket drawing a foul from Soriano. He hit one of two free throws. The Red Storm lead was down to one.</p>
<p id="Og5vvr">Jenkins responded with a stutter-step drive down the right side of the paint and a layup to give St. John’s a three-point lead at the 16:08 mark.</p>
<p id="4cIHpD">As the game proceeded, the Red Storm would open up a small lead and the Bulldogs would fight back. The last tie, the result of an Alexander layup, was 19-19 at the 11:20 mark. Dunlap broke it with a twenty-footer from the left corner off a Jenkins feed.</p>
<p id="aJ1vKd">The Red Storm held the lead for the rest of the half. With under a minute to play a Dunlap offensive rebound, a pass to Jenkins, then back to Dunlap on the right wing found Soriano cutting across the lane. With a quick feed to Soriano and a dunk, the crowd rose to its feet, extending the Johnnies lead to 45-38 at the half. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2B-BYLZw_q_FsXvol1jTxk56mCY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202210/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler__DSC5600.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano hangs on the rim after a dunk in the first half</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="4CGAfi"><strong>Halftime</strong></h3>
<p id="KvdFUq">Statistics at the half were revealing. The Johnnies outshot the Bulldogs 51 to 35 percent but it was the hustle stats that were most notable. The Red Storm outrebounded the Bulldogs 25 to 17 in the half. In addition, the Johnnies had more steals (five to three) and more blocks (four to one) than the Bulldogs.</p>
<h3 id="3ejHmz"><strong>Second Half</strong></h3>
<p id="2J18HG">The Red Storm opened the second half in a zone defense that<strong> </strong>was initially ineffective. Two Bulldog three-pointers<strong> </strong>in the first minute of play, sandwiched around Ledlum’s layup, cut the lead to three at the 19:10 mark. The team adjusted going into a man-to-man defense.</p>
<p id="zlwK3D">No one scored for the next minute and a half. Then a 37-second sequence in which Dingle hit three free throws, Luis stole an inbounds pass and laid the ball in followed by a missed Bulldog layup with Jenkins racing downcourt for a layup put the Johnnies up by ten.<strong> </strong></p>
<p id="qOxivw">Despite the heroics of D.J. Davis, the Red Storm remained ahead throughout the game, ending the night with a 86-70 victory. As players walked off the court Soriano embraced his former teammate Alexander, each congratulating each other for a hard-fought game.</p>
<h3 id="AaMIxR"><strong>Takeaway One: The offense remains balanced</strong></h3>
<p id="NwNlDR">The Johnnies had five players scoring in double figures against Hofstra. Against Butler there were six, again led by Jenkins with 17 points. Soriano expectedly put up a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but it was the emergence of both R.J. Luis (14 points) and Brady Dunlap (13 points) that suggests a bright future for the Johnnies offense.</p>
<p id="IwXR1U">The ball seemed to move effortlessly on offense, but the recording of eleven assists on 34 made baskets was most surprising. Jenkins led with seven assists, but no other teammate had more than one. The Johnnies seemed to look more and more for Jenkins to take the lead on all plays when he was on the court. Last night, he played for 34 minutes, most of all players. When he was not on the court, it was Nahiem Alleyne or Simeon Wilcher playing the role of point guard. Between those two, they only had one assist.</p>
<p id="z4MYmX">If Jenkins ever has to sit on the bench for an extended period, be it for a potential injury or foul trouble, it would be problematic for the Red Storm. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DzCCV1Xr4Lm9IazNidWyaV2hKhk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202215/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_DSC05550.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Daniss Jenkins dribbles to the basket </figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="dsCvEF"><strong>Takeaway Two: The mix of man-to-man and zone needs work</strong></h3>
<p id="Y5bfWI">The Johnnies went with a pressure defense dropping into a zone in the first half. </p>
<p id="wu9tlQ">Starting the second half in a zone resulted in two quick three-pointers by Butler. The Red Storm went to a man-to-man defense and the Bulldogs did not hit another three until six minutes were left in the game. Coach Pitino in a press conference after the game conceded that the team needs to work on its match-up zone. </p>
<p id="ucjtJA">Learning a new offense for new players acclimating themselves to one another is an easier task than learning a new defense, particularly strategically complicated defenses such as match-up zones. Breakdowns will occur amidst the learning process.</p>
<p id="GqeeeP">It’s only midseason, but the Johnnies have the personnel on defense to make this work long-term.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9K1chHpuicwnbKZG_7teGGkThio=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202220/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_DSC05267.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Joel Soriano and Brady Dunlap contest Posh Alexander’s layup attempt at the rim</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="jIOLyP"><strong>Takeaway Three: Luis and Dunlap give St. John’s even more options</strong></h3>
<p id="KvzMdV">Through the first eleven games of the season, the Johnnies clearly could have used two additions. A slasher to the basket other than Jenkins and a three-point shooter to complement Dingle. In the past three games, they have utilized a slasher in R.J. Luis and a three-point shooter in Brady Dunlap. Both front-court players have shown an ability to bring the ball up and play defense. With the game relatively close in the first half, Dunlap blocked a layup, leading to Luis pushing the ball upcourt and feeding Alleyne for a jumper.</p>
<p id="7oDAKr">The contributions of these newcomers shows up beyond the scoring column. The Johnnies have a tough segment of the league schedule before them, and expanded array of offensive weapons is more than simply welcome, it is necessary.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W5DS_ckhXM3DxL4mmcMYevRc8bU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202222/01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler_01.02.2024_SJU_vs_Butler__DSC5724.jpg">
<cite>Chris Hagan</cite>
<figcaption>Brady Dunlap holds onto the ball before making a pass</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="YlZNVL"><strong>Outlook</strong></h3>
<p id="yQMkIG">A road game with a good Villanova game is a challenge. The Johnnies went up to Storrs, Connecticut, and almost pulled off a victory against the number four team in the nation. Yes, the Connecticut Huskies were missing Donovan Clingan, but his replacement Samson Johnson played admirably in the game.</p>
<p id="LrfRNd">Adjustments are still being made, particularly on defense. Against Michigan and Hofstra, their quick guards, who can shoot the three, provide challenges to the Red Storm. </p>
<p id="tw0Bf3">Based on the performance against Connecticut, albeit a loss, any game in the Big East is a challenging but winnable game.</p>
<p id="A0DihV">A win over Villanova at Finneran Pavilion would be a major plus for their resume. The expanding offensive weapons are here. The recognition that the zone defense, so effective at times, needs work, is present. Still, the future is looking bright for the Red Storm.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2024/1/3/24024228/three-takeaways-and-observations-from-st-johns-86-70-win-over-butlerTim Ferguson