Rumble In The Garden - St. John's vs St. Mary's wraparound game coverage, previewHere in good times and badhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52646/ritg_fav.png2014-12-21T10:32:54-05:00http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/rss/stream/71848802014-12-21T10:32:54-05:002014-12-21T10:32:54-05:00St. Mary's scare highlights thin frontcourt
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fJ9O_f97n-vYIPiHc4ecXSUoXE0=/0x262:2482x1917/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44380160/usa-today-8279173.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Walk-on Joey Delarosa's strong debut off the bench highlights the Red Storm's search for depth in the paint.</p> <p>After an absolutely abysmal first half, St. John’s was able to claw their way to a comeback win over the Saint Mary’s Gaels 53-47.</p>
<p><span>Brad Waldow</span> gave the Red Storm everything they could handle, with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to upset the #20 team in the nation in St. John’s.</p>
<p>Besides Brad Waldow, who went 12-23 from the field, the Gaels were a combined 6-29 from the floor committing 16 turnovers in the process.</p>
<p>Though one of the best post players in the nation, Waldow's strong game highlights a year-long weakness for St. John's - rebounding.</p>
<p>Coming into the game the Red Storm was 29th in the nation in rebounding at 40.8 per game and 5th in defensive rebounding at 29.6 per game. Strong numbers. But the Red Storm haven't been great on the glass, and they allowed 15 offensive rebounds to St. Mary's. Overall, against the Gaels the Johnnies were outrebounded 47-29 and managed only 21 defensive boards.</p>
<p>This was a recipe for disaster, holding back St. John’s from fast break opportunities and forcing them to run half court sets.</p>
<p><span>Sir`Dominic Pointer</span> did his part with 11 rebounds (10 defensive), and 5 assists pushing the ball in transition off of Gaels misses.</p>
<p><span>Joey Delarosa</span> made his season debut with 12 minutes of action while <span>Chris Obekpa</span> sat with foul trouble.</p>
<p>He collected two blocks and one rebound, showing decent ability in being a post presence for a team lacking size in the frontcourt.</p>
<p>But will he be enough help for the Red Storm? Those are not numbers that ill send any St. John's regular to the bench, but his ability to be a big body helped blunt the assault of the Gaels in the first half, before the Johnnies made halftime adjustments.</p>
<p>The Johnnies excel with a small lineup, but at some point, the team will have to defend large post players and end possessions with a defensive rebound. <span>Keith Thomas</span> was supposed to be a huge help in that regard, but he was deemed ineligible after Westchester Community College transcript inconsistencies.</p>
<p><span>Adonis Delarosa</span> (Joey's younger brother) was supposed to help in limited minutes, but he is still waiting to hear the NCAA's verdict on his grades/ SAT scores.</p>
<p><span>Amar Alibegovic</span> and <span>Christian Jones</span> get some minutes, but haven't provided the post presence the Red Storm need.</p>
<p>St. John's has the young and undersized Long Beach State next, and the guard-oriented Tulane afterwards. But when Seton Hall comes?</p>
<p>The Red Storm will have to work around the problem at times all season. But the strong debut of Joey Delarosa gives hope that even on days when Obekpa needs to sit, there is some size waiting in the wings.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/21/7429373/st-johns-rebounding-woes-vs-st-marysLeo SotoNorman Rose2014-12-19T21:26:01-05:002014-12-19T21:26:01-05:00Red Storm top Saint Mary's, 53-47
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0XR_ka9SfoFlS-UtqRPlHZDDXAs=/0x0:3721x2481/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44375646/usa-today-8279179.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite trailing 33-18 at the half, the St. John's Red Storm came roaring back in the second half to thwart the Saint Mary Gaels' attempt at an upset bid. D'Angelo Harrison would lead the way with a team-high 21 points.</p> <p>After a nightmarish first half, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/">St. John's Red Storm</a> made a miraculous second half comeback, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat for a 53-47 win.</p>
<p>Leading the way for the Johnnies was D'Angelo Harrison, who would finish with a team-high 21 points, 11 of which came in the second half.</p>
<p>Trailing 33-18 at the half, the Red Storm would limit the Gaels to just 14 points in the second half, significantly ratcheting up the pressure.</p>
<p>Sir'Dominic Pointer's free throws at 8:04 left in the contest put the Johnnies ahead 43-41 for the first time since the game's opening minutes. It was a massive 27-8 run to start the half that gave the Johnnies back control of the contest, and a lead they would never relinquish. Pointer would finish the night with the Johnnies' most complete stat line, going for 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.</p>
<p>It would be <span>Phil Greene IV</span> who would ice the contest, knocking down both ends of a one-and-one to put the Red Storm ahead by five with 13.3 seconds to play.</p>
<p>Despite his team's second half collapse, senior forward <span>Brad Waldow</span> had an incredible evening for the Gaels. Going for 26 points and 12 rebounds, the big man was nearly unstoppable for most of the contest.</p>
<p>Battling foul trouble all night long, <span>Chris Obekpa</span> would foul out with 2:42 remaining yet, still adding eight points, eight rebounds, and three blocks to the cause. His biggest contributions were attempting to slow down Waldow, who had "only" nine second half points.</p>
<p>Finishing the game with more turnovers (eight) than assists (seven), the Johnnies clung on to victory. They'd make only four three-pointers, shoot just 35.8 per cent from the field, and see virtually nothing out of the combination of Phil Greene IV and <span>Rysheed Jordan</span>, yet they still found a way to pick up the victory.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Next up for the Red Storm (9-1, 0-0) will be the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/long-beach-st-49ers">Long Beach State 49ers</a> (5-6, 0-0), whom they'll welcome in at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, December 22, 2014, to Carnesecca Arena.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2014/12/19/7425627/st-johns-red-storm-survives-scare-from-saint-marys-gaels-winJesse Borek2014-12-19T11:42:59-05:002014-12-19T11:42:59-05:00St. John's vs St. Mary's: how to watch + keys
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LGuF2KLqvWGcwzA3Stwg5Oc0xOw=/0x154:3431x2441/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44371312/DSC_7696.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>John Alber</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Everything you need to know to tune into tonight's matchup.</p> <p>St. John's (8-1), ranked #20 by the AP and #23 by the Coaches' poll, take on the St. Mary's Gaels (6-2) tonight at 7:00 PM at Carnesecca Arena. The Rumble will have live coverage as the Red Storm work to <a title="Avoiding overconfidence" href="http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/18/7412905/avoiding-overconfidence-st-marys-long-beach-state-tulane">avoid overconfidence</a> against a <a title="Scouting St. Mary's" href="http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/19/7415195/surging-storm-vs-st-marys-carnesecca-scouting-gaels">talented St. Mary's team</a>.</p>
<p>Randy Bennett's Gaels are 6-2, with a win over Creighton sandwiched between a pair of losses to Boise State and Northern Arizona. But they have talent, a number of high-major transfers, shooting and strong post play in experienced senior <span>Brad Waldow</span>.</p>
<p>The game is the return contest for the ESPN-televised tip-off marathon game back in 2010, where the <a title="Rumble game coverage - St. John's vs St. Mary's 2010" href="http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2010/11/16/game-1-st-marys-76-st-johns-71">Gaels knocked off St. John's 76-71</a> in Steve Lavin's first official game as head coach of the Red Storm.</p>
<p>St. John's is coming off of a beating of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/fordham-rams">Fordham Rams</a> in a <a title="St. John's vs Fordham recap" href="http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2014/12/14/7391143/st-johns-red-storm-cruises-with-rout-of-fordham-rams">74-53 Holiday Festival victory</a> where <span>Rysheed Jordan</span> (24 points) got his groove back, it seems. Can Jordan augment the Red Storm attack tonight against a far better opponent?</p>
<p>Can Chris Obekpa stay out of foul trouble against the post presence of Waldow? Can Sir`Dominic Pointer, <span>Phil Greene IV</span> and <span>D`Angelo Harrison</span> continue to play sharp defense and hit clutch shots?</p>
<h3>How to watch online + radio</h3>
<p>Fox Sports 1 has the broadcast. The game can be seen live-only on <a title="Fox Sports Go" href="http://www.foxsports.com/foxsportsgo/">Fox Sports 1's app/ online</a> and on Fox Sports 1. Rich Ackerman and Jim Spanarkel will announce the game.</p>
<p>For those listening on the radio, 970 AM WNYM will have the call with John Minko and Brandon Tierney.</p>
<h3>Betting odds</h3>
<p>St. John's are <strong>7-point favorites</strong> tonight against St. Mary's.</p>
<h3>Key Matchup</h3>
<p><strong>St. John's defense against St. Mary's ball movement.</strong> The Red Storm will play Brad Waldow as the dominant post player he is - after all, he takes 33% of the team's shots when he's on the floor and is their second-best assists man. But Waldow is excellent at identifying double-teams and kicking the ball out to the weak side for a three point-shooter - and sometimes to forward <span>Dane Pineau</span>.</p>
<p>Movement starts from the inside out for the Gaels; St. John's needs to be prepared to cover three-point shooters - especially if <span>Kerry Carter</span> gets hot.</p>
<p>Fifty-nine percent of St. Mary's shots are assisted - 70th in the country. They "share the sugar," as Steve Lavin likes to say.</p>
<h3>Keys to the Game</h3>
<p><em>Cover the outside shooters</em>. Waldow will do some damage, but the Gaels can surge when they get Kerry Carter and <span>Aaron Bright</span> hot from the outside.</p>
<p><em>Take good shots inside the arc</em>. The Red Storm will likely face soft man and soft zone defenses from the gaels - and outside shots will be open. But while those shots are tempting, the Red Storm's game is best when attacking the rim. The Johnnies need to show patience and work for good shots inside the arc - not long, hasty jumpers.</p>
<p><em>Hurry the Gaels</em>. St. Mary's hasn't turned the ball over often, but they also have not faced the kind of pressure St. John's can bring to bear with the Johnnies' length and athleticism. The Red Storm's ability to hurry Gonzaga up kept the Johnnies in the game, and that defensive pressure continues to be the team's calling card.</p>
<h3>Score prediction</h3>
<p>St. John's gets a scare but is prepared for the Gaels. Win, 70-65.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/19/7422221/st-johns-vs-st-marys-how-to-watch-online-tv-schedule-odds-keys-gameNorman Rose2014-12-19T08:23:28-05:002014-12-19T08:23:28-05:00West Coast Conference power St. Mary's visits NYC
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cao2xnzNtzcPoy-r67QyWkBAi_s=/1x0:2113x1408/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44363022/usa-today-8274679.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Coach Randy Bennett brings his senior laden starting lineup to face the 20th ranked Johnnies this Friday at Carnesecca. Gametime is 7pm.</p> <p>St. John's faces a test in the last days of December against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/st-mary-s-calif-gaels" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Mary's Gaels</a>, tonight at 7:00 PM at Carnesecca Arena. A look at what they will face tonight, below.</p>
<h3>St. Mary's, the consistent program</h3>
<p>St. Mary's is one of the power teams on the West Coast.</p>
<p>The 23 wins posted by the Gaels last season was their lowest win total in the past 7 years. Coach Randy Bennett has spent twelve years molding this tiny Northern California Catholic school into a West Coast basketball power. He has a pipeline of Australian basketball talent coming in that includes NBA player <span>Matthew Dellavedova</span> amongst others.</p>
<p>Bennett has established a record of consistency over the last 8 seasons that rivals any program in the country. Overall he has a record of 263-125. His teams have made four of the last eight NCAA tournaments, and have routinely average 25 to 27 wins a season.</p>
<p>St. Mary's did suffer some recent NCAA rules violations and lost two scholarships per season through 2016. The sanctions were the result of a former assistant's actions. Although Bennett took "full responsibility", he thought the penalties were too harsh.</p>
<h3>This year's SMC squad</h3>
<p>This year's team is no different, though they are 1-2 in their last three games after starting out 5-0.</p>
<p>St. Mary's had a big win on the road at Creighton on December 13th sandwiched by two tough losses at home. On December 6th the Gaels suffered their first loss of the season to the solid <a href="https://www.obnug.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boise State Broncos</a>, losing by 11; then beat Creighton in an overtime thriller. But then they dropped another game at home this past Tuesday to Northern Arizona.</p>
<p>St. Mary's starts four seniors and has a true center along with the three-guard lineup, featuring a number of transfers from Pac-12 schools. 6'9'' forward <span>Brad Waldow</span> is a tough inside player who demands double-teams and leads the Gaels at 21.6 points per game to go with 10.8 rebounds. He's just under 70% at the free throw line and the team as a whole shoots just over 70%.</p>
<p>Fellow seniors <span>Kerry Carter</span> and <span>Aaron Bright</span> help shoulder the scoring load. Carter is a 6'2'' guard who averages 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds while Bright, a transfer from Stanford, averages 13.0 points. Last among the senior starters is 6'7'' forward <span>Desmond Simmons</span>, a transfer from the <a href="https://www.uwdawgpound.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Huskies</a>, who shoots a lackluster 30% percent from the field but averages 23 minutes a game, 5th best on the team.</p>
<p>At point guard the Gaels have started 6'1'' freshman <span>Emmett Naar</span>, though <span>Garrett Jackson</span> - a Southern Cal transfer - got the two most recent starts. Jackson is a slashing wing with good height (6'6") but has not played heavy minutes.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Emmett Naar has been shooting poorly at just over 30%, but he has been a solid floor general. Naar is one of the leaders in team minutes 36.9 per game and averaging a solid 6.3 assists per game to go along with 7 points.</p>
<p>6'9'' sophomore forward <span>Dane Pineau</span> has been putting up solid numbers off the bench. He averages 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds but in the win on the road against Creighton last weekend, Dane scored 13 big points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 71-67 St. Mary's win.</p>
<h3>SMC's schedule so far</h3>
<p>St. Mary's wasn't tested early on in its schedule winning 4 of 5 by double digits with only UC Irvine giving them a game and losing by three.</p>
<p>In their first loss against Boise State, the Broncos Derrick Marks shot the lights out hitting 10-14 field goals, 2-3 from behind the arc had 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals 22 points and didn't turn the ball over. In that game Boise shot 58.8% from the field to the Gaels 39.7. St. Mary's actually took 12 more shots than Boise in that game.</p>
<p>After that loss the team rallied, went to Creighton, and got a huge win on the road, their first and only road game so far this season. Brad Waldow had a double double for the Gaels with 11 and 11, Aaron Bright scored 22, Kerry Carter 19 and Dane Pineau had his double double off the bench again with 13 points and 10 rebounds.</p>
<p>A tough home loss on Tuesday by two points to Northern Arizona just days before coming to NYC to play the #20 ranked Johnnies in Queens should leave a bitter taste in the Gaels mouth and fortunately for them they don't have to wait long to play another game.</p>
<p>Tune in on Friday night at 7PM to watch the <a href="https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">St. John's Red Storm</a> against the St. Mary's Gaels on FoxSports 1.</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/19/7415195/surging-storm-vs-st-marys-carnesecca-scouting-gaelsRyan Rand2014-12-18T10:33:55-05:002014-12-18T10:33:55-05:00Avoiding December overconfidence
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/41yM4qTWbaELrG_q81DasMW9afw=/0x1:3203x2136/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44359560/usa-today-8271512.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Red Storm are nationally ranked, riding a wave of success and primed for a pair of statement non-league victories. The big question though, is how do they get there? </p> <p>This is going to be the year to finish unfinished business.</p>
<p>A year removed from a season-ending loss, as a No. 1 seed no less, in the first-round of the NIT, the Red Storm was going to change.</p>
<p>So far? Those haven't been blustery words.</p>
<p>he No. 20/23 Red Storm, the program's highest national ranking since 2011, have posted an 8-1 record so far this season. The Johnnies are averaging 73.3 points per game, led by senior <span>D`Angelo Harrison</span> who picked up his second straight Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association player of the week honors earlier this week.</p>
<p>The stats have been impressive. Harrison, and his 19.7 points per game, has been impressive. The defense, the offense, the team chemistry.</p>
<p>It's all been impressive.</p>
<p>Now what?</p>
<p>That's the big question - the season still has more than three months. With a pair of non-conference games against Saint Mary's and Long Beach State on the slate for this Friday and Monday night, and a Tulane team currently sporting an 8-1 record, the Red Storm face perhaps their biggest non-conference test of the season - avoiding the pitfalls of over-confidence.</p>
<p>"This group has made steady, measurable progress from 13 wins as freshman, to 17 wins as sophomores, 20 wins as juniors and now 8-1 in the Top 25 as seniors," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said following his team's 74-53 victory over Fordham on Sunday. "It's clear that this is a group that has matured and developed their game, both individually and collectively, during their time here."</p>
<p>That maturity has to be the key if St. John's is going to wrap up its non-conference schedule on a high note, before the Big East opener against Seton Hall on New Years Eve.</p>
<p>Things like Chris Obepka being ejected from the Fordham game after picking up two technical fouls cannot happen. <br>Poor shot selection by one the country's top backcourts, cannot happen.</p>
<p>St. John's is one of the most experienced teams in the country, and now, at this point in the season and this point in all six of these senior's careers, that experience has to be the driving factor behind every single thing they do.</p>
<p>"This group has adapted and adjusted as well as any I've had," Lavin told ESPN's CoachSpeak on Wednesday. "Their resilience, their resolve to continue to climb up the mountain inspires me. When we came here five years ago, as a staff we knew it was an arduous task or mission, but we signed on for it because we saw the potential to restore a once proud, great program. And we're closer. Coaches don't get too far ahead of themselves, so I can't get too carried away with projections. But I'm very pleased with where we are as a program and the direction we're headed."</p>
<p>There will, of course, be obstacles on the way to a Big East title.</p>
<p>Obepka will get into foul trouble this season. It is almost a given. He is a shot-blocker, first and foremost, and he will attract whistles.</p>
<p>What he cannot attract is unnecessary calls based off an emotional outburst, no one on this team can.</p>
<p>St. John's is aware of this and the Storm know that, sometimes, they are going to be forced to play small, maybe even showing a five-guard look as they did early this season.</p>
<p>That is not the end of the world and it won't be the end of the game when St. John's inevitably goes small against both St. Mary's and Long Beach State. It is simply a matter of adjusting the mindset.</p>
<p>"We have a couple of good players that can play," senior <span>Jamal Branch</span> said. "Coach likes to throw a couple of curveballs and sliders at us, so we just have to be ready to play like we did (on Sunday)."</p>
<p>This is not an easy set of games for the Storm.</p>
<p>St. Mary's (6-2) took down Creighton last week with a 71-67 overtime victory before dropping a 71-73 loss to Northern Arizona and <span>Brad Waldow</span> is averaging a game-high 21 points in just over 32 minutes of game-play. Long Beach State (5-6) meanwhile boasts wins over Kansas State and Xavier with No. 9 Texas on Saturday's schedule and is currently shooting nearly 40% from behind the arc. Tulane's wins have been over weak competition, but 8-1 is still a strong start.</p>
<p>The defense has to stand tall for the next three games.</p>
<p>Currently, St. John's is giving up just 60.6 points per game, allowing teams to shoot an average of just over 36% from the floor.</p>
<p>Add into the mix that the Red Storm has forced 128 total turnovers in the first nine games of the season and the defensive pressure that St. John's brings has been the driving force behind its success so far this year.</p>
<p>Of course, that pressure and finding the balance between a defensive attack and fouling out of the game, returns us right back to the original point; maturity and experience.</p>
<p>This team has matured tenfold since its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011. It has had to.</p>
<p>There have been ups and downs and disappointments mixed with achievements in the Lavin-era of St. John's basketball, but over the course of these next two games, the Red Storm can truly see where they stand and what they're made of, metaphorically and literally, heading into Big East play.</p>
<p>This is going to be the year, but only after these next two games.</p>
<p>"We have to show maturity and better poise in the heat of competition than we did (on Sunday)," Lavin said. "We'll learn from this. "</p>
https://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball/2014/12/18/7412905/avoiding-overconfidence-st-marys-long-beach-state-tulaneLauraAmato