BET Game 1- Providence -Thursday, 2:30pm Fox Sports 1
- Thread starter Knight
- Start date
And no icy roads to deal with I hope.
redfan0025hhy
Member
I'm on the west coast, so an extra long lunch is on my calendar for today.
LETS GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
St. John's preps for Big East quarterfinal vs. Providence
by Roger Rubin
For St. John’s, the time for setting sail into new territory has come.
None of the Red Storm players has been a part of Big East Tournament win. None has been a part of an NCAA Tournament game, never mind a Big Dance victory. Those opportunities have gotten close on the horizon.
The Johnnies (21-10) play a Big East quarterfinal as the No. 5 seed against fourth-seeded Providence (21-10) and appear to be a virtual lock to make the NCAAs. They won the two regular-season meetings, surely rededicating the Friars, but also have a new gust of wind filling their sails.
Big East coaches passed judgment on Sir’Dominic Pointer’s exceptional season: he’s not the conference’s Player of the Year or even a first-teamer, but a second-teamer. Phil Greene’s best season — a 13.3-point average and 40% shooting on three-pointers — was rewarded with nothing.
“We take it as motivation. The coaches decided what they decided,” Pointer said. “We’ll take it on ourselves to be better and show we’re better players. . . . Individual stuff is people’s opinions. We know how good we are. We know how good we can be.”
“I know them. I know in the back of their heads — they may not say it — but both of them are furious. It’s good for our team because we need it,” said D’Angelo Harrison, who added that Pointer should have gotten his first-team selection. “That’s not in our control. What’s in our control is Thursday. I’m pretty sure they’re probably going to go off. I’m looking forward to it. They’re probably going to put on a show.”
Providence came away with two unanimous selections to the first team: do-everything guard Kris Dunn and Big East leading scorer LaDontae Henton.
Pointer at least had some hardware at the end of the conference awards season. He was voted Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player. But for Greene the disappointment is tangible.
“I’m frustrated, disappointed, because I put a lot of work in. I thought I’d done enough,” he said. “It’ll prove everything if we win the game. It will keep our season alive and we can go to the next round on Friday. That’s the satisfaction this year.”
The Storm comes in having won seven of nine. More important, it may finally be healthy. Chris Obekpa, the 6-10 inside presence, couldn’t go last Saturday at Villanova but now has had more than a week to recover from an ankle injury. Jamal Branch, another key cog in what is essentially a six-man rotation, has had nearly two weeks to recover from a mild groin strain. And considerably talented Rysheed Jordan is playing at the top of his game.
St. John’s coach Steve Lavin said his team is concentrating less on the idea of finally winning a conference tournament game and more on the idea of his players achieving goals that lie ahead. “To have an opportunity to win a championship at Madison Square Garden is motivation, but it’s less about being bumped out the last few years,” he said. “It’s about the opportunity (now).”
This potentially could be the Year of the Breakthrough for these Johnnies. They put together an 11-1 start that was the program’s best in 29 years. They rallied from a 2-6 Big East start to be in a great position for their first Big Dance in five seasons. Harrison was asked how he feels — a reference to the two strained calf muscles that hampered him at times this season – and with a wink replied “it feels like it’s March Madness.”
It’s time to get it on.
St. John's preps for Big East quarterfinal vs. Providence
by Roger Rubin
For St. John’s, the time for setting sail into new territory has come.
None of the Red Storm players has been a part of Big East Tournament win. None has been a part of an NCAA Tournament game, never mind a Big Dance victory. Those opportunities have gotten close on the horizon.
The Johnnies (21-10) play a Big East quarterfinal as the No. 5 seed against fourth-seeded Providence (21-10) and appear to be a virtual lock to make the NCAAs. They won the two regular-season meetings, surely rededicating the Friars, but also have a new gust of wind filling their sails.
Big East coaches passed judgment on Sir’Dominic Pointer’s exceptional season: he’s not the conference’s Player of the Year or even a first-teamer, but a second-teamer. Phil Greene’s best season — a 13.3-point average and 40% shooting on three-pointers — was rewarded with nothing.
“We take it as motivation. The coaches decided what they decided,” Pointer said. “We’ll take it on ourselves to be better and show we’re better players. . . . Individual stuff is people’s opinions. We know how good we are. We know how good we can be.”
“I know them. I know in the back of their heads — they may not say it — but both of them are furious. It’s good for our team because we need it,” said D’Angelo Harrison, who added that Pointer should have gotten his first-team selection. “That’s not in our control. What’s in our control is Thursday. I’m pretty sure they’re probably going to go off. I’m looking forward to it. They’re probably going to put on a show.”
Providence came away with two unanimous selections to the first team: do-everything guard Kris Dunn and Big East leading scorer LaDontae Henton.
Pointer at least had some hardware at the end of the conference awards season. He was voted Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player. But for Greene the disappointment is tangible.
“I’m frustrated, disappointed, because I put a lot of work in. I thought I’d done enough,” he said. “It’ll prove everything if we win the game. It will keep our season alive and we can go to the next round on Friday. That’s the satisfaction this year.”
The Storm comes in having won seven of nine. More important, it may finally be healthy. Chris Obekpa, the 6-10 inside presence, couldn’t go last Saturday at Villanova but now has had more than a week to recover from an ankle injury. Jamal Branch, another key cog in what is essentially a six-man rotation, has had nearly two weeks to recover from a mild groin strain. And considerably talented Rysheed Jordan is playing at the top of his game.
St. John’s coach Steve Lavin said his team is concentrating less on the idea of finally winning a conference tournament game and more on the idea of his players achieving goals that lie ahead. “To have an opportunity to win a championship at Madison Square Garden is motivation, but it’s less about being bumped out the last few years,” he said. “It’s about the opportunity (now).”
This potentially could be the Year of the Breakthrough for these Johnnies. They put together an 11-1 start that was the program’s best in 29 years. They rallied from a 2-6 Big East start to be in a great position for their first Big Dance in five seasons. Harrison was asked how he feels — a reference to the two strained calf muscles that hampered him at times this season – and with a wink replied “it feels like it’s March Madness.”
It’s time to get it on.
A scratch ?! I guess he's a douche now according to providence fans