College Sports Madness - SJU Preview

[STJClass_2013]

I think Harrison and Jordan will run this team from the first game with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.

Harrison force this team into the tournament if necessary. He has wanted it since he stepped on campus. Harrison can and has this team.

If Thomas can get at least as many rebounds as Sampson I think he is a positive impact.

I really like Dom, but I don't know what he will bring to the table. Hopefully he crashes the boards for put backs.

 

[doodyny33]

Pointer could be a very valuable player for this team if he goes back to playing the way he did in 2012-'13. Attack the rim on offense and play a smart, tough defense.

If he plays like he did in 2013-'14, he'll be of no use to this team. Either he buys in or Lavin is better off giving his minutes to a guy like Balamou.

 

[Marillac]

I think Harrison and Jordan will run this team from the first game with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.

Harrison force this team into the tournament if necessary. He has wanted it since he stepped on campus. Harrison can and has this team.

If Thomas can get at least as many rebounds as Sampson I think he is a positive impact.

I really like Dom, but I don't know what he will bring to the table. Hopefully he crashes the boards for put backs.

Jordan has the chance to be the most improved player in the entire country. People expect too much from freshmen. They have no tape to go over, they have no mistakes to improve on, they have no experience in college, and they are typically a little behind in strength and condititioning. To make thilngs worse for Jordan, we had three experienced guards to give him a crutch. The keys are his from minute one of game one.

Our backcourt is fantastic. 40% of our starting five will be Jordan and Harrison...doesn't get much better than that. The front court might be less talented, but I really think the guys we have will buy in to doing the little things that make teams better. Last year our forwards competed against our guards for shots.

 

[redfazed]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

 

[Eric]

yes..Jordan will be much better this year going from year 1 to year 2...and Harrison will be Harrison which is good.......but lets not sleep on what keith Thomas is going to provide for this team......I really expect 10 plus points a game to go along with 7 plus rebounds...if not closer to 10...this is a guy that LOVES to rebound.....count on at least 2-3 put backs a game and a couple of easy looks from Jordan and that's all it takes..not to mention some foul shots...he will be a great addition to this team....and hopefully his rebounding desire will rub off on a few others.....he will make us a better TEAM......so long sanchez.....and Sampson....we will play more team ball this year....and it will be more fun to watch.....keith Thomas's play with be infectious...in a good way.....lets go redmen!!

 

[ccnobz]

yes..Jordan will be much better this year going from year 1 to year 2...and Harrison will be Harrison which is good.......but lets not sleep on what keith Thomas is going to provide for this team......I really expect 10 plus points a game to go along with 7 plus rebounds...if not closer to 10...this is a guy that LOVES to rebound.....count on at least 2-3 put backs a game and a couple of easy looks from Jordan and that's all it takes..not to mention some foul shots...he will be a great addition to this team....and hopefully his rebounding desire will rub off on a few others.....he will make us a better TEAM......so long sanchez.....and Sampson....we will play more team ball this year....and it will be more fun to watch.....keith Thomas's play with be infectious...in a good way.....lets go redmen!!

Have you watched him play a lot?

 

[Eric]

i wouldnt say a lot but yes I have seen 3 of his games.....and my friend who saw him a lot raved about him last year...very active for that loose ball....he wants it......too bad we didn't have him and his mentality on the team last year....ppl might be concered he cant play in the big east....why not?...he is 6 ft 7 in.....and has a nose for rebounds.....he will fit in just fine in the big east or any other conference

 

[Amaseinyourface]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

 

[tom in salem]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

If C. Jones plays 25 mpg, were in deep sh!t.

 

[Amaseinyourface]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

If C. Jones plays 25 mpg, were in deep sh!t.

Theres 80 minutes at the 4-5 position. Obekpa and Thomas are sure to get plenty but what 55 tops? That leaves 25 minutes and I dont see Adonis eating up much of that.

 

[paultzman]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

If C. Jones plays 25 mpg, were in deep sh!t.

Theres 80 minutes at the 4-5 position. Obekpa and Thomas are sure to get plenty but what 55 tops? That leaves 25 minutes and I dont see Adonis eating up much of that.

Hopefully ADR is not eating much of anything.

 

[redmannorth]

Must agree with Tom on this one. Furthermore for future development , goodwill etc Adonis must get 10 minutes a game. Lavin is smart enough to encourage Adonis to continue his improved conditioning by offering him pt.
barring foul trouble, injuries or a completely different attitude towards rebounding I don't see Christian Jones getting a great deal of pt.
a lot of ifs with this team but if Thomas's attitude towards rebounding and defense is followed by Pointer and others, I repeat if, this team could be good. Let's hope Thomas becomes a leader in the locker room from day 1.

 

[Class of 72]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

If C. Jones plays 25 mpg, were in deep sh!t.

Theres 80 minutes at the 4-5 position. Obekpa and Thomas are sure to get plenty but what 55 tops? That leaves 25 minutes and I dont see Adonis eating up much of that.

Having seen most of his high school games at CTK I don't see ADR getting off the bench much in his first year. I hear Lavin is hoping to land the Bosnian kid for upfront scoring who would likely start next to Chris and Thomas. Branch, Harrison and Jordan need to get Obekpa into the offense. The million dollar ? is when will Lavin and his coaches agree on a starting lineup.

 

[1and1sju]

We will be reliant on our guards for the bulk of our scoring. But unless someone in the frontcourt is, on average, scoring double-digits every game, we will not be a Tournament team. It is no coincidence that our winning streak last year coincided with Obekpa having double-digit games. With Sampson gone, he needs to be a consistent scorer this year.

I think well have about 3 guys in the front court average 6-8 pts but I dont think well have someone average double digits. That is unless Lavin gives Christian Jones 25+ minutes a game.

If C. Jones plays 25 mpg, were in deep sh!t.

Theres 80 minutes at the 4-5 position. Obekpa and Thomas are sure to get plenty but what 55 tops? That leaves 25 minutes and I dont see Adonis eating up much of that.

Having seen most of his high school games at CTK I don't see ADR getting off the bench much in his first year. I hear Lavin is hoping to land the Bosnian kid for upfront scoring who would likely start next to Chris and Thomas. Branch, Harrison and Jordan need to get Obekpa into the offense. The million dollar ? is when will Lavin and his coaches agree on a starting lineup.

I don't know a thing about the Bosnian forward, but in theory, that makes a lot of sense to me. Our biggest weakness is scoring, if this guy can contribute than he'll be a starter.
I also agree that ADR will be only a minor role player this season. But I'm sure he'll get a few minutes each night.
I think Thomas/Jones are being vastly overrated by a lot of the fan-base. The grass isn't always greener.
Sampson and to a lesser degree Sanchez were solid players at this level. I think we'll miss Sampson far more than most people realize right now. We don't know yet that the other two can even be meaningful role players yet, let alone starters.

It should also be noted that Pointer and co. don't stand under the basket on the offensive-end waiting for rebounds by design.
I'm one of the first to criticize coach's strategy, but many many successful teams in this era choose to spread the floor and bring defenders away from the paint to allow penetration. Harrison and Jordan would have no shot at driving to the rim if Sampson, Obekpa, and Pointer were all hanging around the low post with their 3 defenders.
So the notion that Dom spent too much time on the perimeter and not hitting the glass isn't always a fair critique.

 

[Amaseinyourface]

Must agree with Tom on this one. Furthermore for future development , goodwill etc Adonis must get 10 minutes a game. Lavin is smart enough to encourage Adonis to continue his improved conditioning by offering him pt.
barring foul trouble, injuries or a completely different attitude towards rebounding I don't see Christian Jones getting a great deal of pt.
a lot of ifs with this team but if Thomas's attitude towards rebounding and defense is followed by Pointer and others, I repeat if, this team could be good. Let's hope Thomas becomes a leader in the locker room from day 1.

CO got 20 minutes last year and 26 the year before that. Lets say all things go well and he gets 30 mpg (doubt it) that leaves 50 minutes up front. If we get the Bosnian that's one thing, if not then regardless of how much posters think i'm over hyping Jones, he will have to get a decent share of minutes.

 

[Eric]

I think you are underrating Thomas a lot desco....I think you will be pleasantly surprised and will love his game and attitude.......i also think you are overrating sanchez...... he was a waste for this team in my opinion except for less than a handful of games....very soft player who had 1 or 2 very good games..one being against fordham...and a few decent games...the rest...blah....he thought he could hit the 3 and wasn't very good at it should have played much closer to the basket hitting the glass.....this is what Thomas will be doing......

 

[Mean Gene]

If we had Thomas last year instead of Sanchez we would have been a much better team because of his rebounding and defense which Sanchez did not do. Also, Sampson, for all his talent is the reason we started 0 - 5 in the Big East. He admittedly was playing to showcase himself and cared nothing about playing within the team structure. I don't think anyone is underestimating the loss of Sampson.

 

[Marillac]

If we had Thomas last year instead of Sanchez we would have been a much better team because of his rebounding and defense which Sanchez did not do. Also, Sampson, for all his talent is the reason we started 0 - 5 in the Big East. He admittedly was playing to showcase himself and cared nothing about playing within the team structure. I don't think anyone is underestimating the loss of Sampson.

I don't understand the people who think we will be worse. We won 20 games last season and that is with our best player, and 87% FT shooter, losing one at the line for us.

We won 20 games with a freshman point guard who did't get it together until February....with Pointer, Sampson, Sanchez, and Jordan combining for over four three-pt attempts per game with an average of less than 25% (those will go to Greene, Branch, and a soph Jordan with rebounders under the basket)...without playing a pressing fast-paced style of ball...with a SF that shot 16.7% from three and averaged an offensive rebound every three games.

On a scale of 1-10 how do you guys think our front court did? Post-scoring: two. Offensive rebounding: two for the first 36 minutes and and eight or nine for the last four minutes of games we were losing. Defensive rebounding: four or five. Screening: three or four (due soley to CO and GG). Defense: two. Clutchness: Zero? Decison-making: one or two? (Is it just me or did Sampson foul a three point shooter a few times a month?)

How are we ever going to make up that production? We were outrebounded BADLY four our our last five losses and somehow only played Robert Morris, with nobody bigger than a 6'6 210 natural SF for the second half, to a 37-37 draw on the glass. Jalen Reynolds averages 3.8 and 3.8 and goes off against us for 17 and 16? Soft.

I'm optimistic about CO. I was very vocal that he shouldn't have played more than 10-12 minutes as a frosh. By the end of last season, I didn't think we had a chance if he wasn't on the floor (both ends). Provoidence played volleyball in his absence in the B.E.T. (sixteen offensive rebounds) He's the only player that significantly improved his body...the only guy that didn't look like he was on ice skates against strong bigs...he completey changed his game from the beginning of the season to the end, and I think Whitesell really got to thim. He's got to stop with the stupid fouls. Between him, Sanchez, and Sampson, I could barely watch the games. He averaged 10 points, six boards, and two blocks during our best stretch of ball. Of course, the off court stuff scares the hell out of me. If he can be a better teammate and stay away from foul trouble...he has a chance to be one of the most improved players in the country. And our guys needs to feed him the rock. We must have the worst entry passers in the nation.

I think Thomas will be a huge contributor too. We were SOFT last season. Every team, whether a 3-on-3 rec league or in the NBA, needs someone to do the dirty work. I don't expect much athletically, as he looks average at best to me, but his mindset is just what we missed last season and I hope that can have a residual effect on guys like Pointer and Jones. I also think people are sleeping on his skill. He has been coached up for sure, and he will have at least as much skill in the post as both Sanchez and Sampson (not saying too much) and I would bet we'll see more solid screens from him in his first week than Sampson gave all last season. I can't even venture a guess as to how he will be on defense, as that is the hardest area to predict jumping from a so-so Region 15 JUCO to high level college ball--especially for a kid that is not an excellent athlete. I can't imagine he'd get moved around like the divas we had last year based on his mindset alone. I think the frontcourt did leg day at the rollerskating rink.
Honestly, the zone scares me to death this season (especialy if Dom is in the game), but this kid could finally make zones pay in its biggest weakness.

We also didn't run at all last year. I think we are different team if we do, but I don't trust that to happen. I'm hoping for 30 mpg for Obekpa at the five (but realistically I know that is going to be tough with his foul trouble) and 25 for Thomas at the four. I hope Pointer will see his time mostly at the four. Big Pun and Fat Joe to give some fouls and stop big guys from killing us like they have the last two seasons. Not expecting to much from Jones, but I hope to be surprised and I hope he doesn't take my boy Keith's minutes.

No way we are worse than last season. No.Freaking.Way.

 

[logen]

This is truly the worst preview I have ever read. Do your homework...at least put in some time before you write an article. We didn't lose to Belmont in the NIT. We got embarrassed by Robert Morris. That is a twenty second google search.

Sanchez was our second best rebounder behind Sampson? Really. That proves he never watched a single game. Sanchez never once grabbed a rebound that didn't come directly to him. He never moved his feet. He also didn't stretch defenses, shooting below 30%.

Obekpa was a soph last year--not a freshman, and by February, he was both quantitively and qualitatively our best rebounder.

How any preview can not either begin with or, at the very least, mention Jordan second, I have no idea. For this guy to not even list him as a starter is just embarrassing on his part.

If we don't win 20 games, I'll never post again. That is how sure I am of it.

Here's a preview for you: last year St. John's didn't rebound or play good defense. The forwards floated on the perimeter like they were guards and, as a result, the team was the worst offensive rebounding team in the conference (maybe the country)for the first 36 minutes of every game they were losing before they adjusted out of desperation.

This year, St. John's looks to rebound much better as both Jordan and Harrison are excellent rebounders for their positions, Obekpa will play 25+ minutes in the all-important junior season where many talented big men put it together, and the Johnnies have three huge new big men that will take the novel approach of actually staying around the basket--two 7 footers and a kid that led d-1 JUCO NATIONALLY in rebounding as a freshman.

Defensively, nothing could be worse than what the front court gave last season, so there must be some improvement.

Jordan is the key here. He has the best hands I've seen in a long time and he has the size and quickness to reduce any guard in the country to a quivering mess like he did to Tyler Ennis in the second half early last season. If he can shoot 33% or higher from deep, the Johnnies will be very dangerous. He has a chance to be the best rebounding pg in the country and both he and Obekpa have the ability to breakout into stars this season.

Harrison is Harrison. He plays at a high level and could help the team by becoming a little faster and continuing his growth on defense--where he was much improved in 2013-2014.

Greene will be counted on as an outside shooter and will need to be more aggressive in that area. Jamal Branch is a very talented guard and former top 60 recruit in 2011, that makes the Johnnies dangerous when he is not being too timid. He will need to become much more aggressive this season for St. John's to even approach its potential. He is coordinated and any time he drives to the lane, it is a good thing for the Johnnies.

Dom Pointer is an enigma. The former top 40 recruit in 2011 enjoyed successful freshman and soph seasons before an awful junior campaign caused mostly by him playing a role that did not play to his strengths. He will need to be moved off the perimeter and off the ball as much as possible to be closer to the basket and give St. John's the athletic SF they sorely missed last season. He will likely be called on to give minutes at the four--a position he has played well at his entire career. If he is not up to the task, look for St. John's to run three guard looks early and often. Felix Balamou, an impossibly athletic redshirt soph G/F, is a player to watch as the season progresses.

Losing Sampson hurts most in that St. John's loses his 3-4 easy dunks a game die to the sheer freakish athletic ability Sampson possessed. However, as a team, SJU didn't get out and run or produce enough easy looks. That has to change in 2014-2015. Dunks aside, Sampson did not defend and he did not stay close to the basket. Both he and Sanchez shot jumpers with no regard to what was happening in the game and the result was making it nearly impossible to have any kind of chemistry on the court.

Overall, this team will be much better than last season. It's not often that 20 wins results in such disappointment, but you would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of St. John's fans that were happy with the results of the 2013-2014 season. Rysheed Jordan as a second year player alone virtually guarantees a better outcome. Chris Obekpa expanded his game and showed tremendous signs of growth on the court under first year assistant Jim Whitesell--not easily apparent to casual fans. Another year, and his first full summer with him, should only produce much more noticeable improvements.

Cause for concern will be outside shooting and scoring against zone defenses. This is why it is imperative for Jordan to step up as a viable deep threat. Branch also has a good looking shot that he needs to utilize far more often. Pointer will need to be moved off the perimeter against any zone.

Prediction: 23 wins and a first round NCAA Tournament victory.

Don't ever much agree with your over the top optimism but boy, you are consistent. What exactly did Obekpa improve on last year that "casual fans" missed? A very occasional good play mixed in with the usual out of position on D or the trying to do too much on O? Oh, wait, please ignore, we already had this discussion. Seriously, I do hope you are right and you can shove this back at me.

 

[paultzman]

This is truly the worst preview I have ever read. Do your homework...at least put in some time before you write an article. We didn't lose to Belmont in the NIT. We got embarrassed by Robert Morris. That is a twenty second google search.

Sanchez was our second best rebounder behind Sampson? Really. That proves he never watched a single game. Sanchez never once grabbed a rebound that didn't come directly to him. He never moved his feet. He also didn't stretch defenses, shooting below 30%.

Obekpa was a soph last year--not a freshman, and by February, he was both quantitively and qualitatively our best rebounder.

How any preview can not either begin with or, at the very least, mention Jordan second, I have no idea. For this guy to not even list him as a starter is just embarrassing on his part.

If we don't win 20 games, I'll never post again. That is how sure I am of it.

Here's a preview for you: last year St. John's didn't rebound or play good defense. The forwards floated on the perimeter like they were guards and, as a result, the team was the worst offensive rebounding team in the conference (maybe the country)for the first 36 minutes of every game they were losing before they adjusted out of desperation.

This year, St. John's looks to rebound much better as both Jordan and Harrison are excellent rebounders for their positions, Obekpa will play 25+ minutes in the all-important junior season where many talented big men put it together, and the Johnnies have three huge new big men that will take the novel approach of actually staying around the basket--two 7 footers and a kid that led d-1 JUCO NATIONALLY in rebounding as a freshman.

Defensively, nothing could be worse than what the front court gave last season, so there must be some improvement.

Jordan is the key here. He has the best hands I've seen in a long time and he has the size and quickness to reduce any guard in the country to a quivering mess like he did to Tyler Ennis in the second half early last season. If he can shoot 33% or higher from deep, the Johnnies will be very dangerous. He has a chance to be the best rebounding pg in the country and both he and Obekpa have the ability to breakout into stars this season.

Harrison is Harrison. He plays at a high level and could help the team by becoming a little faster and continuing his growth on defense--where he was much improved in 2013-2014.

Greene will be counted on as an outside shooter and will need to be more aggressive in that area. Jamal Branch is a very talented guard and former top 60 recruit in 2011, that makes the Johnnies dangerous when he is not being too timid. He will need to become much more aggressive this season for St. John's to even approach its potential. He is coordinated and any time he drives to the lane, it is a good thing for the Johnnies.

Dom Pointer is an enigma. The former top 40 recruit in 2011 enjoyed successful freshman and soph seasons before an awful junior campaign caused mostly by him playing a role that did not play to his strengths. He will need to be moved off the perimeter and off the ball as much as possible to be closer to the basket and give St. John's the athletic SF they sorely missed last season. He will likely be called on to give minutes at the four--a position he has played well at his entire career. If he is not up to the task, look for St. John's to run three guard looks early and often. Felix Balamou, an impossibly athletic redshirt soph G/F, is a player to watch as the season progresses.

Losing Sampson hurts most in that St. John's loses his 3-4 easy dunks a game die to the sheer freakish athletic ability Sampson possessed. However, as a team, SJU didn't get out and run or produce enough easy looks. That has to change in 2014-2015. Dunks aside, Sampson did not defend and he did not stay close to the basket. Both he and Sanchez shot jumpers with no regard to what was happening in the game and the result was making it nearly impossible to have any kind of chemistry on the court.

Overall, this team will be much better than last season. It's not often that 20 wins results in such disappointment, but you would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of St. John's fans that were happy with the results of the 2013-2014 season. Rysheed Jordan as a second year player alone virtually guarantees a better outcome. Chris Obekpa expanded his game and showed tremendous signs of growth on the court under first year assistant Jim Whitesell--not easily apparent to casual fans. Another year, and his first full summer with him, should only produce much more noticeable improvements.

Cause for concern will be outside shooting and scoring against zone defenses. This is why it is imperative for Jordan to step up as a viable deep threat. Branch also has a good looking shot that he needs to utilize far more often. Pointer will need to be moved off the perimeter against any zone.

Prediction: 23 wins and a first round NCAA Tournament victory.

Don't ever much agree with your over the top optimism but boy, you are consistent. What exactly did Obekpa improve on last year that "casual fans" missed? A very occasional good play mixed in with the usual out of position on D or the trying to do too much on O? Oh, wait, please ignore, we already had this discussion. Seriously, I do hope you are right and you can shove this back at me.

As much as I like Thomas & have received positive feedback from a few basketball friends from Mount Vernon area, I subscribe to notion that Juco guys generally take a year to get acclimated to D1 ball. Brownlee is one example. (I know he played first year under Norm) I sense Thomas will be a nice addition, but am not hanging my hat on a high impact first season. We'll see.