JPM114 Game Piece

paultzman

paultzman

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Thursday, November 7, 2019
Anderson's Debut Brings Impressive Win for St. John's

Leave it to a veteran coach, Mike Anderson and a veteran player, Mustapha Heron, to lend some perspective to a 30-point season opening win.

“It took a lot of preparation and hard work for us to get here”, Anderson said following his team’s 109-79 trouncing of Mercer at Carnesecca Arena last night, but he added quickly that “….there’s still lots of work to do”.

Moments earlier senior leader Heron expressed similar thoughts noting that Anderson’s quickly paced style was both “hard to play” and “a lot of fun”. As opening nights go this was indeed lots of fun.

The guys who figure to lead the way for the Johnnies this season, Heron and junior forward L.J. Figueroa did just that, scoring 25 and 18 points respectively. They combined with Graduate transfer Nick Rutherford put an early stamp on the game and, with the help of a couple of surprises, maintain and extend the 21-point half time margin they built.

A pair of sophomores who barely played last season, center Josh Roberts and forward Marcellus Earlington, were able to build on strong pre-seasons. Roberts finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks while he played his role as a rim running, screening and rolling, and in his words, “dump off catching” center to perfection.

Earlington provided the biggest surprise of the game after appearing in just 15 games last season, averaging a shade less than 4 minutes per contest and making his high school reputation playing football not basketball for perennial New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep. Statistics tell this part of the game story to be sure, 17 points on 7-13 shooting and 5 rebounds, but the eye test matters here also. Not only did he bring the energy and hustle a fan might expect from an athlete who was a high end football recruit, but, for lack of a better phrase, he looked like a basketball player; moving without the ball, catching the ball in shooting position on both his 3-point tries, and scoring an early field goal with a strong right handed drive followed by a lefthanded finish.
As both Anderson and Heron noted the play of Earlington and Roberts along with fellow sophomore Greg Williams is important to watch as the team tries to build depth for the basketball gauntlet that is the Big East Conference.
The tests that the rest of the schedule brings will be difficult, and are the reason why coach Anderson sprinkled praise for his team’s effort and execution with caution. It was certainly a good beginning; one fans hope they can build on.
Notes And Observations: Former St. Francis College and Jefferson High guard Rasheem Dunn remained out while the NCAA continues to determine his eligibility status, which for now is on appeal following a ruling that would force him to lose a year of playing eligibility and leave him with only one year remaining. If I may do a bit of editorializing here the NCAA is essentially holding a kid who’s done everything right out of games because an athletic director who fired the coach who recruited him refuses to support his transfer. Instead of penalizing the young man, let’s hope the NCAA holds the adults responsible and gets this right. N.C. State transfer Ian Steere continued to sit out following last year’s mid-season transfer to St. John’s. He reportedly will sit out 11 games.
A word of thanks to the sports information department at St. John’s for offering an N.B.A. style box score, complete with plus minus stats, hustle stats that note blocks and steals and statistics for “fouls drawn” and “blocks against”. Thank you and well done.

http://newyorkbasketball.blogspot.com/2019/11/andersons-debt-brings-impressive-win.html
 
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In games like these, typically we'd rely on our best 2-3 players to put the game away (late) and then we'd give our 7th/8th/9th players garbage time during the final few minutes. Nobody played over 30 minutes last night, and I felt confident no matter who was in the lineup. In the past I would start worrying once Ponds went to the bench, but last night I didn't feel that way when LJ/Heron did.

Obviously it's easy to say that when the game is a blowout early and we're playing mediocre competition, but it's awesome to get the end of our bench into games when they're still in doubt. That gives them confidence that garbage time could not.

Best play of the game last night was the TO by CMA with about 17 minutes to go. I started thinking "here we go again" once Mercer went on a run, but 2 minutes later the game was all but over.
 
Adam - I think you hit on what was most impressive to me. For know better words "we hit him in the face" from the tipoff and looked to put the game away as early as possible so when Mercer made their run we still had a 16 point lead.
 
Thanks for sharing this. The NBA Style Stat Sheet as JPM114 mentions is also used by Coach Anderson at practice. Stats are kept on each player for blocks, steals, turnovers, fouls drawn, deflections and other things.
 
SJU Surges Past Columbia


Whether coach Mike Anderson and his St. John’s team found themselves trying to gain traction after a tough loss to Vermont last Saturday, or gain some momentum as they get ready for a road test against the Arizona State team that knocked them out of last year’s N.C.A.A. Tournament, it’s likely they got exactly what they needed last night.

“Our guys came out with a sense of urgency and we kept that sense of urgency throughout the game”, Anderson said of his team’s 82-63 win over Columbia at Carnesecca Arena last night. “Guys came off the bench to give us some quality minutes. It was a good team win we did a much better job taking care of the basketball.”

Two first half runs, one of 11-0 and the other of 8-0 proved to be decisive for St. John’s. They took a 25-7 lead at the end of the second run and were able to push the margin to 49-27 at the intermission. Rasheem Dunn scored all of his 14 points in the first half after coming off the bench.

“To me he’s a starter”, Anderson said of Dunn. “It’s not about starting it’s about getting quality minutes and what you do with those minutes. And you can see how Rasheem impacts our team. He’s a threat on offense and he’s tenacious on defense. And he’s a team player”
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Dunn’s impact on the game did not stop when his scoring ended. He added 3 rebounds, a team high 3 assists and 3 steals. One of the assists came during a stretch early in the second half when freshman and fellow Brooklynite Julian Champagnie helped St. John’s regain their footing after Columbia went on 11-4 run as the second half began. With St. John’s lead trimmed to 15 points Champagnie scored 9 straight points to push the lead up to 24. The run included his only 3 pointer of the game and a nice transition basket set up by an over-the-shoulder flip from Dunn.

St. John’s would finish the game with its most balanced stat sheet of the young season. Mustapha Heron would lead the way with 15 points with Dunn and Champagnie each adding 14. LJ Figueroa and David Caraher added 9 each. And as they have all season long, sophomores Josh Roberts and Marcellus Earlington provided needed energy and physicality off the bench. Roberts finished with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks while Earlington had 8 points and 8 boards.”

“This team is growing right before our eyes”, Anderson said as he assessed the team’s progress, “Guys are starting to figure out what it takes to compete at this level and they’re starting to figure out they’re not just a two man team.”

According to Heron, the new coach told the team that while some of them lost to Arizona State to end last season, this was “a new year and a new mindset”. Clearly Anderson and his staff have set a tone that the team has embraced. A win on Saturday would be a terrific step forward for the Johnnies and perhaps start them towards a return visit to the Big Dance.

Notes And Observations: Tonight, there’s just one and it’s a nod of appreciation for the great effort given by Columbia’s senior guard Mike Smith. The Illinois native finished with a game high 20 points as well as 9 rebounds and 6 assists combined with just 1 turnover in 37 minutes. On enemy territory playing against relentless pressure he played with poise and confidence. Even though he played fast he never got sped up. Here’s wishing him good luck for the rest of the season.

http://newyorkbasketball.blogspot.com/2019/11/st-johns-surges-past-columbia.html
 
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Just finished watching the game now and have to totally agree with the JPM blurb on Smith; played a terrific game. Totally unselfish, great court vision and command of the ball, and gave it up completely in the rhythm and context of the game, all in addition to his scoring. A real joy to watch.
 
[quote="Logen" post=364202]Just finished watching the game now and have to totally agree with the JPM blurb on Smith; played a terrific game. Totally unselfish, great court vision and command of the ball, and gave it up completely in the rhythm and context of the game, all in addition to his scoring. A real joy to watch.[/quote]

Smith is a total warrior. Think he played 37 minutes or close to it. Never gave up, and despite bearing so much of the offensive burden, never looked tired. He is much better than I expected.
 
“For a bit over 30 minutes, St. John’s had played some of its best basketball of the season in what would ultimately be a 79-69 win over St. Peter’s. Effective ball movement and unselfishness to the tune of 24 assists on their 29 total field goals helped St. John’s establish and extend an early lead and they looked like a team that was more than ready for its Madison Square Garden debut on Saturday.

For the first time in several games both Mustapha Heron and LJ Figueroa were scoring consistently. Combine that with a first career double double from Julian Champagnie and the Johnnies appeared well on their way to what looked like an easy win. They had sprinted to a 28-6 lead early in the game behind a hot shooting start from Champagnie, whose 8 quick points included a pair of 3-pointers, who combined with Figueroa and Heron to send St. John’s into the intermission with a 37-23 advantage. They stretched that margin to 25 points when reserve David Caraher, who played well again off the bench, connected on a long triple with 8:10 left in the game.

The Johnnies would eventually secure the win but it would not come as easily as their performance early in the game indicated it should have.

Shaheen Holloway’s Peacocks roared back with a 19-2 spurt beginning with 6:32 left in the game; a rally that was interrupted only by a quick transition basket by Champagnie. St. Peter’s got terrific work during the rally from a number of young players who prepped locally. On the perimeter, freshman Aaron Estrada (St. Benedict’s Prep) was solid from start to finish and particularly strong in the second half finished the game with a team high 18 points and added 5 assists with just a single turnover.

Most troublesome for St. John’s coach Mike Anderson was the damage St. Peter’s was able to do on the offensive glass. While the overall rebound margin for St. Peter’s was small (44-40) their total included 23 offensive boards. It’s worth noting that St. Peter’s was well represented locally in the paint as well as on the perimeter. Freshman brothers Fousseyni and Hassan Drame who hail from Mali and prepped at Our Savior New American School on Long Island combined for 13 points and 9 boards while senor transfer Derrick Woods, a Trenton native who attended Pennsbury High School finished with 6 points and 7 boards. Though the numbers look modest, coach Anderson described how the impact of those guys went well beyond the numbers.

“They took the fight to us at times, Anderson said of St. Peter’s. “From my vantage point we’ve got to learn to get multiple stops. During that time, they got more aggressive. They started getting to all the loose balls and hanging around. All of a sudden the ball started bouncing their way…”

The Peacocks run closed St. John’s margin 75-69 with 1:05 left in the game. From there the Johnnies got one of the defensive stops coach Anderson was looking for. Figueroa then sank 4 free throws to provide the final margin.

As St. John’s heads into Saturday they know they must be better at what coach Anderson called “the finishing parts of basketball”, he said referring to the finishing part of defensive possessions, rebounding. Part of the test on Saturday will be that Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins’ teams do those “finishing parts of basketball” as well as any in the country. Time will tell whether St. John’s is ready not only for their Garden debut,but for what is surely a step up in basketball weight class as well.

Notes and Observations: In a bit of happy coincidence Champagnie’s first career double double (14 points 11 boards) came with long time Loughlin coach and former St. Peter’s coach Bob Leckie in the audience. He served as a Lions’ assistant during Julian’s time there and coached St. Peter’s from 2001-06. With the win St. John’s raised its record to 7-2 while St. Peter’s dropped to 1-4 with the loss“.
 
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Great piece by my guy John!


Although much of the hype in the St. John’s Twittersphere about Saturday’s match-up surrounded Mike Anderson’s Garden debut, it was a guy making a return engagement who became the star.

In March of 2016 Rasheem Dunn had made his own triumphant visit to MSG, where he teamed with former Johnnie Shamorie Ponds to cap a PSAL title run for Thomas Jefferson High. Fast-forward 3 years and a circuitous basketball journey that took him to Remsen Street in Brooklyn (St. Francis College) to Cleveland State and a protracted transfer battle with the NCAA, and there he was again on the court at MSG; wearing a different jersey, surrounded by new teammates, but still making plays and at the end of the Johnnies 70-68 win over former Big East foe West Virginia making winning plays.

West Virginia had rallied from a 9-point deficit with jus under 4-1/2 minutes left and tied the game at 68 on a 3-pointer by Sean McNeil. On St. John’s next possession Nick Rutherford was blocked on a drive during St. John’s next possession and West Virginia missed a chance to win the game. And that’s where Dunn went to work. First, he stripped Derek Culver of an offensive rebound and gave St. John’s their own chance for a final shot. Out of a time out he then took the inbounds pass, drove around two screens from a “horns” set (double high post) got a shot away through contact and drew a foul. Looking every bit like a guy who had been there before he drained two free throws to provide the margin of victory. Then, after Dunn had handled much of the game’s closing moments perfectly, it was up to the 5 on the floor to put the finish touch on a win with a perfect defensive possession. They forced Miles McBride up the left side and did a perfect job of contesting a difficult three point shot as time expired; getting a hand up without fouling.

Dunn’s late game heroics and his ability to get to the rim all game long were thorns in the side of Bob Huggins and his team from start to finish but there were many heroes who played key roles for St. John’s LJ Figueroa scored all 17 of his points in the first 20 minutes; several them coming thanks simply to his shot making ability when St. John’s appeared stifled and stagnant on offense. Dunn and fellow point guard Nick Rutherford combined for 24 points 7 of the Johnnies 15 steals and made 10 of 11 free throw tries, helping their team to a 22-5 advantage from the line. As a team the Johnnies shot 22-27 from the line while West Virginia shot 5-12.

As they have all season long the bench provided energy and toughness. Marcellus Earlington’s numbers may have been modest (4 points and 5 boards) but he helped St. John’s compete against a WVU team that had significant height and strength advantages inside and helped them survive early foul trouble from Josh Roberts, who came on strong in the second half finishing with a team high 9 rebounds. Last but certainly not least, sophomore guard Greg Williams junior gave St. John’s 17 terrific minutes of defensive energy, fearless basket attacking and a shot-clock beating three-pointer that was even more impressive because he had the awareness to make the play even though he had spent much of the game on the bench. Indeed, coach Anderson has patiently found minutes for Williams as he rounds into game shape following a pre-season back injury and this game could prove to be the start of a big payoff for that patience. In a game that, as the coach suggested “came down to toughness…” he was able to find it not just from one or two guys but from his entire team. With great help from them and a great return engagement from Dunn, coach Anderson’s Garden debut was a smash.

Notes And Observations: Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this win for St. John’s was that they found a way to get it despite being outshot from the floor overall and from beyond the arc. They forced 22 turnovers while committing 14 and had three players in double figures. Figueroa led the way with 17 while Dunn added 13 and Nick Rutherford added 11. With the win St. John’s moves to 8-2 on the season while West Virginia suffered their first loss and moved to 7-1. Talented 6’10” sophomore Derek Culver had 12 points and a game high 18 rebounds for the Mountaineers.
 
Prior to the game I thought SJU would be in trouble in games with a small lead in the last few minutes because of their poor foul shooting. So they have what will probably be their worst shooting day from the field all year and win the game from the foul line.
College basketball is tough to figure out.
 
Reserve forward Marcellus Earlington came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 9 rebounds as he and other members of what coach Mike Anderson refers to as the team’s “blue collar group” lifted St. John’s past Albany 85-57 at Carnesecca Arena last night.

Whether they start like center Josh Roberts or come off the bench like Earlington, they have provided energy and a physical toughness for this year’s team that raised its record to 10-2 thanks largely to the 24 turnovers they forced and the 30-point margin (54-24) by which they controlled the paint. That effort helped them find needed scoring punch that helped them offset the absence of second leading scorer Mustapha Heron who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Freshman forward Julian Champagne helped St. John’s get started by scoring 12 of his 14 points in the game’s first 7 minutes. St. John’s roared back from an early 8-3 deficit and countered with a 21-0 run to gain quick control of the game. “Our effort was good all night. At one point it {the score} was 22-4 and we had 18 straight stops,” he said.

Albany was able to regain some traction thanks to some lapses in execution but Anderson helped them regain their focus quickly. They lead 35-22 at the intermission and extended that margin to 20 points with just over 14 minutes to go in the second half.

Earlington helped lead a second half charge that pushed the lead to as many as 30 points. Six of his 9 rebounds came off the offensive glass as he used what coach Anderson called his “great pair of hands” to secure rebounds and finish plays around the basket. “I’m thankful for the opportunity”, Earlington said of his new found playing time. “This offseason I prided myself on getting better in every aspect of the game. Mike {Anderson} and the other coaches have put the confidence in me to just play my game…just being out there to help my team win is good”, he said.

Perhaps Coach Anderson and his staff’s greatest success this season has been to instill that confidence not just in Earlington but in the team as a whole. Tough challenges lay ahead beginning with Arizona on Saturday and the Big East schedule to follow. The one thing fans can count on from this team is that they’ll play for each other and with everything they have.

Notes And Observations: Earlington’s 16 points led 4 Johnnies in double figures. Champagnie added 14 Rasheem Dunn added 10 and Greg Williams 11. Williams’ emergence as a consistent contributor continues as he not only brought the defensive energy, he always brings but contributed a trio of 3-point baskets on a night when the team shot just 6-21 from beyond the arc. Turnovers (19 of them) continue to be a concern for the Johnnies and while coach Anderson took responsibility for some of that “…. I play a lot of guys” he knows the team must cut down on those to be a consistent winner once league play begins. For Albany sophomore and Beacon N.Y. native Malachi DeSousa who prepped at South Kent (CT) School finished with a game high 22 points.


http://newyorkbasketball.blogspot.com/2019/12/earlingtons-blue-collar-effort-leads-st.html
 
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[quote="Paultzman" post=368213]Reserve forward Marcellus Earlington came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 9 rebounds as he and other members of what coach Mike Anderson refers to as the team’s “blue collar group” lifted St. John’s past Albany 85-57 at Carnesecca Arena last night.

Whether they start like center Josh Roberts or come off the bench like Earlington, they have provided energy and a physical toughness for this year’s team that raised its record to 10-2 thanks largely to the 24 turnovers they forced and the 30-point margin (54-24) by which they controlled the paint. That effort helped them find needed scoring punch that helped them offset the absence of second leading scorer Mustapha Heron who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Freshman forward Julian Champagne helped St. John’s get started by scoring 12 of his 14 points in the game’s first 7 minutes. St. John’s roared back from an early 8-3 deficit and countered with a 21-0 run to gain quick control of the game. “Our effort was good all night. At one point it {the score} was 22-4 and we had 18 straight stops,” he said.

Albany was able to regain some traction thanks to some lapses in execution but Anderson helped them regain their focus quickly. They lead 35-22 at the intermission and extended that margin to 20 points with just over 14 minutes to go in the second half.

Earlington helped lead a second half charge that pushed the lead to as many as 30 points. Six of his 9 rebounds came off the offensive glass as he used what coach Anderson called his “great pair of hands” to secure rebounds and finish plays around the basket. “I’m thankful for the opportunity”, Earlington said of his new found playing time. “This offseason I prided myself on getting better in every aspect of the game. Mike {Anderson} and the other coaches have put the confidence in me to just play my game…just being out there to help my team win is good”, he said.

Perhaps Coach Anderson and his staff’s greatest success this season has been to instill that confidence not just in Earlington but in the team as a whole. Tough challenges lay ahead beginning with Arizona on Saturday and the Big East schedule to follow. The one thing fans can count on from this team is that they’ll play for each other and with everything they have.

Notes And Observations: Earlington’s 16 points led 4 Johnnies in double figures. Champagnie added 14 Rasheem Dunn added 10 and Greg Williams 11. Williams’ emergence as a consistent contributor continues as he not only brought the defensive energy, he always brings but contributed a trio of 3-point baskets on a night when the team shot just 6-21 from beyond the arc. Turnovers (19 of them) continue to be a concern for the Johnnies and while coach Anderson took responsibility for some of that “…. I play a lot of guys” he knows the team must cut down on those to be a consistent winner once league play begins. For Albany sophomore and Beacon N.Y. native Malachi DeSousa who prepped at South Kent (CT) School finished with a game high 22 points.


http://newyorkbasketball.blogspot.com/2019/12/earlingtons-blue-collar-effort-leads-st.html[/quote]

Earlington may not be our most talented player, but he has a nose for the ball. He always seems be be in position to make things happen. He has a great motor and is always hustling. One of my favorite players to watch.
 
[quote="ron " post=368215][quote="Paultzman" post=368213]Reserve forward Marcellus Earlington came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 9 rebounds as he and other members of what coach Mike Anderson refers to as the team’s “blue collar group” lifted St. John’s past Albany 85-57 at Carnesecca Arena last night.

Whether they start like center Josh Roberts or come off the bench like Earlington, they have provided energy and a physical toughness for this year’s team that raised its record to 10-2 thanks largely to the 24 turnovers they forced and the 30-point margin (54-24) by which they controlled the paint. That effort helped them find needed scoring punch that helped them offset the absence of second leading scorer Mustapha Heron who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Freshman forward Julian Champagne helped St. John’s get started by scoring 12 of his 14 points in the game’s first 7 minutes. St. John’s roared back from an early 8-3 deficit and countered with a 21-0 run to gain quick control of the game. “Our effort was good all night. At one point it {the score} was 22-4 and we had 18 straight stops,” he said.

Albany was able to regain some traction thanks to some lapses in execution but Anderson helped them regain their focus quickly. They lead 35-22 at the intermission and extended that margin to 20 points with just over 14 minutes to go in the second half.

Earlington helped lead a second half charge that pushed the lead to as many as 30 points. Six of his 9 rebounds came off the offensive glass as he used what coach Anderson called his “great pair of hands” to secure rebounds and finish plays around the basket. “I’m thankful for the opportunity”, Earlington said of his new found playing time. “This offseason I prided myself on getting better in every aspect of the game. Mike {Anderson} and the other coaches have put the confidence in me to just play my game…just being out there to help my team win is good”, he said.

Perhaps Coach Anderson and his staff’s greatest success this season has been to instill that confidence not just in Earlington but in the team as a whole. Tough challenges lay ahead beginning with Arizona on Saturday and the Big East schedule to follow. The one thing fans can count on from this team is that they’ll play for each other and with everything they have.

Notes And Observations: Earlington’s 16 points led 4 Johnnies in double figures. Champagnie added 14 Rasheem Dunn added 10 and Greg Williams 11. Williams’ emergence as a consistent contributor continues as he not only brought the defensive energy, he always brings but contributed a trio of 3-point baskets on a night when the team shot just 6-21 from beyond the arc. Turnovers (19 of them) continue to be a concern for the Johnnies and while coach Anderson took responsibility for some of that “…. I play a lot of guys” he knows the team must cut down on those to be a consistent winner once league play begins. For Albany sophomore and Beacon N.Y. native Malachi DeSousa who prepped at South Kent (CT) School finished with a game high 22 points.


http://newyorkbasketball.blogspot.com/2019/12/earlingtons-blue-collar-effort-leads-st.html[/quote]

Earlington may not be our most talented player, but he has a nose for the ball. He always seems be be in position to make things happen. He has a great motor and is always hustling. One of my favorite players to watch.[/quote]
As CMA noted Marcellus also has great hands.

Btw, at the behest of a friend and occasional poster, Chris Mullin & Matt took a trip to a St John Bosco game late in his senior season & thought well enough of Marcellus to tender an offer. At the time, I did not get the offer, but thankfully Mullin did. ME is one of those complementary blue collar guys with nose for the ball a team always benefits from.
 
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Marcellus is the ultimate garbage man. Picks up the trash and drops it in the basket. What a great joy to see the team aggressively pursuing offensive rebounds.

Three points reflecting on last year one last time
1. If the team ever pursued any offensive rebounds last year we would have won at least three more games.
2. We obviously had talented players that could have filled in and contribute, that got splinters on the bench. Unexplainable that they got almost no game action.
3. With no bench being utilized the squad never took advantage of their great athleticism. Team should have pressed and trapped regularly to take advantage of a strength.


Sorry you heard it all before. Last time I "reflect "
 
The Duke has a really nice touch around the basket which is a great asset to have.
 
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