Seth Greenberg on SJU-
Q: How did St. John’s turn it around to get into tournament position?
A: You really didn’t know who you were getting game-to-game. They were erratic offensively — and sometimes defensively. I liked their pieces, but at times they didn’t play for the good of the group. Now, Steve [Lavin] has done a really good job of better defining the roles. I think [Sir’Dominic] Pointer has been terrific. Pointer embracing playing at the 4, which I thought was his natural position anyway because you like to create matchup problems, his play down the stretch has been terrific.
Q: Are they a dangerous NCAA Tournament team?
A: Yes, their style of play is different. They can come at you in waves. They can beat you off the dribble. They are aggressive. They spread you out and drive you, they use quickness. It’s hard to simulate what they do in practice, especially in a short period of time, and that’s an advantage, especially when you get to that first weekend. That one-day turnaround is hard to prepare for. At times their shot selection is suspect, but Steve decided he had to give them a little bit of freedom, and he’s got to make sure they’re aggressive. And if they are not, then size becomes a factor.
Q: How did St. John’s turn it around to get into tournament position?
A: You really didn’t know who you were getting game-to-game. They were erratic offensively — and sometimes defensively. I liked their pieces, but at times they didn’t play for the good of the group. Now, Steve [Lavin] has done a really good job of better defining the roles. I think [Sir’Dominic] Pointer has been terrific. Pointer embracing playing at the 4, which I thought was his natural position anyway because you like to create matchup problems, his play down the stretch has been terrific.
Q: Are they a dangerous NCAA Tournament team?
A: Yes, their style of play is different. They can come at you in waves. They can beat you off the dribble. They are aggressive. They spread you out and drive you, they use quickness. It’s hard to simulate what they do in practice, especially in a short period of time, and that’s an advantage, especially when you get to that first weekend. That one-day turnaround is hard to prepare for. At times their shot selection is suspect, but Steve decided he had to give them a little bit of freedom, and he’s got to make sure they’re aggressive. And if they are not, then size becomes a factor.