SJU Practices & Player Development
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Dan V
Well-known member
One of the best centers in CBB how is he not a star. Has weaknesses yes but his combination of skills and leadership make him a star. Last year there wasn’t enough shooting that won’t be a problem this year. Pitino telling him to shoot the 3 could add to his game too.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
While maybe not a star, as good a true center as St. John's has had in a long time. I don't think many here could have predicted after his first season that he would start his final season as a top 20 center in all of college basketball.
With Ledlum, Brick House caption would apply too
Apparently spot on with the "Brick" comparison lol
Dan V
Well-known member
Hopefully a wake up call
Newsday 11/1/23 Article
Redstorm Not Alarmed
Team still upbeat after preseason lost to DII Pace
by Roger Rubin
St. John’s took a break from the alarm bells for an opening bell.
Coach Rick Pitino and nine Red Storm players paused “ironing out the kinks” from Sunday’s exhibition game loss to Division II Pace and were joined by Madison Square Garden executives Tuesday morning at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell and start the day of trading.
St. John’s continues to be “a buy” since Pitino arrived, and anticipation about this Storm season is building from all corners of the area.
The 12 new players on the St. John’s roster came for the big reasons — to play for the Hall of Fame coach, in the Big East and at Madison Square Garden on the nation’s biggest stage — but there are other benefits to playing in New York.
“When I heard we’d be doing this, it definitely surprised me — I was shocked,” said Jordan Dingle, last season’s Ivy League player of the year from Penn. “We’re really fortunate for all the stuff St. John’s has been doing for us as athletes and all the experiences that we’re getting outside of basketball.”
“They’re not doing this in Lawrence, Kansas, right now,” Pitino said, a potential recruiting pitch taking shape.
Pitino did this once after winning a national title — he couldn’t remember if it was 1996 with Kentucky or 2007 with Louisville — and he is the first St. John’s basketball coach to do it since Lou Carnesecca rang the opening bell in 2008 to mark the centennial of Red Storm basketball.
There has been some good news on the injury front since the 63-59 exhibition loss, where five players were sidelined. Joel Soriano (calf), Dingle (shoulder) and Cruz Davis (broken hand) all returned to practice on Monday.
Pitino has said Soriano will be in the starting lineup against Stony Brook on Nov. 7. How much Dingle plays — and whether he cracks the starting lineup — will be determined by how he performs in practices.
“Jordan can shoot and we’ve been struggling a little bit from the perimeter,” Pitino said, “so he’s going to help us in that area. We just have to get healthy.”
Pitino has portrayed the wake of this Pace loss as “a good thing” and a chance to “find out what we have to do.” But behind closed doors, he was less forgiving.
“He had let some steam off,” said Nahiem Alleyne, who Pitino already has named a starter for next week’s opener. “But ultimately he just said we ‘got a learning experience and it doesn’t count.’ We got the message: We have to be a lot better.”
“We took it as men and we learned our lesson and we need to move on from it,” Dingle said. “We’re not dwelling on it, but we understand the things that we need to improve on.”
As far as areas of focus for the Red Storm in the five to six practices remaining, Pitino said “the toughest thing has been getting them to know all the sets, getting to know all the defenses and getting them to not only play hard but not overthink. That’s been a big weakness — they’re trying to memorize the plays. [It should] just flow easy and that comes with repetition.”
And of course there is the matter of getting a team assembled for the first time from all corners of the country to play well together.
“It’s going in the right direction, even with the loss,” Alleyne said. “The loss showed we need to become connected . . . When Opening Day comes, I feel like you’ll see a different team.”
Redstorm Not Alarmed
Team still upbeat after preseason lost to DII Pace
by Roger Rubin
St. John’s took a break from the alarm bells for an opening bell.
Coach Rick Pitino and nine Red Storm players paused “ironing out the kinks” from Sunday’s exhibition game loss to Division II Pace and were joined by Madison Square Garden executives Tuesday morning at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell and start the day of trading.
St. John’s continues to be “a buy” since Pitino arrived, and anticipation about this Storm season is building from all corners of the area.
The 12 new players on the St. John’s roster came for the big reasons — to play for the Hall of Fame coach, in the Big East and at Madison Square Garden on the nation’s biggest stage — but there are other benefits to playing in New York.
“When I heard we’d be doing this, it definitely surprised me — I was shocked,” said Jordan Dingle, last season’s Ivy League player of the year from Penn. “We’re really fortunate for all the stuff St. John’s has been doing for us as athletes and all the experiences that we’re getting outside of basketball.”
“They’re not doing this in Lawrence, Kansas, right now,” Pitino said, a potential recruiting pitch taking shape.
Pitino did this once after winning a national title — he couldn’t remember if it was 1996 with Kentucky or 2007 with Louisville — and he is the first St. John’s basketball coach to do it since Lou Carnesecca rang the opening bell in 2008 to mark the centennial of Red Storm basketball.
There has been some good news on the injury front since the 63-59 exhibition loss, where five players were sidelined. Joel Soriano (calf), Dingle (shoulder) and Cruz Davis (broken hand) all returned to practice on Monday.
Pitino has said Soriano will be in the starting lineup against Stony Brook on Nov. 7. How much Dingle plays — and whether he cracks the starting lineup — will be determined by how he performs in practices.
“Jordan can shoot and we’ve been struggling a little bit from the perimeter,” Pitino said, “so he’s going to help us in that area. We just have to get healthy.”
Pitino has portrayed the wake of this Pace loss as “a good thing” and a chance to “find out what we have to do.” But behind closed doors, he was less forgiving.
“He had let some steam off,” said Nahiem Alleyne, who Pitino already has named a starter for next week’s opener. “But ultimately he just said we ‘got a learning experience and it doesn’t count.’ We got the message: We have to be a lot better.”
“We took it as men and we learned our lesson and we need to move on from it,” Dingle said. “We’re not dwelling on it, but we understand the things that we need to improve on.”
As far as areas of focus for the Red Storm in the five to six practices remaining, Pitino said “the toughest thing has been getting them to know all the sets, getting to know all the defenses and getting them to not only play hard but not overthink. That’s been a big weakness — they’re trying to memorize the plays. [It should] just flow easy and that comes with repetition.”
And of course there is the matter of getting a team assembled for the first time from all corners of the country to play well together.
“It’s going in the right direction, even with the loss,” Alleyne said. “The loss showed we need to become connected . . . When Opening Day comes, I feel like you’ll see a different team.”
SJUDave
Well-known member
Pitino said “the toughest thing has been getting them to know all the sets, getting to know all the defenses and getting them to not only play hard but not overthink. That’s been a big weakness — they’re trying to memorize the plays. [It should] just flow easy and that comes with repetition.”
and the quotes from the kids...this is a mature bunch...we've said that a lot this summer...but a lot of this comes off not as media trained typical fluff answers but as kids who have been through the ringer and know what the coach is expecting and they are ok with it. Refreshing.
and the quotes from the kids...this is a mature bunch...we've said that a lot this summer...but a lot of this comes off not as media trained typical fluff answers but as kids who have been through the ringer and know what the coach is expecting and they are ok with it. Refreshing.
Alleyne starting
L J S A
Well-known member
Damn it, I blew that oneAlleyne starting
Stevep502
Well-known member
Well, based on CRP & Various posters views here, for SB I expect:
same starting 5 as Rutgers- Jenkins, Alleyne, Taylor, Ledlum, Soriano.
adjustments to what I thought 3 weeks ago:
1) Drissa for now might see more time Backing up 5 than Zuby.
2) Taylor might see a lot of minutes at 4 Also, when we go small.
3) Dunlap although has a bright future, might not see a lot of minutes This year.
4) Alleyne might share minutes 50/50 w Dingle at 2
5) Ledlum big minutes at 4 not set, going small a lot might reduce his minutes
same starting 5 as Rutgers- Jenkins, Alleyne, Taylor, Ledlum, Soriano.
adjustments to what I thought 3 weeks ago:
1) Drissa for now might see more time Backing up 5 than Zuby.
2) Taylor might see a lot of minutes at 4 Also, when we go small.
3) Dunlap although has a bright future, might not see a lot of minutes This year.
4) Alleyne might share minutes 50/50 w Dingle at 2
5) Ledlum big minutes at 4 not set, going small a lot might reduce his minutes
I don’t see #1 or #4 happening at all. When Dingle is fully healthy, he will play 30 minutes.
When he sits, Pitino will likely find out that he has to play both Taylor and Luis to get some of that offense back.
Luis at the 4 is an interesting scenario to me. He’s a better offensive player than Ledlum and actually slightly taller.
just from 2 game Ledlum definitely got the size and muscle to be a force. also remember he was just coming off knee surgery a few months ago so thats a consideration. However my personal favorite so for is alleyne so far.
But probably a topic for another post is to keep tabs on our former players to see how they do this year
But probably a topic for another post is to keep tabs on our former players to see how they do this year