Seth Davis of SI talked about the game as part of his column this morning:
Wisconsin 86, St. John's 75
These are not your older brother's Wisconsin Badgers. Gone are the slow-it-down-and-punch-you-in-the-mouth plodders who were constantly compared to the dentist's chair. They have been replaced by a cutting, slashing, guard-oriented group that scores in bunches.
The best sight, however, wasn't the offense, it was the guy running it. Wisconsin's junior point guard Josh Gasser missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but you wouldn't have known it by watching him slice through the St. John's defense for 19 points. Sophomore forward Sam Dekker looked stronger, too; he grabbed eight rebounds and finished with 19 points. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan only played seven guys double-digit minutes, so it looks like his team will have a thin bench. Given how infrequently Ryan's teams have always fouled, I don't think that will be much of a concern.
Despite the loss, I still think St. John's is an NCAA tournament team. The Red Storm is strong, athletic and -- finally -- experienced enough to get there. DeAngelo Harrison (27 points) and Jakarr Sampson (21) will be an effective inside-outside combo in the Big East. Freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan, who started the game, showed some flashes of potential during his 24 minutes.
But for me, the biggest revelation of the evening was Orlando Sanchez, St. John's 24-year-old senior forward from Dominican Republic who is playing his first year of Division I ball. You wouldn't know it from Sanchez's stat line (5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls in 18 minutes), but he showed incredible ball skills in the open court for someone who stands a bullish 6-9, 215 pounds. Trust me on this: Sanchez is an NBA talent.
Read More:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...-opening-weekend-hoop-thoughts/#ixzz2kN1mKIQP
Wisconsin 86, St. John's 75
These are not your older brother's Wisconsin Badgers. Gone are the slow-it-down-and-punch-you-in-the-mouth plodders who were constantly compared to the dentist's chair. They have been replaced by a cutting, slashing, guard-oriented group that scores in bunches.
The best sight, however, wasn't the offense, it was the guy running it. Wisconsin's junior point guard Josh Gasser missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but you wouldn't have known it by watching him slice through the St. John's defense for 19 points. Sophomore forward Sam Dekker looked stronger, too; he grabbed eight rebounds and finished with 19 points. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan only played seven guys double-digit minutes, so it looks like his team will have a thin bench. Given how infrequently Ryan's teams have always fouled, I don't think that will be much of a concern.
Despite the loss, I still think St. John's is an NCAA tournament team. The Red Storm is strong, athletic and -- finally -- experienced enough to get there. DeAngelo Harrison (27 points) and Jakarr Sampson (21) will be an effective inside-outside combo in the Big East. Freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan, who started the game, showed some flashes of potential during his 24 minutes.
But for me, the biggest revelation of the evening was Orlando Sanchez, St. John's 24-year-old senior forward from Dominican Republic who is playing his first year of Division I ball. You wouldn't know it from Sanchez's stat line (5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls in 18 minutes), but he showed incredible ball skills in the open court for someone who stands a bullish 6-9, 215 pounds. Trust me on this: Sanchez is an NBA talent.
Read More:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...-opening-weekend-hoop-thoughts/#ixzz2kN1mKIQP
