St. John's

[elijah]

I'd keep an eye on this team. They've been looking good recently, and they certainly surprised me in the 'Cuse game yesterday.

They now have wins over Syracuse and Minnesota (and NJIT who beat Michigan ). They also have a very close, well played loss to Gonzaga. All of a sudden, D'Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene IV are learning how to shoot the ball. Chris Obepka is one of, if not the best paint presences in College Basketball (9.6 RPG, 3.9 BPG). And overall, they play as a team and they play with a hell of a lot of heart.

Come March, I could see this team making a sweet 16 run. They may be the 6th or 7th team in the tournament for a very good Big East this year.

 

[Gman]

Big St John's fan here. Still pumped after the win @ Syracuse yesterday.

Here's my scouting report of the team:

POSITIVES:
- A lot of upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) getting the lions share of the minutes
- Team defense is above average in general
- Obekpa is one of the top shot blockers in college basketball
- Sir'Dom Pointer is an athletic freak whose defense and hustle fuel the team
- Guard play is strong: with Jordan, Harrison and Green IV leading the offense
- Foul shooting % is above average
- Team is "tough." The guys play bigger than they are.

NEGATIVES:
- This team is undersized. It's a 3 guard line-up, with a SF playing the PF spot. The top sub off the bench is a G.
- This team lacks depth. At this point, the Johnies run only 6-7 deep against a true opponent like Syracuse.
- Obekpa is the only real big man on the team. Foul trouble to either Obekpa or Pointer would be devastating.
- Team offense is "ugly" in general. Any St John's fan would concede this point.
- Obekpa is a liability on offense, and so is Pointer... to a lesser extent.
- Outside shooting is streaky. The Johnies lean heavily on D'Angelo Harrison... but he has up's and down's and struggles to create his own shot.

 

[Gman]

Obekpa doing a man's work in the defensive paint:

https://vine.co/v/OrmqTpEaTxX

Not only is Obekpa a great athlete with exceptional length... but the defensive positioning against this dunk attempt is just perfect: straight up and down.

This is why many folks consider Obekpa the best shot blocker in college basketball.

 

[Malibu]

Sorry but the Cuse isnt that good this year. Next year assuming everyone comes back that should the Cuse will be very good. Just saying.

 

[MI Nightmare]

The Cuse is bringing down Michigan's RPI........but I suppose the same could be said for Michigan.

At least we'll both get shots at quality wins in our conferences.

 

[jonvi]

Yep....It's a down year for SU. It's to be expected.

They'll still have some games where they bring the roof down. But for the most part, it's a young team with a lot to learn.

 

[jontaejones]

Johnnies are ranked #24.

Does anybody know the last time they were even ranked?

 

[ericd7633]

Johnnies are ranked #24.

Does anybody know the last time they were even ranked?

They were ranked going into the NCAA Tournament in 2011. But the last time before that I believe was all the way back in 2000.

 

[Gman]

{bump}

The Johnies just finished up their non-conference schedule at 11-1. Only loss to Gonzaga.

Looking back, not a really tough schedule thus far. Best win is probably vs. Minnesota. Also wins against fair opponents in Syracuse, St Mary's and NJIT (wink). Generally speaking, St John's has pounded the weaker competition... usually winning by double digits.

The Red Storm got a boost as F/C Joey De La Rosa became eligible recently. He is a back-up and very limited offensively... but on a team that lacks size and depth he is a welcome addition.

St John's is @ Seton Hall in a few days... a good match-up that should say a lot about both teams.