In preparation of tonight’s game, we got in touch with Pico from the St. John’s websites Johnny Jungle and The East Coast Bias. They’ve put up some info about Georgetown courtesy Hoya Hoops on their site, and here is what Pico had to say about the Red Storm:

My friends and my wife pity me. Announcers make things up about the team being close while the Red Storm are being blown out to sea. Other team’s little 5′9″ walk-ons make sure to get their shooting practice in before they play the Johnnies, because they might get in the game. This is the life of following St. John’s, and I must say, it is tiring.

A 14-15 record says that team isn’t DePaul-bad; they’ve topped the win total from last year. But a closer look shows an incredibly weak out-of-conference schedule including NJIT, Bethune-Cookman and Howard from the MEAC, low-level locals, and other win-padders that did not expose the team’s flaws. But a funny thing about the record is that in every single loss (except for against Duke), St. John’s has not been in a really close game; when they lose, they lose by 10 or more points. I think it’s because the team gets down and starts pressing, the turnovers mount, and the team can’t come back.

Would this be better without the injured Anthony Mason Jr.? I don’t really think so. The weakness isn’t necessarily depth at shooting guard/ wing, though not having Kennedy and Horne play every minute might be nice. It’s a lack of consistent contribution/ low-post game from the forwards except for garbage points. It’s a lack of any kind of reliable, pace-setting ballhandler (and defense at the point). It’s a lack of crisp passing overall. It’s a lack of a go-to point guard who can score a little to make defenses honest. Couple those factors with poor jump shooting and weak shooting from beyond the arc, and you have a team that just can’t hang with the atletic teams in the league. The problem is not just overall talent, or “youth” as the head coach will often complain about. It’s in recruiting (where 6 or 7 players will vie for playing time at the SG/ wing positions once two new recruits arrive on campus), it’s in evaluation of players and long-term planning, it’s in the training of players.

Scouting report:

St. John’s relative strength is in the guard/ SF positions, where Paris Horne and DJ Kennedy provide solid defense while leading the team in scoring. Paris Horne has worked on his jump shot; it’s not automatic from beyond the arc, but fairly reliable. He is fast with the ball in transition and is developing a solid half court game; he can get above the rim. Kennedy is a strong fundamental player with an inconsistent shot; he can handle the ball a little, make drive-and-kick plays, and draw fouls. He can hit the jump shot, but that isn’t the main component to his game. The backup guard is Quincy Roberts, who sometimes handles the ball as a backup point guard… he has some athleticism but is finding his place in the offense, along with his passing ability.

At point is Malik Boothe. He is a bulldog defender and solid ballhandler, but has struggled at both since returning from a hand injury. His scoring is intermittent, and his jump shot usually results in a rebound opportunity. He is sometimes backed up by TyShwan Edmondson, a lanky defender who needs to gain some weight. He is quick but hasn’t made much impact this year; he struggles to stay with his man on defense.

At forward, Sean Evans is the most reliable player. The agile former defensive end willingly muscles up other players and bangs on the offensive glass. His field goal percentage is higher than his free throw percentage… he has a jump shot but he prefers to do his work deep in the paint and collect hustle points. Justin Burrell is the most athletic and talented, but has struggled since returning from broken bones in his face (courtesy of Evans) with a mask on his face. He has range and ability but often fades in the offense. Rob Thomas gets a number of minutes; he is a very willing banger and has a nose for the ball on oeffensive rebounds. He has an incredibly nice touch from in close.

Also getting time: Dele Coker, who missed the DePaul game. He is the shot blocker, and has really improved his timing in the latter part of the season. There is also Tomas Jasiulionis, who is 6′11″ and willing to throw his body around. Phil Wait is deep on the bench. The Manchester, UK, native hasn’t gotten to show much this year, but was known to be a project when he came to St. John’s.

How to Play the Red Storm

Turnovers. Look for turnovers. Press, trap, trap some more - the team finds it hard to work out of pressing, trapping defenses, and has had the problem all year. One hopes that maturity will aid in this, but this has been a problem for most of Norm Roberts’ teams.

Packing in the defense in the half court and playing zone also forces St. John’s to work for less-reliable shots. Sometimes Justin Burrell’s face-the-basket game can be a zone-buster, but he hasn’t displayed the jump shot as much as he probably should this year - though his range now goes out to the three-point line.

Putting constant pressure on the point guards when they are defending is also a ploy to use; as is movement from the defensive forwards. Patience and movement will wear down the thin Red Storm.