good session.
1) how is the new, freshman backcourt of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett jelling?
"The new-look backcourt of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett has jelled nicely both on and off the court by every indication so far. Before the season, Chris Mullin said the chemistry was almost instant in practice and that held true early in the season as they were one of the most productive duos in the country for a stretch. They complement each other nicely, LoVett a high-energy speedster with an affinity for the splashy play while the soft-spoken Ponds carries a more quiet assassin demeanor who never gets too high or too low following a possession.
"An ankle injury sidelined LoVett for two weeks in December, though, and the redshirt freshman hasn’t been the same player we saw early in the season splitting through defenders and stopping on the dime for jump shots. He’s averaging 3.5 turnovers in six games since his return from injury (up from 2.25 in his first nine games), including a pair of six-turnover outings. Finding a way to lower his usage and possibly involve Ponds more as the primary ball handler may be worth exploring."
2) Is it fair to say the Johnnies don't often make the extra pass, instead opting for difficult, isolation based shots?
"At times, the Johnnies are certainly susceptible to being guilty of not making that extra pass or simply forcing the action at inopportune times, which isn’t too uncommon given the relative inexperience of the team and the lack of success they’ve endured over the past seasons. Malik Ellison has been a glue guy for this season, but as of late he’s grown into a capable ball handler, averaging over five assists in his last three contests. Ponds and LoVett are the primary guards, but are they’re so explosive offensively, at times teammates may seem froze out.
"Their isolation tendencies are highlighted when Bashir Ahmed, who leads the team in turnovers (48), holds on to the ball or often times is predetermined to fire of a shot as he drives into traffic to the basket. Additionally, the limitation of others on the roster kind of force guys to try and make a play. The balancing act between picking your spots and getting your teammates involved is something this entire team, which plays nine freshmen and sophomores, is still learning".
3) Do they press often?
"Often times the scoreboard dictates their defense, but LoVett and especially Ponds are frequently in the backcourt applying full-court pressure to opposing guards advancing the ball. Ponds has been an impressive on-ball defender (his 31 steals are nearly three times as much as the second-highest on the team). Mullin has mixed up his defenses in-game on several occasions going to a zone attack, which helps offset their lack of quality depth in the front court".
4) With no appreciative post scoring presence, is the pressure amped on Ponds, LoVette and the other guy Bashir to get buckets?
"St. John’s has lived and died by its perimeter shooting all season — especially after the transfer of 7-footer Yankuba Sima. And while that’s naturally a high-risk high-reward way of living, they’ve survived thus far. Seven of the 10 guys they play are a threat beyond the 3-point line and five of them — all of whom are part of the deep rotation — are connecting at 40 percent or better from that distance.
"Ponds and LoVett are accustomed to carrying the scoring load from their standout high school careers, so it hasn’t been much of an adjustment for them. Ahmed is a high-volume scorer, but capable of attacking the defense in a multitude of ways due to his 6-foot-7, 210-pound frame. Outside of those three, there aren’t many options Mullin can go to and say, “Get me a bucket.” Kassoum Yakwe hasn’t developed much from last year and Tariq Owens is still growing into his role — though he’s flashed a nice midrange jump shot that he’s surely been working on with Mullin".
5) Is Mullin on the hot seat...or at least is there questioning regarding his coaching?
"Hot seat discussion around Chris Mullin is one of the hardest things to fairly gauge. As everyone is aware of, he’s the crowned jewel of the program’s 108-year existence due to his success under coach Lou Carnesecca in the 1980’s as a player. He inherited a depleted roster — only one player on the current roster precedes his arrival — and has attracted high-profile pieces on the recruiting trail. But, he looks like a person who’s never been a head coach and a 1-17 record in Big East play is hard to ignore, especially coupled with an 0-for-3 trip in the Battle for Atlantis that was capped with a home loss to Delaware State.
"St. John’s has only recently hired a brand new athletic director last November. While he’s didn’t handpick Mullin, it’d be a very big surprise if — barring a completely uncompetitive Big East stretch like last season — he makes a shakeup in his first year in office. The roster is pretty much set for the next two season (with only one open scholarship available), so unless Mullin massively underachieves to close this season, he should be fine".
6) Talk about Tariq Owens. Is he a surprise? Has he gained weight (it looks like yes).
"The redshirt sophomore has probably been the biggest and most pleasant surprise for St. John’s this season. On paper, you may not truly appreciate his impact on the game but any spectator could see a piece like Owens — someone willing to hit the floor, tussle for a 50-50 ball, have an offensive presence without designed plays — is a requisite on a winning team. While Penn State entered Madison Square Garden last month and delivered St. John’s a smackdown, Owens was one of two Johnnies (along with Ellison) that looked ready to play.
"As he subbed out the game a fan from the student section said “You miss Tennessee, don’t you?” Other sympathized with him, grateful for his energy and passion regardless of the scoreboard. On brighter days, he’s the one amping the crowd to get louder following eye-raising blocks at the rim or high-flying jams that always seem to come in crucial moments of the game. I believe he added about 15 pounds as he sat out last season due to transfer rules. It’s paid off for him as he’s turned into an afterthought at Tennessee to the Big East’s leading shot blocker with 41 rejections".
1) how is the new, freshman backcourt of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett jelling?
"The new-look backcourt of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett has jelled nicely both on and off the court by every indication so far. Before the season, Chris Mullin said the chemistry was almost instant in practice and that held true early in the season as they were one of the most productive duos in the country for a stretch. They complement each other nicely, LoVett a high-energy speedster with an affinity for the splashy play while the soft-spoken Ponds carries a more quiet assassin demeanor who never gets too high or too low following a possession.
"An ankle injury sidelined LoVett for two weeks in December, though, and the redshirt freshman hasn’t been the same player we saw early in the season splitting through defenders and stopping on the dime for jump shots. He’s averaging 3.5 turnovers in six games since his return from injury (up from 2.25 in his first nine games), including a pair of six-turnover outings. Finding a way to lower his usage and possibly involve Ponds more as the primary ball handler may be worth exploring."
2) Is it fair to say the Johnnies don't often make the extra pass, instead opting for difficult, isolation based shots?
"At times, the Johnnies are certainly susceptible to being guilty of not making that extra pass or simply forcing the action at inopportune times, which isn’t too uncommon given the relative inexperience of the team and the lack of success they’ve endured over the past seasons. Malik Ellison has been a glue guy for this season, but as of late he’s grown into a capable ball handler, averaging over five assists in his last three contests. Ponds and LoVett are the primary guards, but are they’re so explosive offensively, at times teammates may seem froze out.
"Their isolation tendencies are highlighted when Bashir Ahmed, who leads the team in turnovers (48), holds on to the ball or often times is predetermined to fire of a shot as he drives into traffic to the basket. Additionally, the limitation of others on the roster kind of force guys to try and make a play. The balancing act between picking your spots and getting your teammates involved is something this entire team, which plays nine freshmen and sophomores, is still learning".
3) Do they press often?
"Often times the scoreboard dictates their defense, but LoVett and especially Ponds are frequently in the backcourt applying full-court pressure to opposing guards advancing the ball. Ponds has been an impressive on-ball defender (his 31 steals are nearly three times as much as the second-highest on the team). Mullin has mixed up his defenses in-game on several occasions going to a zone attack, which helps offset their lack of quality depth in the front court".
4) With no appreciative post scoring presence, is the pressure amped on Ponds, LoVette and the other guy Bashir to get buckets?
"St. John’s has lived and died by its perimeter shooting all season — especially after the transfer of 7-footer Yankuba Sima. And while that’s naturally a high-risk high-reward way of living, they’ve survived thus far. Seven of the 10 guys they play are a threat beyond the 3-point line and five of them — all of whom are part of the deep rotation — are connecting at 40 percent or better from that distance.
"Ponds and LoVett are accustomed to carrying the scoring load from their standout high school careers, so it hasn’t been much of an adjustment for them. Ahmed is a high-volume scorer, but capable of attacking the defense in a multitude of ways due to his 6-foot-7, 210-pound frame. Outside of those three, there aren’t many options Mullin can go to and say, “Get me a bucket.” Kassoum Yakwe hasn’t developed much from last year and Tariq Owens is still growing into his role — though he’s flashed a nice midrange jump shot that he’s surely been working on with Mullin".
5) Is Mullin on the hot seat...or at least is there questioning regarding his coaching?
"Hot seat discussion around Chris Mullin is one of the hardest things to fairly gauge. As everyone is aware of, he’s the crowned jewel of the program’s 108-year existence due to his success under coach Lou Carnesecca in the 1980’s as a player. He inherited a depleted roster — only one player on the current roster precedes his arrival — and has attracted high-profile pieces on the recruiting trail. But, he looks like a person who’s never been a head coach and a 1-17 record in Big East play is hard to ignore, especially coupled with an 0-for-3 trip in the Battle for Atlantis that was capped with a home loss to Delaware State.
"St. John’s has only recently hired a brand new athletic director last November. While he’s didn’t handpick Mullin, it’d be a very big surprise if — barring a completely uncompetitive Big East stretch like last season — he makes a shakeup in his first year in office. The roster is pretty much set for the next two season (with only one open scholarship available), so unless Mullin massively underachieves to close this season, he should be fine".
6) Talk about Tariq Owens. Is he a surprise? Has he gained weight (it looks like yes).
"The redshirt sophomore has probably been the biggest and most pleasant surprise for St. John’s this season. On paper, you may not truly appreciate his impact on the game but any spectator could see a piece like Owens — someone willing to hit the floor, tussle for a 50-50 ball, have an offensive presence without designed plays — is a requisite on a winning team. While Penn State entered Madison Square Garden last month and delivered St. John’s a smackdown, Owens was one of two Johnnies (along with Ellison) that looked ready to play.
"As he subbed out the game a fan from the student section said “You miss Tennessee, don’t you?” Other sympathized with him, grateful for his energy and passion regardless of the scoreboard. On brighter days, he’s the one amping the crowd to get louder following eye-raising blocks at the rim or high-flying jams that always seem to come in crucial moments of the game. I believe he added about 15 pounds as he sat out last season due to transfer rules. It’s paid off for him as he’s turned into an afterthought at Tennessee to the Big East’s leading shot blocker with 41 rejections".