St. John’s travels to the nation’s capital to face Georgetown on Wednesday in one of the league’s most storied programs. In this year’s version, it won’t be Chris Mullin vs. Patrick Ewing but plenty of eyes will be on this contest.
The Hoyas have experienced a rough season off the court, including the transfer of two premier talents. In advance of the matchup, RedStormReport.com teamed up with our Rivals.com partner Hoya Report for a 5-on-5, addressing topics around both teams heading into Big East play:
1) What is the pulse of the fanbase in regards to Patrick Ewing in the aftermath of the LeBlanc/Akinjo exits to LSU and Arizona, respectively?
Fans have more or less turned the page on the exodus of four players, not holding him at fault. Some questioned the school's response but it’s not being assigned to him.
2) After the success of Jessie Govan and now Omer Yurtseven, is Patrick Ewing’s philosophy to play through the big man despite modern basketball evolving to more spread concepts?
He certainly wants to greatly involve big men but guards and wings are factors. He wants to play inside out, which is not only big guys but thru driving and passing.
Smalls and mids get shots. Good ones based on NBA principles.
3) What’s been the biggest factor in the 0-2 start to Big East play?
Biggest 0-2 factor is losing talent and depth. Two starter level guys are gone, as well as 2 contributors. Slow starts have also played a role.
4) In Year 3, does Georgetown feel like it’s on track to regain Big East supremacy under Ewing’s leadership soon?
On track? Hard to tell now with the exodus. While the team is playing a better brand of ball the cupboard has been made bare. Who they secure to restock the program will start answering any direction question. 5) With the departures of Akinjo/LeBlanc, who’s taken the opportunity to step up and shoulder more responsibilities?
Mac Mclung has become a go to guy who is trying to be more verbal. Terrell Allen has taken the reigns of distributing the rock. Jagan Mosely is continuing his lead-by-example swiss army knife play. Jamorko Pickett has been solid, but needs to do more for team success.
6) Who besides Figeroa can consistently score in the half court for SJU?
In all honesty, the half-court offense has not been pretty and is easily the biggest area of improvement for St. John’s. LJ Figueroa is undoubtedly a 3-level scorer with exceptional shooting range, but he hasn’t had much help around him. Senior guard Mustapha Heron missed a month with a sprain ankle and made his return Sunday. Outside of those two, the rest of the roster shoots 30 percent or worse from 3-point range, which doesn’t make it easy to create off-the-dribble. Rasheem Dunn, a 6-foot-2 guard from Brooklyn, is capable of creating offense but needs to improve his efficiency and decision making to maximize his impact.
7) As impressive as the Johnnies" pressure package is, has it improved as the season advances?
I think the Big East opener against Butler showed how effective St. John’s has become at their full court pressure this season. The Bulldogs hit St. John’s in the mouth for 25 minutes, leading by as many as 23 before finding themselves losing in the final minute. The Red Storm’s second unit played out their minds for the final 15 minutes — forcing coach Anderson to leave star forward LJ Figueroa on the bench for essentially the whole half. A late 5-point lead wasn’t safe for St. John’s, who struggled after the game slowed down but it’s certain the pressure is their best asset, for defense AND offense.
8) Are the red storm faithful optimistic about Mike Anderson and what he brings to table?
Upon his arrival, Anderson promised to deliver a winning brand of basketball and putting together an 11-2 non-conference record with wins over top 25 teams in West Virginia and Arizona has most fans buying in to the Alabama native’s vision. The Big East is as competitive and balanced as ever this season, so St. John’s will have more opportunities to lay the groundwork in becoming a program that sustains success. I’ll add that him and staff have shown strong work ethic in familiarizing themselves in the local recruiting scene.
9) How has Anderson done with such roster turnover he inherited?
While St. John’s retained 2 all-league caliber talents in LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Heron, the surrounding roster was filled with question marks when Anderson took the job last April. Two months into the season, sophomores Josh Roberts and Marcellus Earlington, both of whom combined for 10 minutes per game last season, have made strong leaps from benchwarmers to contributors. Anderson’s addition of local forward Julian Champagnie has netted 9 ppg and 6 rpg to complement LJ and Heron in the starting lineup. On most nights they’ll be at a talent disadvantage from 1-5 but Anderson will rely on guys from 1-10 to keep them in fresh and engaged.
10) Who is the unheralded x-factor on this team?
One of the unsung heroes on this team has been sophomore forward Marcellus Earlington, a casualty of a tight rotation under Chris Mullin last season now finding his stride in his second season. A former FBS football prospect, the 6-foot-6 slashers has been a catalyst in the second unit, helping spark several game-changing runs this season with his hustle play. A limited playmaker, Earlington knows his limitations and is efficient in his strong suits — cleaning up plays near the basket and creating extra possessions on the glass.
