Quick Turnaround: Seton Hall Takeaways for G-Town Matchup

St. John’s tipped off conference play against Seton Hall on the road Friday, but lost 77-68, on the strong play of big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, who buoyed his team with a career-high 32 points and nine boards. Though the Johnnies (5-2, 0-1 BIG EAST) were able to keep it close in the first half, ultimately, the Pirates (4-3, 1-0) pulled out the ‘W’ exploiting the Storm’s weaknesses to keep them at bay.

“We didn’t execute,” said St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson. “We didn’t do any of the things that we talked about. They just took advantage of us coming out and I thought we were a little flat. We inserted some guys off of the bench and they gave us some energy.”

Sophomore swingman Julian Champagnie led the Red Storm with 24 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Junior guard Greg Williams Jr. had 12 points, while junior forward Vince Cole chipped in 11 points. St. John’s redshirt senior guard Rasheem Dunn returned to the hardwood after suffering a concussion in the regular-season opener. He added a solid spark from the bench with 10 points and three steals in just 16 minutes of play.

“I think what it does, it gives our backcourt a little bit more strength,” said Anderson on Dunn’s return. “You have got to have some balance on your basketball team, you’ve got to have the forwards and you’ve got to have the guards. His experience alone will help our basketball team, even when we were down.”

Despite the loss to the Pirates, St. John’s hopes that the return of Dunn marks a turning point in the team’s trajectory. The Storm will now have the needed floor general to channel the team’s raw energy and talent into something more conducive to a winning season.

WHO GOT NEXT?

The Johnnies will hit the road again to play Georgetown on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m., in McDonough Gymnasium (Washington, D.C.). The Hoyas (2-3, 0-1) are coming off of a 76-63 loss to No. 9/6 Villanova in its BIG EAST opener. The Wildcats (5-1, 1-0) came back from as much as 18 points down. Using a 15-0 run early in the second half to earn their first lead of the night as well as a late 15-2 surge, the Wildcats clawed back and secured their first conference win of the season.

A loss of that kind will light a fire in Georgetown’s belly when they meet long-time rival St. John’s this weekend. The Johnnies will need to be ready for the Hoyas' microwave game from tip-off.

KEY SETON HALL TAKEAWAYS FOR GEORGETOWN MATCHUP:

· Despite St. John’s solid guard play, the squad had no answer for Seton Hall’s 6-foot-11, 240-pound senior Mamukelashvili. The Johnnies’ lack of a strong defensive presence inside allowed for the Pirates to utilize the middle without much resistance. When St. John’s plays Georgetown, they will face a similar issue with Hoya big men senior forward 6-foot-9 Jamorko Pickett and sophomore center 6-foot-11, 237-pound Qudus Wahab.

· Not having a counterpunch in length, strength, and girth makes it difficult for the Johnnies to deny powerhouse big men the ball. These long and strong players can catch the rock in the low-post over them or easily bully their way to the ball and, then, to the basket. St. John’s cannot help that it lacks an equivalent to these bigs in its stockpile, but the Storm can work on using their length, athleticism, and quickness to adequately clog driving and passing lanes with cleaner and quicker help from those guarding off the ball. Bigs like the Hoyas' Wahab will not be able to be guarded straight up by the Storm so there needs to be a collective effort. The last thing St. John’s wants is to get caught chasing its opponents and overcompensating a slow step with a foul. Instead, the Johnnies should attempt to frustrate Georgetown’s bigs on both ends of the floor and get them into foul trouble.

· While St. John’s focus needs to be on Georgetown’s inside game, there will be another offensive threat on the hardwood. Part of the Hoyas' out-of-the-gate success comes from their perimeter shooters. The most lethal is Pickett as he amalgamates a high-low game with his shooting range. In the first half with Villanova, Georgetown shot 50 percent (6-of-12) from outside. The Johnnies will have to guard effectively to prevent the Hoyas from getting good looks behind the arc. The Red Storm must stay committed to each defensive play and check for needed ball rotations as Georgetown has scoring options inside and out. Again, St. John’s must not get caught chasing its opponents and, inevitably, overcompensating slow-footedness with fouls.

· The Storm’s frustration with Seton Hall’s length extended on the offensive end as well. The Johnnies struggled to get plays going in the half-court, being deterred by the length of the Pirates. St. John’s was forced outside, attempting a ridiculous number of ill-conceived perimeter shots. The squad knocked down only 19% (4-of-21) from 3-point land. The size of Georgetown could present a similar issue if the Johnnies fall into the same habits. St. John's must understand its limitations and, as of now, the team does not have consistent outside shooters. As such, the Red Storm should set up plays closer to the rim, where they have been most successful. With the reintegration of point man Dunn, St. John’s can better orchestrate opportunities at sweet spots on the floor instead of settling for where the opposing team’s defense dictates.

The Red Storm must shake off the disappointment of the loss to Seton Hall and take the lessons learned into the next contest to ensure victory. Both St. John's and Georgetown are on the hunt for their first conference win. Only one team will walk away at .500 after the Sunday meeting.