2008-2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 14) ST. JOHN'S

September 27, 2008


After (finally) qualifying for their first Big East Tournament under Norm Roberts in the 2006-2007 season, it was back to the ‘norm’ for St. John’s in 2007-2008 as their young and inexperienced squad again missed out on participating in the conference’s year-end party at Madison Square Garden. A team dominated by freshman struggled to a 5-13 Big East record and finished 11-19 on the season. Not exactly what fans had in mind, a rebuilding season in year four without any postseason appearances in the NCAA or even NIT to this point.

Roberts now enters his fifth season at the helm of the Redstorm and owns a career mark of 48-67 as the head coach with St. John’s and a 20-46 record in regular season Big East action. Despite the poor results on the court, there is some hope that inroads are being made off the court as a revamped staff has given SJU some strong local recruiting ties in the New York City area. Already one highly coveted area player, Omari Lawrence, has committed for the class of 2009. The hope for the future might be getting slightly brighter, but this season’s outlook remains somewhat gloomy.

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Comings:

With Norm Roberts’ future cloudy throughout much of the past year, recruiting was difficult for St. John’s. In the spring, Roberts signed a new 5-year rollover contract and three recruits as well. Quincy Roberts and Tyshwan Edmondson will both add depth to a backcourt that was hit by graduation and transfer losses. Phil Wait, originally from England, adds size to the class, standing at 7-foot-1, but injuries might limit his season.

Goings:

The young Redstorm squad had just one senior last season, Eugene Lawrence, but once again they were hit by the transfer bug as Larry Wright and Mike Cavataio. Wright was the team’s third leading scorer and most reliable perimeter shooting threat, but often seemed to be in the doghouse last season. Cavataio never seemed to have much of a chance at much playing time in the Big East. Lawrence was the rock in the SJU starting line-up and split time running point with Malik Boothe. His experience and toughness were key attributes on the floor.

Net Impact:

There really are no big gains or big losses out of the SJU program when looking at the net impact of what is coming and going from their program. Lawrence and Wright were key contributors, but Edmondson and Roberts have more potential, but probably will not be realizing that potential right away. Wait could be a candidate for a redshirt as a knee injury and the need to add strength and weight might make him more productive if he spends a year fine tuning his body. Overall, the improvements for SJU will have to come from within, and there is something to work with…


2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

St. John’s will have a very inexperienced backcourt next season between their point guard and shooting guard. Sophomores Malik Boothe and Paris Horne have the inside track at the starting positions and will be backed up by the freshmen pair of Quincy Roberts and Tyshwan Edmondson.

Boothe is a true point guard and the diminutive (5’9) floor general will be asked to carry a large portion of the load this season as he takes over fully for Eugene Lawrence. Boothe played his high school basketball at nearby Christ the King and as a freshman he contributed three points and two and a half assists a game in 19 minutes of action. In Big East action, Boothe saw a big increase in his time and even had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists against South Florida (both career highs). Boothe will not give you a lot of offense and is not much of a deep ball threat (just 5 made three’s last season), but he is a true point guard with a feisty attitude that will try and set the tone for the ‘storm this season.

Paris Horne also received some added run down the stretch and showed glimpses of being a reliable deep threat, something this team will need desperately. Horne scored 12 in a loss to Marquette and connected on nine of 14 from three-point land over the last eight games of the season. Roberts and Edmondson add some athleticism and size to the backcourt and will press for time right away.

Another potential factor in the backcourt mix is sophomore DJ Kennedy. The versatile Kennedy can play all three perimeter positions and the 6-foot-6 wing’s ability to handle the basketball, defend and rebound will make him a valuable asset to St. John’s.

The best player on the squad is senior Anthony Mason Jr. The son of a former NBA player has definitely put in his dues for the Redstorm. Despite battling nagging injuries throughout last season, Mason still averaged a team-best 14 points a contest. He also produced back-to-back 29 point outbursts in losses to Pittsburgh and Louisville where at times he seemed to be the only SJU threat to score. Mason also gives SJU a little bit of everything with his ability to defend, rebound and set-up teammates. He is the type of player that, if surrounded by more talent, could complete a contending team, but at St. John’s he is asked to shoulder the load and produce big numbers.


2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

Sophomore Justin Burrell returns after a very strong freshman season in which the 6-foot-8, 235 pound rock averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds a game. He did find things a little tougher in the Big East as he shot just 41% from the field in conference play and wore down the stretch, averaging just 7 points and less than 4 rebounds a game in the last nine contests despite still playing over 27 minutes a game. That is really poor production, but much of that can not be placed on Burrell as he had virtually no help inside last year. Burrell still has loads of potential and should be ready for a complete season as a sophomore.

In order for Burrell to reach the level expected of him he will need senior Tomas Jasiulionis and sophomore Ayodele Coker to be able to man the middle together. Coach Roberts has spoken highly of Coker this offseason and the 6’10, 270 pound center has the physical tools to excel in the Big East. He still has a ways to go in order for his basketball skills to catch up to the physical tools, but again, Burrell and Coker definitely have the potential to be a very solid frontcourt as they mature and reach their basketball potential.

Jasiulionis is a 6-foot-11 skilled big man that is slowly learning to thrown his weight around in the Big East. However, that usually leads to fouls as he still does not seem comfortable with the physical and athletic posts of the Big East. Jasiulionis scored just 18 points in the course of the Big East schedule last season, he just is not going to give you any offense, something SJU will need, however.

Rounding out the frontcourt is athletic Sean Evans, a 6-foot-8 forward who is just now starting to concentrate on basketball, and Rob Thomas, a redshirt sophomore who is trying to resurrect his career after knee injuries and academics have sidelined him much of the last few years. Evans, the former Philly-area football prospect was a late addition to the Redstorm program prior to last season and he also has the potential to be a quality performer as he learns the game. His highlight last season was a 12-point, 9-rebound performance in a win over Providence. Evans also saw increased time as the season wore on and definitely adds solid depth on the boards and defensively. Thomas is a wildcard, if he can show some of the ability that made him a highly coveted inside/out forward earlier in his high school career, SJU will get a big lift from a player that can score points, something they certainly need. Hopefully another off season of conditioning and strength training has Thomas looking more like his old self than the shadow of it we saw last season.

2008-2009 Team Outlook:

St. John’s is a team that will have to rely on defense and toughness this season as scoring points might be something they struggle with, especially in the Big East. Without a strong perimeter scoring threat, defenses will collapse around Justin Burrell in the paint and cut off the slashing abilities of players like Anthony Mason and DJ Kennedy, forcing SJU to beat them from the outside, a scenario that greatly decreases the College Basketball Odds of the Redstorm winning.

The potential to be a good defensive team is there. Players like Burrell, Ayodele Coker and Sean Evans show potential to be good in the frontcourt, but that potential is going to be put to the test in the rugged Big East. On a team with just two seniors and no juniors, improving upon last year’s numbers in the conference will be a tough task. I expect SJU to look quite better, at times, especially in their out of conference schedule, but over the course of 18 games in the Big East, they are going to, again, take their lumps and, unfortunately, have a season much like the ‘norm’ under Norm Roberts in 2008-2009.



2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 5-13