Three takeaways and perspective from St. John’s men’s basketball’s 97-76 win over Delaware

St. John’s has developed an identity at the end of non-conference play, but there are still some questions to be answered of this team

Pregame

It was another sellout on a rainy day for the St. John’s Red Storm to take on the Blue Hens of Delaware. Despite rebuilding, the Blue Hens had a winning record and some excellent three-point shooters.

In contrast, the Red Storm were connecting on only 31.7 percent of their field goal attempts. Simeon Wilcher told Zach Braziller of the New York Post in a December 20 article: “It’s something we have to deal with and get better at… We spent a lot of time shooting, so it’s something you will see a lot of progress at throughout the season”.

Fans in the stands had another topic of interest pregame. It was “Who will play the role of backing up center Zuby Ejiofor?” The consensus pick was Vince Iwuchukwu, but when the starting lineups were announced, and Ruben Prey was listed as a starter, fans spoke highly of his hustle in previous games.

First Half

The Johnnies opened with a three-guard lineup and big men Prey and Zuby Ejiofor. Joining them were Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith and Simeon Wilcher.

The Red Storm opened slowly and did not score until a flagrant foul was called on John Camden of Delaware at the 17:49 mark of the half for elbowing Zuby Ejiofor. Ejiofor hit both free throws, and since the foul was fragrant, the Johnnies got the ball out of bounds under the Blue Hens basket. Richmond fed Wilcher in the right corner, and Wilcher hit a layup for a 4-2 lead.

The lead shuffled back and forth, with Delaware having a game plan to double-team Ejiofor every time he got the ball. The plan had little success as Ejiofor demonstrated his court vision by passing out to an open Wilcher for a wide-open three.

With the Johnnies lead at 14-12 six and a half minutes into the half, Richmond hit a layup, igniting a 9-0 Red Storm run that ended with a Smith three. During the run, the Johnnies’ defense tightened. Blue Hen guards were picked up once they drove within twenty feet of the basket. The Johnnies were skilled in switching off promptly as needed, and the Blue Hens were twice called for 30-second violations.

R.J. Luis entered the game and twice assisted teammates with pinpoint passes from outside the arc to under the basket for easy layups.

At the 7:27 mark, Iwuchukwu blocked a Blue Hen drive. The ball bounded to Smith, who quickly charged down the court with 7’1” Iwuchukwu hustling behind. Smith stopped and rewarded his teammate with a perfect pass. Iwuchukwu nailed the layup, and the Red Storm led 33-17.

By the end of the half, the Johnnies led by nineteen, 48-29.

Halftime

The statistics at the break were both revealing and impressive. The Johnnies shot 54.5% in the first half, assisting on 70% of the field goals. On three-pointers, they connected on 62.5% of their attempts. The Johnnies challenged the three-point shooters of Delaware, holding them to thirty percent, and forcing them to attack the basket. A disciplined Johnnies’ defense switched off smoothly, stepped into passing lanes, and had seven steals and four blocks; all in all, it was a successful half. Kadary Richmond led the team with five assists. Deivon Smith led the scorers with thirteen.

Second Half

6-foot-8 Delaware “big” John Camden got hot and would lead the Blue Hens in the second half, adding 25 points to the ten he scored in the first half for a game-high total of 35 points. Converting nine out of eleven three-pointers with various Johnny defenders getting a shot at defending him suggests tall front-line players who can shoot long-range may be a challenge in upcoming games for the Johnnies. For example, 6-foot-8 Eric Dixon of Villanova is averaging 25 points a game and is hitting just under 40% on three-point attempts. The team must develop a strategy to keep such outstanding stretch fours and fives under control.

The second half was an evenly played match, with the Johnnies leading by between 17 and 23 points throughout. After an official timeout at 15:35, the Blue Hens went into a zone, but shortly afterward, Wilcher responded with a three from the right wing. Two minutes later, Delaware was back in a man-to-man defense.

With 7:33 to play, Richmond took down a defensive rebound and launched a pass the length of the court to Luis, who dribbled then nailed a dunk, extending the lead to 80-57 and bringing fans to their feet.

By the end of the game, the Johnnies claimed a 97 to 76 victory with six players in double figures, and Smith led the way with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. It was a remarkable performance. Iwuchukwu also impressed, hitting five of six field goal attempts while taking down two rebounds and blocking a shot. The decision about who would back up for Ejiofor, particularly for the upcoming Creighton game, may have been made.

Takeaway #1: The “We” Word

Coach Pitino’s teams have always stressed teamwork and accountability. The most important elements are as follows:

• Working together and uplifting teammates. Doing so honestly, as in the team sanction of Deivon Smith after the Georgia game. The support of teammates during his sanction gave him the determination to make himself a better player, not only for himself but for his teammates.
• Sharing the ball on offense creates balanced scoring. In the Delaware game, the Johnnies had 23 assists on 43 made field goals, a 60 percent rate.
• Covering up on defense when a teammate is picked off on a switch or simply beaten. Particularly in the first half, the team covered Delaware players at a considerable distance from the basket on a regular basis. There were few easy long-range shots. When a Blue Hen broke free, Red Storm defenders were, on most occasions, in place to cover. The centers provided protection except for the few times they were chasing their man well away from the basket. This is happening less than at the beginning of the year, but it is still a concern.

Takeaway #2: Playing like Zuby

After the game, Coach Pitino stated that one of his instructions was for everyone to “play like Zuby.” After the game, Coach Pitino did not recite statistics that described Deivon Smith’s performance. Rather, he focused on his assessment that Smith indeed “played like” Zuby” against Delaware. Even his missed dunk off the break in the last minute of play did not bring chastisement due to Smith’s excellent play. As Coach Pitino described, he played “hard, hard” the entire game.

Now the Red Storm have two teammates playing in such a way. Who will follow them as the season progresses? Perhaps this should be the motto for the team that fans can frequently reference. It should bring out a passion for the team as a whole, calling them to always give their best in practice. Urgently preparing for games by paying attention to scouting reports is a goal for all players, whether starters or reserves. One never knows when he may be needed.

Takeaway #3: Are the Red Storm’s free-throw shooting struggles mental or is it something deeper?

Why would a team hit over eighty percent of its free throws in one game and then under fifty percent another day? In the Delaware game, the percentage was an unacceptable 64.7 percent.

I was an average free throw shooter many years ago in my playing days. Yet there was one day in practice with a friend retrieving the ball and feeding me that I hit twenty-five in a row. How I accomplished that feat, I don’t know and I never was that perfect again.

So how is it that players shoot so well, even in one half, only to fall apart in the second? Is the problem mechanics? Is it practice? Is it confidence? Is it nerves? Is it focus? Whatever the factors are, will “Playing like Zuby” make a difference? In the Delaware game, Smith, who logged in more minutes and handled the ball more than anyone, did not shoot one free throw. But the other Zuby on the team hit six out of seven attempts. Coach Pitino will take that percentage anytime.

Outlook

The outlook for this team truly depends on how the team addresses the three takeaways. The team appears to be meeting the expectations from takeaway number one – working as a “We” rather than a collection of “Me’s.” The team captains play a role in this, and the three captains appear to be taking on this responsibility.

Expectation number two is having more players take on the Zuby attitude – play as hard as you can all the time. This means preparing for each game, studying the scouting report, and talking to each other about how to move forward as a team. Coach Pitino has identified two players, Zuby Ejiofor, and Deivon Smith, as meeting this level. Who else is close to performing with such heart and commitment?

Expectation number three is improving foul shooting. With the exception of the Providence game, all the St. Johns victories have been by double digits, with Harvard losing by thirteen, giving the Red Storm the best test except for Providence. Missing an unacceptable number of free throws in games like these lopsided wins will not doom the team when decisions are made about postseason play. However, the performance of the Johnnies shooting free throws must be fixed. If not, expected wins may be lost due to an abundance of free throw misses.