Posh Alexander with one of his best games of the season against Georgetown 17 points , 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals. Photo Credit: Associated Press
As the 10-5 ( 2-2 in BE) St. John’s Red Storm embarks on a tough stretch of games starting tomorrow when they face Creighton on the road.
Given how St. John’s gave a lot of fans some optimism after they handled Georgetown at home on Sunday afternoon, Wednesday’s game against the Bluejays looks winnable even though they are five point underdogs. The play of some of the supporting cast gives Johnnie fans a lot to be optimistic about.
Last time we seen St. John’s in person was December 18th when they fell to Pitt in their Garden debut. Since then some game cancellations due to COVID have prevented us from covering them in person but I have seen them on TV and there’s alot to be optimistic about going forward.
The Progression of Dylan Addae-Wusu
Dylan Addae-Wusu’s progression in many ways has been a great thing to see and it’s a huge plus for the Red Storm. In the past 4 games Wusu is averaging 15 points per game , 5.75 assists per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. Wusu’s 3pt shooting went up dramatically to 43% from 27% last season. Wusu’s progression is going to come in handy because it gives the Red Storm another offensive piece and it helps ease the scoring load for leading scorer Julian Champangie who can go off for a light 20-25 points in his sleep.
Aaron Wheeler is On His Way
Fans have been waiting for Aaron Wheeler to rise to the occasion and he has. In the last three games, Aaron Wheeler contributed with scoring 15, 13, and 10 points. The Purdue transfer will be a key piece going forward in this stretch on both ends for the Red Storm.
The Mathis Double Figures Effect
The more times Rutgers Transfer Montez Mathis can get in double figures the higher the chances that St. John’s will win the game. The Red Storm are 8-0 when he scores in double figures. Mathis scored 11 points in the win against Georgetown compared that to the two road losses against Providence and Georgetown where he scored four in those games that’s very important. The moral of the story is the red storm looks unstoppable once he’s in double figures.
Capitalize on the small things
Taking care of the basketball, Free throws, and rebounding is going to be very vital in these next few games just like it has been all season. After Creighton, the Red Storm is going up against the tough Seton Hall front court of Ike Obiagu, Tyrese Samuel and Alexis Yetna on Saturday and Monday.
Knowing that the Pirates will be very angry and motivated after being robbed by refs against Marquette on Saturday and getting an extra day to practice due to Tuesday’s Providence game being postponed
As this week of opportunity begins tonight in Omaha, we will get to see how far improved this team is. The losses at Providence and Uconn were proven to be lessons. There’s no denying that if they can win all four or even split these next 4 games they are likely back in the tournament discussion.
Hoop Dreams NYC 