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.
The start of the 21-22 high school basketball season started in a somber way for some. Since the Pandemic shut down basketball back in March 2020, many deaths have hit the basketball community hard from the deadly virus and another virus that impacted the community. Gun Violence
The Monroe Eagles 21-22 season opener was a special one as it was dedicated to Brandon Hendricks-Ellison, the Eagles alum who was gunned down on June 28th, 2020 just a few days after his graduation. Since then there have been countless protests and celebrations in his honor, Hendricks number 5 Jersey was retired at the Watson Basketball classic this past summer a decision made by Monroe’s assistant coach and Watson Classic Commissioner Christopher “Glasses” Salgado.
(L-R) Brandon Hendrick’s Parents and relatives, Head coach Nigel Thompson, Rapper B-lovee. Photo Credit: @soru503___
On November 30th, the Monroe staff and school retired his No.5 Jersey at the home opener vs Samuel Gompers. In front of a full gym of fans, community members, and family members of Brandon it was a somber start of the season but the energy was high as they got to celebrate his life and honor him the right way.
As for the game, The Eagles were heavily favored to dominate Gompers but faced some challenges as they were short-handed and were missing their starting five due to many issues some such as awaiting clearance from the league. It was a perfect opportunity for many of the reserves to prove that they belong and get the job done. The team sported new Nike uniforms with the “B5” patch on Jersey while the huge crowd wore red and yellow memorial t-shirts dedicated to Brandon.
Assistant coach Christopher Salgado wearing one of many memorial shirts given to the crowd. Photo Credit: Captured Images
“That day was electric! Says Salgado. Regarding the fact that we were missing five starters, to see the next group of guys came in and continue what Brandon built was real”. Salgado was highly ecstatic as he described that night “ From seeing everyone in the crowd to seeing the players jerseys the energy that night was amazing ! “ Salgado added.
As for the game itself, Monroe dominated early but Gompers showed some fight tying the game halfway through the second quarter. From there, Monroe took over in the second half en route to a 54-40 victory. The game was a big debut for freshman point guard Mo Jaiteh who scored 10 points and five rebounds. Kelvin Urena led the Eagles with 18 points. Johnny Flynn who was the biggest surprise that night scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds “His energy was Amazing” Salgado added.
Mohammed Jaiteh ‘25 rose to the challenge of starting at Point guard vs Samuel Gompers. Photo Credit: @Soru503___
That game marked the start of season two of the Dark Skin “Splash Bros tour” With hosts David “ ChaChing” Teele, Jaden Edwards Aka Mr. Talk Spicy along with DJ The ZooKeeper. The trio was at Monroe back in 2019 to kick off their debut season as Hendricks led the Eagles to an upset win over Wings Academy to kick off the 2019-20 season.
Since the opening night, The Eagles have won two straight and are currently 3-0 with wins over Manhattan Center and Stevenson. Throughout the preseason the Eagles have shown out and proved to many that they are team to keep an eye on this season.
(R-L) Players Donzell Hamilton Jr. And Eddy DelaCruz sport new Nike uniforms with the B5 patch. Photo Credit: Captured Images
As the season continues, the Eagles will look to improve even more as they will look to improve on what Hendricks and other James Monroe alums started.
Real Skills Head Coach Daon Merritt celebrating with his team after winning the 2021 City is Mine Basketball classic in his first year on August 21st, Photo Credit: Ukwan Milliner / Vintagevizuals
The annual City Is Mine Basketball Classic has been one of the best events to end the summer. Four teams representing four Boroughs going at it for bragging rights and Basketball supremacy. The 2021 tournament which made its return on Saturday August 21st after taking a break last year due to Covid-19. This years CIM basketball classic was one of the best I have witnessed in all of the years I have covered the event.
Let’s take a look back at what went down three weeks ago….
The Build up
Leading up to the event on August 21st, CIM released a promo video done by Ukwan Milliner of Vintage Vizuals introducing the four teams that were participating in the event (United Brooklyn, Real Skills, Team Shine , Milbank) The promo vid created a frenzy mainly due to a comment by Team Shine coach Hector Almodovar when he was asked about going up against Real Skills coach Daon Merritt when he said that Merritt “is just a trainer he ain’t a coach”The comment by Almodovar raised the anticipation of the event for everyone across the city.
Team Shine consists of many players from the Riverside Hawks AAU program and is coached by Almodovar and legendary grassroots head coach Dermon Player. Many of their notable players include Many of the top post grad players in the region such as Jay Woodard, Promise Opurum, and Todd Rochelle. Shine also added the tough and outspoken PG Tyler Hawkins to their squad.
Real Skills led by founder and St. Rays product Daon Merritt brought out the top players from the Queens / Long Island area but he also brought a big staff as well. Real Skills staff included Depaul standout and streetball veteran Cliff Clinkscales along with NYC Finest head coach Rob Diaz and Coach Malie Williamson from the Rising Stars AAU program. It was the first appearance for Real Skills majority of the players on Real Skills are from Queens and Long Island
Semifinal action.
The event kicked off with Real Skills beating Shine 85-77 behind a balanced attack from their guards. While seniors Jaquan Sanders and Tyshawn Trail combined for 38 points. Zakai Ziegler and Dwayne Pierce scored 13 and 17 respectively. Wings academy grad and Woodstock academy bound wing Jay Woodard led Team Shine with 26 points. Real Skills was able to fend off a late rally made by Team Shine to seal the win.
The first game set the tone and gave them some momentum heading into the championship. The win was also a statement made for head coach Daon Merritt who May have taken Almodovar’s comment personal.
Up next was 4 time champions Milbank against 2016 champion United Brooklyn coached by Arkansas product Gary Ervin. Even though Milbank are the 4-time champs Coach Rose still sees himself as an underdog just as a way to keep themselves humble but focused on the goal at hand.
Milbank set the tone early getting out to a sizable lead in the first half and then never looked back as they handled United Brooklyn 82-72 behind a 22 point , 8 rebound performance by Dominik Barlow who made his city is mine debut. Zaire Wells added 14 while Cardinal Hayes senior DJ Victory flirted with a triple double (8pts/7assists/5 rebounds). Hayes rising senior Tarique Foster scored 13 but made his presence known throwing down emphatic dunks.
The Chip
After a highly competitive semifinals it was time for the championship where pride and bragging rights were on the line. Both teams knew what was at stake at that point and went at it from the jump.
From the tip Real Skills came out with sense of urgency as they raced out to a 10-4 lead. The lead then went to 26-17 as Tyshawn Trail and Zakai Ziegler went hit timely shots and they turned it up on the defensive end. The first half was quite entertaining as both teams were also trading emphatic dunks that got the crowd hyped.
Fresh off his appearance at Jellyday earlier that Saturday, IMG academy wing Anthony Gilkes came right into the CIM event and went baseline for an emphatic dunk over a defender, Gilkes then followed it up with a fast break dunk. Milbank’s Dominik Barlow countered with a huge fast break dunk over a defender himself. Milbank went on a mini run to close the half but Real Skills went into the half up 28-21 as Mohamed Dioubate blocked a shot at the buzzer gaining confidence and momentum going into halftime.
In the second half Real Skills lead would quickly grow to 15 points with 9:45 remaining leaving the Milbank on the ropes but they would quickly answer back with a huge run fueled by some big shots hit by Jayden Williams and Zaire Wells to cut the lead to six. Team Real Skills had some turnovers and sloppy play which played a huge part in Milbank’s run but they regrouped in the last few minutes to close out Milbank en route to a 63-52 win to become 2021 City is Mine champions.
Tennessee Commit Zakai Ziegler Led three players in double figures with 14 points, six boards and four assists Mouhamed Dioubate came up huge with 13 points and five boards. Tournament MVP and St. John’s commit Jaquan Sanders of Our Savior Lutheran scored 12 points and dished out three assists. In the two games combined, Sanders averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 assists per game.
The Boys from Queens Reign Supreme
From the timely shots hit by guards Jaquan Sanders Tyshawn Trail, and Zakai Ziegler to the toughness and tenacity by Mo Dioubate and Cherif Diarra on the defensive end in the front court. Real Skills proved that the borough of Queens reigned supreme in NYC basketball that Saturday evening. Overall It was an impressive showing by both teams in the game that in our opinion made this years City is mine tournament the best one in the event’s history.
Winning CIM is not the only thing basketball heads from queens are bragging about this summer. NYC finest won the HS division championship or had players from the program win a championship in many of the top summer leagues in the city. Far Rockaway native Jaquan Sanders has emerged as one of the top players of the summer after the live period.
The future continues to be bright for CIM as Bowen, along with Cofounder Carmelo Anthony of the Los Angeles Lakers, is taking the CIM on the road and furthering their expansion to cities such as LA, Washington DC, Chicago, and Philadelphia. CIM already expanded to Baltimore in 2019 as they will be returning there as well in 2022.
From the stacked rosters to the high level competition in all three games there’s no question that the City is Mine Basketball Classic is the new era of Golden Hoops, as Bowen said in the promo video. It’s one of many events where you will see the top upcoming prospects along with the best in the city under one roof.
PSA Cardinals 16U head coach Casey Williams has been coaching the youth in NYC for a long time. So when it came to the NYC Invitational back in April, he felt a sense of nostalgia. “Good old fashion NYC AAU basketball”. Williams said about the prestigious event . “Gauchos gym was a great atmosphere to compete against the locals”. Which is something we have not experienced at all. Five of Grassroots programs four of them representing three major sneaker circuits Nike EYBL, UA Association and Adidas 3SSB.
Five of the top grassroots organizations in the Tri-state area NY Rens, PSA Cardinals, Riverside Hawks, NY Jayhawks and the host organization NY Gauchos had teams from all high school age groups 15-17U participating in mostly scrimmages to work out the kinks with their teams and preview their teams to many college coaches watching virtually and many scouts and media in attendance.
Recently we caught up with some of the players after the event as well as a representative of each organization as they gave their thoughts about the NYC Invitational as well as how they see their teams as they head into their respective circuits in July.
Williams gave some insight into his 16U squad which at the time was just beginning to get used to playing each other at the time. “ I liked how our group rose to the occasion and competed on a big stage” Wiliams added.
The growth of the PSA Cardinals 16U since the NYC Invitational has shown in the recent tournaments they participated in when they won championships in events such as the Hoop Group NJ Jam Fest and The Collision. Offers have been flowing in for all of their players, especially their core group of rising juniors Jayden Lemond, Jayden Reid, Mouhamed Dioubate, and others. The PSA Cardinals 16U squad is set for a big July as they are currently preparing for the EYBL regular season in July.
“ The NYC invitational was ran at a very high level, says PSA Executive director Munch Williams. “ To see many of the top grassroots programs in the NYC area under one roof was a powerful message to the rest of the country the best part was the competition on all grade levels.
The PSA cardinals only participated in the first session of the NYC invitational. Still, since we have seen many of their players in other events since then, we know each squad has a strong nucleus of talent that can compete with some of the best teams in the nation.
PSA Cardinals 16U squad captured The Collision championship on June 6th. Photo Credit: Captured by Mike
The host team of the event New York Gauchos has a lot to be proud about. When I spoke to Boys Director Book Richardson he spoke highly about the growth and unity of the organization. “In terms of the Gauchos I think we are more unified now having a true system in place with our 15,16,17U teams.
“ I’m happy that there is a lot of unity and solidarity with in our program that we haven’t seen in a while Richardson also added”.
The Gauchos had a strong showing at the NYC invitational especially with their 17U team. Zaire Williams a 6-3 shooting guard from Eagle Academy II in Brooklyn came into this event looking to do a post grad year and re-class into the class of 2022 but after his amazing performance at the invitation his stock grew even more and high major schools started to offer, eventually for Williams he found a school he can go to right away in Wagner College in which he committed to a few weeks later. Zaire Wells a 6-6 wing from St. Benedict’s prep in New Jersey is another guard who shined in the invitational and raised his stock even more.
Made an appearance on The Players Circle Weekly Roundup with Miguel Rodriguez to talk about the first session.
The Gauchos 17U squad has a lot of talent on their roster with Iona Prep’s RJ Greene leading the way. The 6-5 wing joined the Gauchos a couple of days after the NYC invitational at the Pittsburgh Jamfest and has been one of many key players for them. We recently seen RJ at The Collison earlier this month when he went off for 23 points against Team New England. The offers continue to roll in for Greene as well as other members of this team.
One thing the Gauchos takes pride in is that they have players in their organization from all age groups playing varsity in both the PSAL and the CHSAA. Markell Alston, Naszaire Simmons and Brandon Williams are just a few of their underclassmen players who have shined so far.
Alston is an eighth-grader playing up in 16U, and he looked like he fit right in. Nazaire Simmons had the big defining moment as a freshman on varsity by scoring the game-winning bucket to beat Xaverian in the CHSAA spring league championship.
As for looking back at the event in April, Richardson takes pride in hosting an event where all of the talent was right in our backyard. “This event was tremendous especially with the for the first time in over a year where you have an AAU event that we didn’t have to travel all over the country to find talent to come play in this event”.
“There’s no venue like Gauchos gym in the country with all of the talent here I’m glad that we were able to put on not only for the city but for the country says Richardson.
(L-R) NY Rens 17U head Coach Andy Borman, NY Jayhawks Executive director Jay David, NY Gauchos Boys Basketball director Book Richardson, PSA Cardinals director / Coach Munch Williams, Riverside Hawks Athletic director Daniel Coloñ. Photo Credit: Hector Martinez / Moving Pictures
As the July Live period looms, we will look forward to seeing the Choz compete with some of the best programs in the nation, and as for their players, more of them will be earning more scholarship offers along the way.
One team that has shown tremendous growth from the 1st to second session of the NYC invitational is the Riverside Hawks 17U team.
In the first session the Hawks got off to the wrong start but showed much growth in the second session. The Hawks proved that when they beat the NY Rens 64-60 in a real game to close out the event back on April 25th.
“ I think we have vastly improved in these past two weeks in the NYC invitational. It was great to play in an event with Local teams from all three sneaker circuits Nike, Adidas and Under Armour”says 17U head coach Dermon Player.
Mount St. Michael Academy senior wing Noah Best left the gym that night with high hopes after the win over the Rens. “ I think our team have a lot of potential we played well against a High level EYBL team and we did real well and we competed so on the UA circuit we are going fo be phenomenal.
If you haven’t been following the Riverside Hawks since April, the Hawks are had a great debut in the UA Association’s Memorial Day tournament in Indiana going 3-2. The Hawks have a great group of guards like Maurice Odum a 6-0 guard from East Harlem who plays high school ball at Union City HS is one player who could flourish in this circuit as he showed in the first session with many big scoring games. Odum who holds an offer from St. Peter’s is one of many players who is set for a big July when the UA Association begins on July 8th in Georgia. Other notable prospects on the Riverside Hawks 17U squad include Todd Rochelle, Promise Opurum, Richard Smith, Jalen Bradberry and more.
As we look forward to part two, we will talk about how arguably two of the deepest teams from April’s NYC invitational look to become contenders in their respective circuits.
Jeremiah “Spook” Green Got an opportunity to attend Mount St. Joseph academy in Vermont thanks to Diamond in the Rough showcase
The Covid 19 pandemic has preempted everything in sports including in-person recruiting and AAU Basketball. It’s something that has forced many to scramble looking for options while others became more creative and used technology to broadcast open runs and workouts via live stream at open places.
Queens Native Kaamil Dillard who has run the Diamond in the Rough showcase in his second year, decided to get creative and have his second annual showcase outside at Ajax Park in South Jamaica Queens on Sunday, August 9th.
Dillard came up with the idea of the showcase to honor his friend Darryl Adams an up-and-coming basketball prospect who was killed near South Jamaica Houses ( also known as 40 Projects) back in March of 2012. Adams who played his high school ball at Thomas Edison HS used basketball to move further away from the rough streets of South Jamaica Queens. Dillard felt that he needed to make a platform for unknown players in NYC to get a chance to show coaches that they can play at the next level. “A couple of friends should have made it out of the hood to play college ball, myself included so I felt it was right to create a platform for players not a lot of people know about,” says Dillard.
Dillard overlooking the action at the August 9th showcase
At the Showcase on that sunny Sunday afternoon, approximately 30 players from Queens and all over the tri-state area ranging from high school upperclassmen to JUCO transfers came through to play in front of a handful of coaches from JUCo’s, prep schools, and small College programs.
Most coaches watched the games on Instagram live, well known local scouts such as Nate Blue of real scout basketball and coach Tom “Tippy” McTernan made their appearance on that day to check out some players. There were also a few prep school and JUCO coaches in the area from Herkimer Community College and Prestige Prep just to name a few.
The extension of the NCAA dead period deferred many coaches from attending events but Bronx native Leshawn Hammett head coach of Penn-State Wilkes-Barre (DII-USCAA) took the opportunity to attend the event and shared his thoughts. “The showcase was a solid event and there was a lot of talent that was there. I come to this event every year and recruit players from this event”. Hammett also named talked about a few players who have impressed him. “Shamel Grant was the best PG there, Dian Wright-Ford is a strong athletic wing. Greg Thurman is one Juco transfer to watch, I also liked Alex McClain and Leon Nicholas they are two big aggressive guards”.
Coach Tom “Tippy “ McTernan of Big Apple Sports was in attendance
When it came to how the games went Hammett added “It was competitive and all games were dog fights.” Andrew Lara and Teequan Holley are two undersized bigs
Having the event at Ajax Park was the last-minute decision after the rims were taken down at the original location in South Ozone Park. Despite that Dillard and his staff still made things work. In the end, many of the participants have either gained offers or signed up with schools and will be heading there this fall.
Notable Participants who have received offers or committed to schools since the event on August 9th.
Shamel Grant’21 6-2 PG, Brooklyn, NY – Committed to Chaffey University (JUCO) in California
Michael Graham’21 6-6 PF, Queens NY On Point Academy ‘21 Offer from Penn State University-Wilkes Barre as well as other schools.
Jeremiah Green 6-0 guard, Queens, NY
Currently attending St. Joseph Academy in Vermont.
Dian Wright-Forde 6-4 shooting guard Upper Room Christian Academy ‘21
Offer from St. Francis Brooklyn
After the event on August 9th, Dillard explained in the interview that he received many calls from coaches asking him to do the event again. This inspired Dillard to make the event bigger and better. Over the past two months, Dillard and his staff have worked hard to get players to sign up to participate in their fall version of the Diamond in the Rough showcase that will be going on tomorrow at the Brooklyn Stuydome.
Coaches from over 30 colleges across all levels and 20-plus prep schools will be in attendance most of them will be watching virtually.
With some uncertainty of the High school basketball season starting, and the recruiting dead period being extended to January, events like Diamond in the Rough showcase will be beneficial for the athletes looking to get recruited.
As for the next steps, Dillard and his staff will look to get more athletes from across the tri-state area and other places to attend as well as put on more exposure events in the future.
BROOKLYN, NY – APRIL 14: West Team guard Lonnie Walker Jr. (15) drives to the basket during the first half of the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic National Boys Game between the West Team and the East Team on April 14, 2017 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
Article originally published 4/15/17
Lonnie Walker saves the day for the East Team.
Lonnie Walker scored 19 points and Grabbed MVP honors as the West Team surged past the East Team 124-116 at the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic.
It was a game that was heavily in favor of the East Team for most of the game until late in the 2nd half. The East Team was up 92-89 when Lonnie Walker scored seven straight points to give the East a 96-89 lead.
As walker continued to go on a tear, he often heard chants from the crowd of family members and fans who came all the way from Pennsylvania to see him play. All of them sat in section 31 to see him at play. The presence of his friends and family gave him a sense of being home. “That’s what Reading, Pennsylvania does. Even though we are three hours away, no matter how close we are, we still find ways to be a family.” Same with high school, every single game we played was almost sold out. Mainly we’re just reading fans. So seeing them, it just gave me a lot of energy. It made me so much more active, hyper, and I was motivated by them”. Walker said
When it came to the late run in the second half Walker was very strategic on how he was going to get points . “It’s just knowing my strengths are and knowing what the other team’s weaknesses are. Their defense started to slow down and my transition offensive game it doesn’t take a lot to make those easy buckets I made the game a lot smaller and a lot easier for myself and those points started to come like free candy whatever they gave I took it”. Lonnie’s high IQ showed in this game and it’s something that many Miami fans are going to like about him when he suits up for the hurricanes next season.
One of the top uncommitted seniors Brian Bowen was the Co-MVP as he scored 26 points to lead the East squad, and at that point, his pending college decision was the least of his worries. “During these all-star games, I haven’t been worried about this, just having fun overall. Now it’s a business, and it’s a business decision that I’ll be making this month. Plenary of schools, a lot have tried to get involved since I’m not committed. From winning a championship at the Dick’s nationals in Queens to winning the Co-MVP at the Jordan Brand Classic, NYC has been good to the 6-7 forward from Saginaw, Michigan. “It means a lot. New York is the Big Apple, the big city; it’s a great city. The atmosphere was alive, and I fed off that. I truly had a great time tonight”.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a halt to everything especially Basketball. Playoffs canceled, in- person recruiting cancelled AAU season in question. So how are some of your favorite teams and coaches dealing with this? Just about everyone is staying positive and adapting to this whole new reality.
A few weeks ago, Ralph Fornoles a referee, coach and creator of the Referee Rant podcast invited me to collaborate on a special podcast series called Pandemic Preempt: A series about the lost season in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This first episode is episode 179 of the Referee Rant podcast and it features Stepinac Head Coach Pat Massaroni. Stepinac finished the season 18-9and was coming off of a huge win against division rival St. Raymon’s to win the NY-AA Archdiocesan championship on February 29th. With a highly anticipated matchup against crosstown rival Iona Prep on the horizon, the Covid-19 pandemic started to get worse as the quarterfinals site Fordham University was closed down due to a student being infected.
The Catholic league made adjustments moving the quarterfinals to Stepinac where St. Rays, Scanlan, Archbishop Molloy and St. Francis Prep played. During that time, the pandemic got worst and all over the NBA and NCAA and College basketball conferences started to shut down. From there it was a sure thing that the CHSAA playoffs weren’t going to continue there for putting an end to Stepinac’s historical season a season where it’s star player Mcdonald’s All-American and UNC commit R.J. Davis garnered tons of accolades including CHSAA player of the year, New York’s Mr. Basketball, Gatorade NY player od the year and much more. The Crusaders finished the season with an 18-9 record and was ranked as one of the top 40 schools in the nation.
Ralph Fornoles and myself talked to Massaroni on hosting the quarterfinals, the effect that the pandemic had on his season, his coaching journey and much more.
Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta -USA Today Sports
You always learn how great a team is in college basketball when you witness how they handle adversity and bounce back on the road. If you have been watching the Seton Hall Pirates lately, then you know this team is for real. If not then there’s a chance that you are late to the party
The Pirates were down 43-30 at the half to St. John’s, then they outscored them 23-11 to start the second half to cut the deficit to one. From there, the Pirates battled with the Red Storm back and forth until they were able to pull away late in the game due to their great free throw shooting and late-game heroics by Seniors Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight to seal the 82-79 victory. “Yesterday’s comeback win was a true testament to how experienced this Seton Hall team is. “ When you have more experience, it makes a difference. These guys know, and they have more confidence, and they understand what we are doing,” Says Head coach Kevin Willard.
As Redshirt Junior Center Romaro Gill puts it knowing their mistakes and making adjustments was vital. “I think we went into the locker room and regrouped. We know we made mistakes in the first half, and we came back with a different mindset”. Gill was a force in the paint for Seton Hall as he scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 16 shots in yesterday’s win.
Yesterday’s win was Seton Hall’s eighth in a row, and their fourth road win in six conference games. What makes yesterday’s win more special is that Myles Powell reached 2,000 career points he finished with 29 points and now has 2,022 career points, more importantly, he did it at MSG which as he explained is a second home for him and the Pirates “ When we come into this building it’s special. We feel this is our second home; if you know the Pirates, you know we love coming to the Garden, and we are looking forward to coming back into the tournament”.
Myles Powell is all smiles after scoring a clutch bucket against St. John’s. Photo Credit: Sarah Stier – Associated Press
Conference play brings out the best in a team, and for Seton Hall, after finishing their toughest stretch in conference play without a loss is impressive as Quincy McKnight points out their toughness is what gets them through. “We are just showing everyone how tough we are. We were down ten at Hinkle (Butler), and we came back, down 13 today at the half and came back again. “We are just showing everyone that we are going to fight every game. We have a hard nose coach in Kevin Willard, who always pushes us to keep being better. Everyone is playing their role right now, and that’s what makes us so good right now. Nobody is forcing the issue. Everybody is just doing what they do”.
Seton Hall is currently ranked 18th in the nation with a chance to make a massive jump in tomorrow’s rankings. They also have a three-game road stretch where they have an opportunity to reach the halfway point of Big East play undefeated. If there is any team that you want to bet on, the Pirates are that team and their toughness and resiliency shows.
Sophomore forward Josh Roberts who scored a career high 16 points with a big block against Seton Hall’s Jared Rhoden yesterday. Photo Credit: Nick Bello- St. John’s Athletics
The St. Johns Red Storm dropped their 2nd straight conference game this week to crosstown rival Seton Hall 82-79, but if you are the type of person with a “glass half full” perspective you will notice that this is a game the Johnnies can build off on.
Clearly Seton Hall showed why they are the better team this afternoon, but there’s no denying some of the progression from the Red Storm “Anyone watching knows we saw a great ball game. Two teams showed up, obviously neighboring teams. Congratulations to their guys who made plays at the right time. They had the ability to knock free throws down. They made some big free throws down the stretch so you have to give them credit. But as I told our guys I was proud of the effort and I’m not into moral victories we lost the game at home, that’s got to hurt but at the same time I thought our guys came out and played against a very, very good opponent, Seton hall and gave ourselves a chance.” A confident Mike Anderson says to the press following the loss.
From LJ Figueroa’s career high seven steals , to a career high 16 points from Josh Roberts and a much improved shooting performance from Mustapha Heron along with a strong defensive performance. These are some things that were at one time major concerns that were addressed in this game. As Head coach Mike Anderson points out, “I thought of all of the games , we’ve had some tough games… I’m proud that they continued to fight, and actually I thought we got better. We haven’t been scoring. Our defense has been pretty good and we hadn’t been scoring, but I thought we kind of amped it up. I thought guys played for one another, they trusted one another. I saw Mustapha Heron come out and they looked More relaxed. Josh Roberts had one of his better games. What that says is we played as a team. And with that being said, that gave us a chance.
Despite this team’s record through the past six games, you can tell from today’s game that the Red Storm are correcting their flaws game by game. “We’re cleaning up some things going down the stretch and that’s where the inexperienced versus experienced I keep saying that, but you can see the guys that make plays for them. I like the way this team responds to tough losses.” Says coach Anderson.
LJ Figueroa Had a career high seven steals to go along with 16 points and 5 assists on 53% shooting yesterday afternoon. Photo Credit: Nick Bello- St. John’s Athletics
St. John’s came out with a sense of urgency against the preseason favorite to win the Big East conference holding their best player Myles Powell to 6 points in the first half and holding on to a 13 point lead at the half due to their defense and ability to make shots. something they weren’t able to do in the past couple of games. In the Second half the Priates made their comeback known by outscoring the Red Storm 23-11 and cutting their once 13 point lead down to one. At that point you got to say to yourself that this is where St. Johns may revert to old habits but they didn’t. The Red Storm were able to keep their lead alive at times as well as gain back the lead late in the game something they couldn’t do in their previous losses.
Catch Mike Anderson addresses the media following the loss to Seton Hall
Free throws (60 % for the game) might have doomed them down the stretch but it’s worth knowing if the Red Storm had shot the ball better from the line then we may have been talking about how the Johnnies took down the best team in the league and No. 18th team in the country, and how this Red Storm squad makes MSG a tougher place for opponents to get a win rather than the Knicks.
For now we the Red Storm are 1-5 with a lot of basketball left in conference play. But if the positives from today’s game become the norm and they improve from the little things such as free throws by March, things could be much different for this team.
Conference play has finally arrived and the Seton Hall Pirates are ready to prove why they are the preseason favorite to win the league:
The Pirates started the season hot, dominating their weaker opponents to start the non-conference season, but when ever they faced a higher ranked opponent they continuously fought hard and proved that they are just as good but ended up falling short. The Pirates had the 2nd toughest non conference schedule according to KenPom so it comes as no surprise that the Pirates became a much stronger team throughout non-Conference play.
In most of their losses, the Pirates either struggled to maintain a lead, or they lost players early in the game due to injury, which has affected them, but they have found a way to close non-conference play strong. New players emerged, and the Pirates found new ways to win games.
On December 19th, the Pirates bounced back from an embarrassing loss to Rutgers by beating Then No.7 ranked Maryland 52-48. In that game, the Pirates held the terrapins a squad who regularly averages 75 points per game to a season-low 48 points. What makes the win more impressive is that the Pirates did it without Sandro Mamukelashvili and their leading scorer Myles Powell. Both Powell and Mamukelashvili combine for 32 points per game without that 32 points, and the Pirates used their defense and ability to attack the rim to close out games.
The same could be said for their final non-conference win against Prarie View A&M. On December 22nd, we got our first look at the Pirates in person. The Pirates struggled shooting the ball for most of the game, but thanks to a game-high 25 points from Quincy McKnight and 12 points and seven assists from Harlem native Anthony Nelson the Pirates were able to dominate Prarie View in the second half on their way to a 20+ point win. Freshman Tyrese Samuel added a huge boost off the bench with 12 points.
For the senior McKnight, a guard who will be known as their best defender during his tenure as a pirate, being more of a force on offense at times is critical. “ My role was always defense, but when Myles and Sandro went down, I had to step up on the offensive end, and that’s what I have been doing.” When Myles Powell comes back, it’s a sure thing that McKnight will go back to shutting down the opponent’s best guard, but for now, we also know that McKnight could be a force on offense when he gets the opportunity to do so.
Senior Quincy McKnight stepped up big in the blowout win over Prairie View A&M Photo Credit: SHU Athletics
Whether it was watching them on TV or in person, the non-conference part of the season showed the growth of this Seton Hall team. In the past, Seton Hall night has struggled without their top scorers, but with Kevin Willard’s ability to make adjustments with getting individual players to step up, the Pirates can survive anything that comes towards them. With how strong the Big East is this year there will be plenty of opportunities for the Pirates to get even more big wins.
Hoop Dreams NYC 
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