St. John’s makes Anderson’s debut one to remember in thrashing of Mercer

Mike Anderson’s debut at St. John’s Wednesday turned out to be 30-point harbinger of promise for Red Storm, who defeated Mercer in season opener. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK – Please allow me to introduce myself

I’m a man of wealth and taste

- The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”

It’s perfectly natural to get excited one game into a new season. Honestly, if you don’t – regardless of how your team fares in its opening contest – you may want someone to come check your vital signs.

But that’s how it was for St. John’s Wednesday night, welcoming the Bears of Mercer University – whose 2014 NCAA Tournament upset of Duke was enough to remember the city of Macon, Georgia for something more than being the home base of The Allman Brothers Band – back where it all begins and into Carnesecca Arena for the start of a new era, which commenced in explosive fashion when the Johnnies erupted to the tune of a decisive 109-79 victory.

Yes, Wednesday’s contest was the debut of one Michael Andre Anderson as head coach of the Red Storm, the same Mike Anderson unceremoniously cast aside at Arkansas after eight years of doing things on a basketball court for which St. John’s fans would petition to name a building after him had he done the same on the corner of Union and Utopia. The Nolan Richardson disciple famous for his 40 Minutes of Hell approach may not have been the first choice in athletic director Mike Cragg’s meandering search process, but his track record and approach to the game was enough to win fans over heading into the 2019-20 campaign.

“Basketball is basketball,” he surmised at Big East media day. “Obviously, if you believe in something – in terms of your system, your style of play, the type of players you want in your program – I think you get a chance to go and put your team together the way you want to play. We want to play the fun, exciting, in-your-face type of basketball.”

So what, exactly, constitutes the prototypical Mike Anderson player?

“I like guys who can make decisions,” he said. “I like instinctive players, I like tough players, aggressive guys. I’m big on versatility and I love being in attack mode, but when you talk about a prototypical player, one word: WINNER. I like guys who want to win.”

St. John’s had a full complement of players who fit that mold Wednesday, with five scoring 12 or more points and two more coming within a bucket of double digits. The high-flying cavalcade of dunks and transition baskets in the first half, coupled with the efficient shooting down the stretch, was a potent enough chaser from the final scenes of the Chris Mullin regime to where several card-carrying members of the long-starving Red Storm fan base were heralding the decision to not only play rotation pieces such as Marcellus Earlington (17 points), Josh Roberts (nine points and seven rebounds in a long-awaited breakout) and Houston Baptist transfer David Caraher (12 points, seven rebounds), but also highlight their skills in a game plan.

“When you play as many guys as we’re playing,” Anderson cautioned, “all that does is add a little bit more value to your team because now, you’re trying to create some depth. That’s what we have to do in this non-conference schedule.”

“I think they have to be that way every night,” Mustapha Heron said of his supporting cast after his 25 points led all principles involved. “I think Greg (Williams) is starting to come along a little more coming off a back injury, Josh has a motor like nobody else in the country, and Marcellus is one of the best spark plugs I’ve seen in a while, so with those three, I’m glad to be going to war with them.”

So it’s not just Heron and LJ Figueroa this season? AND the whole team is getting involved in an uptempo offense that – at least through one game – eschews the isolation and stagnant ball movement that plagued last season? What a concept!

“One thing I’m married to is winning,” said Anderson. “I want to be unpredictable.”

The nature of the Johnnies’ game may puzzle you, but St. John’s is pleased to meet you, and hopes you at least guess its name.

After a first impression like that one, how can you not?