Rutgers shows versatility in grinding out win over Hofstra

 

Paul Mulcahy only scored three points, but his nine rebounds and seven assists shaped Rutgers’ gritty win over Hofstra Sunday. (Photo by Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Over the past four-plus seasons, Rutgers basketball has come to be known as a blue-collar, lunchpail-type unit, molded seemingly in the image of head coach Steve Pikiell, who has built his Scarlet Knights program as a relentless bunch that prides itself on outworking the opposition and suffocating it defensively.

And after two games Wednesday and Friday where the 24th-ranked team in the nation displayed its offensive prowess by amassing 86 and 96 points against Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson, respectively, Sunday’s step up in class against reigning Colonial Athletic Association champion Hofstra marked a return to the roots of the scarlet-colored success that has washed up on the banks of the old Raritan.

In a stark change of pace from the first 80 minutes of the season, Rutgers put Hofstra through the proverbial meat grinder, rendering the visiting Pride into a meager 30 percent shooting display and leading from the start in a workmanlike 70-56 victory at the RAC to move the Scarlet Knights to 3-0 with Syracuse up next a week from Tuesday, although Pikiell hinted that the ever-so-fluid scheduling process this season may yield another contest between now and then.

“I think we can be a lot better, that’s for sure,” Pikiell said of Rutgers’ defensive effort, ever the perfectionist with the tool that continuously brings the Scarlet Knights to the dance. “I do like that number, though, 56. Our numbers were good. It’s the first time we kept a team under 40 (percent) and under 30 from three, that’s always one of the things we want to do every night. Defensively, we did the things we needed to do, and we took away some of the things that they do a really good job of.”

“If we can figure it out and do it at the right time, probably pretty good,” he said of Rutgers’ chances of scheduling another game before the December 8 visit from Jim Boeheim and the Orange as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. “Everything’s about safety, how much testing, who’s traveling, that kind of thing. Our guys have been safe, we’ve been doing a really good job keeping them that way, and all the decisions will be made based on that.”

Rutgers’ players may be safe physically, but they are also multifaceted on the floor as well, a skill set that will serve them well as they continue to navigate life without Geo Baker. Starting at the point guard position for a second consecutive game, Paul Mulcahy’s three points may not be eye-catching to some, but the sophomore was involved in almost every piece of the action nonetheless. With nine rebounds and seven assists, it was the former Gill St. Bernard’s playmaking capabilities that stood out Sunday afternoon, and earned him rave reviews from both his teammates for making sure every mouth was fed, so to speak.

“Paul’s a team-first guy,” a proud Ron Harper, Jr. assessed. “He’s trying to get his team involved in any way, and that’s why we love Paul’s game. He’s not a me-first guy, he’s about the team, he’s about us. He loves us, and we love playing with him.”

“Paul’s a confidence-giver,” Jacob Young gushed. “That’s what I like most about him. I like how he takes control. He knows when it’s his turn to run the show and get everything under control, and that’s what I love about him. (He’s a) great teammate.”

On a team with several different options capable of burning any given opponent, a player like Mulcahy becomes even more valuable in games like Sunday’s affair. Pikiell praised the fact that each of his nine players to see the floor contributed in some way, shape, or form, but the sheer willingness to turn the game into a grind that was subsequently won may be the most impressive — and most telling — takeaway from Rutgers’ first three offerings this week in Piscataway.

“We were tested in all these games at certain points, and I think we learned a lot about our team and the work that we need to do,” the Scarlet Knights’ coach opined. “Today, we saw a matchup zone for 40 minutes. We didn’t have any tapes of these guys — they hadn’t played this year — so that was another obstacle we had to face. We’ve been in foul trouble and played through that, today we had to play through some fatigue. But I like to grind out wins. It’s a good sign when everything isn’t going your way.”

“This team’s versatile,” Harper added. “We take pride in defense and offense, and in the first two games, we did a lot of good things, but I know we had to focus more defensively. Today was a little bit of both, we played alright offensively and we played a lot better defensively. We’re just putting little pieces of the puzzle together day by day, and we know we can get better.”

Harper, Young pick up slack without Geo Baker as Rutgers handles FDU

 

Jacob Young stepped up in place of Geo Baker, scoring 24 points and adding seven assists in Rutgers’ win over FDU. (Photo by Rich Graesele/Rutgers Athletics)

No Geo Baker, no problem.

After Rutgers’ star point guard left the first half of Wednesday's season opener against Sacred Heart with a sprained ankle, the lead story heading into the Scarlet Knights’ showdown with in-state rival Fairleigh Dickinson Friday was that of who would fill the void left by the senior leader and preseason all-Big Ten Conference honoree.

As it turned out, one man’s absence made the hearts — and games — of two of his teammates grow fonder.

Tasked with the duty of running the offense in Baker’s stead, Jacob Young delivered to the tune of a Rutgers career-high 24 points, and dished seven assists in the process as the Scarlet Knights, ranked 24th in the nation, disposed of FDU in convincing fashion, improving to 2-0 with a commanding 96-75 victory in Piscataway.

For good measure, Ron Harper, Jr. set a career best of his own with 30 markers as he and Young combined to shoot 22-for-33 from the floor while the deep Rutgers rotation wore down an undermanned FDU roster as the game wore on, collectively raising its productivity to spell Baker.

“Like Coach preaches, he’ll say when one man goes down, the next man’s gotta be ready,” Young said of the mindset among Rutgers’ backcourt. “I see the guys coming off the bench behind Geo, they just want the opportunity. They’re going to play hard, like in practice every day. That’s the way I see it.”

“We ask him to do a lot,” Steve Pikiell admitted with regard to Young, a workload multiplied by Baker’s injury. “He plays with great energy. I think whenever you have an obstacle like Geo being out, you don’t want to go through it, but it gives other guys opportunities to step up and play more minutes, and hopefully take advantage of it. I think our guards are doing a good job, but they’ve got to keep staying the course and keep getting better.”

Rutgers did exactly that even after FDU (0-2) landed several body blows on the Scarlet Knights in the first half, leading by as many as seven points and making seven of its first ten shots as sophomore guard Brandon Rush scored 13 points in the opening stanza to offset an ineffective Jahlil Jenkins. A 21-2 run by the hosts over a span of 6:02 as the half wound down swung the pendulum for good, and after spotting the visiting Knights their torrid start, Rutgers conceded only six field goals of FDU’s ensuing 27 attempts for a scant 22 percent figure. Then, after Pikiell motivated Montez Mathis to do more following a lethargic opening frame, the junior guard responded, galvanizing a crisper effort that saw the Scarlet Knights assert themselves more on the defensive end while cleaning up their ball handling to commit just five turnovers in the second half after registering twice as many giveaways in the first 20 minutes.

“I’ll tell you what: I love him, but I challenged him,” Pikiell recollected. “I thought he played tremendous defense in the second half and really made it hard on Jenkins. Rush is a quick guard too and he can really score, but I thought Montez did a really good job of kind of shutting him down on that end of the floor and giving us some good minutes.”

“We were a little sloppy today, obviously. Today in the first half, we didn’t do a great job in that area. We’ve got to do a better job of handling the ball and making great decisions, but I loved the second half. I thought our defense was better, I thought we rebounded better and I thought we took care of the ball better. It was a good sign, and we need that to happen.”

Then, there was Harper. The native New Jerseyan, who has made a career of ramping up his own performance when the chips are down, authored more of the same Friday night, feeding off Young’s uptick in tempo with a variety of slashing drives and timely 3-point shots en route to his highest point output on the banks.

Ron Harper, Jr. set new career-high with 30 points Friday. (Photo by Rich Graesele/Rutgers Athletics)

“With no fans being there, we gotta create our own energy on the court and on the bench,” Harper stated when asked if his mindset changed going into this season. “I feel like our bench and our coaches do a great job of creating energy for us, and the players on the court feed off that. It’s a weird time to adjust to, but I think we’re doing just fine.”

“Ron, we need that from him,” Pikiell gushed. “I wish we could get that from him every night, but tonight, he was special. He made threes, he could post up, he could do a lot of things. He’s a tough guy to guard, and we need that, especially without Geo being in uniform.”

Speaking of Baker, it seems unlikely that he will return in the near future, as his sprained ankle will hold him out of Sunday’s matchup against Hofstra, and possibly the marquee non-conference game on the schedule against Syracuse a week from Tuesday.

“He’s in a boot now,” Pikiell said, offering an update on Baker’s progression. “There’s not a whole lot to report, but he’s not going to play anytime soon. We’ve just got to keep him in the training room and get him as much treatment as we can, but the boot will be on for a little bit here.”

But while he may not be actively involved in the actual gameplay, he continues to make his presence felt just as he did last year when rehabbing a thumb injury, furthering the next-man-up mentality among this group.

“Just like last year when Geo went down, he’s like an extra coach on the sideline,” Harper proclaimed. “He’s always telling us what we need to do better from what he sees on the bench, and most importantly, he’s telling the guys he believes in them. He believes that anybody can step in and provide an impact.”

“With him out, he always just tells us next man up. I gotta credit him for that, and he gives us a lot of confidence to go out and get it done.”

St. John’s seeks to maintain status quo of postseason success amid roster reshaping

 

After COVID-19 deprived him and his team of returning to postseason, Joe Tartamella is eager to lead St. John’s deep into March once more. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Joe Tartamella has presided over the richest period in St. John’s women’s basketball history, be it as the head coach for the past eight seasons or the seven years prior in which he served as Kim Barnes Arico’s lead assistant. Yet after a year in which the Red Storm missed the postseason for the first time since 2007, and then having COVID-19 cancel any potential late March reservations 12 months later, the 41-year-old hits the hardwood with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and commitment akin to a first-year coach running the show for the first time.

“The best part you can take away from it is the ability to play in those pressure games,” Tartamella said as he recounted St. John’s late surge into bubble contention to end last season. “The way Leilani (Correa) played in those games as a freshman and how she stepped up was really great to see, and obviously Q (Qadashah Hoppie) coming back battle-tested and Kadaja Bailey, same thing. We had to play with our backs to the wall the second half of the Big East (season), and I thought we performed pretty well.”

The Red Storm will look almost entirely different when it opens its season Saturday at Fairleigh Dickinson, even with Correa, Hoppie and Bailey coming back. Gone are Tiana England to Florida State, and Alisha Kebbe to graduation, but Tartamella did not sit still while college basketball was shut down during the infant stages of the coronavirus pandemic, retooling his roster into a uniquely styled unit that matches some trademarks of past teams in Queens.

“We’ve added some things up front to help our rebounding situation,” he said. “We’re not as fast, I would say, but we’re going to look to continue to score the ball the same way and be stout on defense and clearing the glass. We recruited players we feel that could help us, two junior college players in shoring up where Alisha was and helping us rebound, younger players like Unique Drake and Cam Clegg. It’s never easy to replace anybody, and Alissa Alston was a big piece to what we did as well, so although we did lose a lot, we still have some pretty good pieces in there with Leilani and Q and Kadaja. From what I’ve seen, I feel pretty good about how we can fill those gaps right now, and I think they’re only going to improve with time and with experience.”

Correa, in particular, looks the part of a future superstar. With three 30-point games already under her belt, the New Jersey native captured Sixth Player of the Year honors in the Big East and likely would have won Freshman of the Year recognition if not for Madison Siegrist of Villanova. Correa’s transcendent talent already bears resemblance to program legends the likes of Da’Shena Stevens and Aliyyah Handford, with the best only yet to come.

“She certainly proved what she’s capable of doing,” Tartamella reaffirmed. “I’ve never seen a kid score — she had three 30-point games, she was averaging 20 a game in the last five games, had 28 against Creighton in the Big East tournament — as a true freshman. She was that important to what we did, and for a player of her stature with the success she had, she was willing to do whatever she needed to let her team win, and that was the most impressive thing about her, because a lot of other players in her position may not have been happy with the role she was in at the time. But she embraced it, and obviously it’ll be a different role this year, but I think she can be as great as she wants to be.”

Hoppie and Bailey add a level of security with their experience, and Tartamella is also hopeful that Raven Farley can impact the game in the paint similar to how Amber Thompson protected the rim for the Red Storm in the past. Drake and Clegg will lead a by-committee approach to replacing England at the point guard spot, with twins Emma and Sophia Nolan being counted on to take on more of a role than last season. All in all, with a slightly younger roster and mounds of experience coming back, expectations are high and optimism is pervasive within the walls of Carnesecca Arena.

“I’m going to make sure you see the same thing offensively,” Tartamella declared when asked what to expect from St. John’s this season. “We’re going to be a little more balanced from the defensive side, but we’re going to keep up our speed and our fast tempo game, we hope to spread the wealth as always and take care of the ball, and we hope to bring some excitement to whoever we’re allowed to play in front of.”

Red Storm defense, depth provide Thanksgiving blessing in rout of La Salle

Mike Anderson’s emphasis on creating energy was heeded by St. John’s Thursday as Red Storm powered past La Salle. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — There’s a love that’s divine

And it’s yours and it’s mine, like the sun

And at the end of the day, we should give thanks and pray

To the one

— Van Morrison, “Have I Told You Lately”

On this Thanksgiving night, chances are that the most avid of St. John’s fans are giving thanks to Mike Anderson for not only being there when athletic director Mike Cragg looked his way 19 months ago to fill the Red Storm’s head coaching vacancy, but also for changing the culture and establishing a definitive style of play in such a time span that has those festooned in red and white grateful for more hope than anguished ambivalence.

Thursday afternoon, with essentially 14 hours between leaving Carnesecca Arena following an unintended raising of the stress levels in a one-point win over Saint Peter’s and a clash with La Salle, the Johnnies confronted their first acid test of the young and surreal 2020-21 season. And after a slog of a first half that could be attributed to early fatigue, St. John’s passed with flying colors on the way to an 82-65 takedown of La Salle inside Carnesecca Arena.

Following Wednesday’s opener, in which heroics from a debuting Vince Cole were essential in surviving a scrappy and fearless Saint Peter’s team, Anderson vehemently stressed the need for his squad to create its own energy after noting the lethargic tenor to multiple pockets of the game. Against La Salle, whose 26 turnovers were converted into 33 Red Storm points to fuel the transition game and relentless pressure that characterizes the coach’s 40 Minutes of Hell brand, one could gather that the message was heeded, relayed and executed to a T.

“What I said to them last night, I said today, too,” Anderson reiterated as St. John’s (2-0) complemented its transition game by doubling up the Explorers in fast break points, 34-17, and outmuscling them to the tune of a 40-22 margin in the paint. “We have to get second, third, fourth efforts, we have to create our own energy. And I thought that’s what you saw.”

“You saw guys going out and deflecting a lot of passes and getting out to the shooters to make them drivers, we did a much better job of protecting the lane, and came up with a lot of loose balls. I thought we did the things we normally do, and so from that standpoint, we took our practice to the game.”

St. John’s also forced 16 steals in the victorious turn, four of which were amassed by Josh Roberts and three more by freshman Posh Alexander, underscoring the depth that revealed itself in the form of a 10-man rotation that was missing two after Rasheem Dunn suffered a concussion Wednesday while Julian Champagnie continues to rehab an injured ankle.

“Josh played limited minutes yesterday, and today, he comes in and I thought his presence out there was big for us,” said Anderson of Roberts. “Whether it be offensive rebounds or protecting the paint, I thought he played with that passion you’ve got to have.”

“Next man up,” Marcellus Earlington echoed, supporting the contributions of John McGriff and Dylan Wusu, the latter of whom was instrumental in defending multiple positions and scoring 10 points in the most productive outing of his young career to date. “That’s what Coach preaches. We all practice hard, we all put a lot of time in, and we all have faith in each other. We know if we play together and play the way Coach wants us to play, we can beat anybody.”

The balance on the scoreboard may reflect a collective effort, but for the second time in as many nights, Cole was the star of the show for the Red Storm. Getting the start Thursday after being responsible for Wednesday’s victory, Cole posted a team-high 19 points, and supplemented his offense to offset misses on six of his seven 3-point attempts with five rebounds and four assists.

“We all knew he was a scorer,” Earlington said. “He was made for this, and we fed off him. He picked us up, he was doing everything right. I just hope he keeps playing like that, because he’s been doing great.”

The scene now shifts to a neutral-site contest Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena against a Boston College team that pushed national championship contender Villanova to the limit Wednesday. Dunn will likely not be available despite Anderson being diplomatic with regard to his status, and Champagnie is a gametime decision. Regardless, the work in progress rages on, and should yield yet another improved effort regardless of result.

“We just need to continue to get better,” a candid Anderson stated. “We have to continue to move forward and get guys ready to play. When you have two guys that started for you all of last year out, you’re asking a lot of the newcomers, and some of those guys are responding the right way.”

Omoruyi delivers on promise and hype with double-double in his Rutgers debut

Cliff Omoruyi’s Rutgers debut was one to remember, highlighted by 14 points and 11 rebounds as Scarlet Knights routed Sacred Heart. (Photo by Ben Solomon/Rutgers University Athletics)

When Cliff Omoruyi decided to stay home at the end of last season, signing with Rutgers over Arizona State and a bevy of other high-major suitors, great things were expected from the 6-foot-11 mountain of a man who was the Scarlet Knights’ first Top 50 recruit to ply his wares on the banks of the old Raritan in a decade.

Hardly anyone could have expected such a payoff to begin yielding so soon.

Starting his collegiate debut, Omoruyi recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday for the first double-double by a Rutgers freshman since Greg Echenique in 2008, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 in an 86-63 victory over Sacred Heart that kicked off a promising season in dominating fashion for the team ranked 24th in the country.

“I’ve never had anyone like him on my team before,” Paul Mulcahy said of Omoruyi and his indelible first act in a Rutgers uniform. “It’s a lot of fun. He’s a great teammate, super coachable, defensively, he helped us. He had the first six rebounds, so I’m proud of him and I’m happy his first game went like this.”

“Playing with Cliff is just a different feeling,” Ron Harper, Jr. added. “I’ve never played with somebody like him. Like Paul said, if you put it up there, he’s going to get it if it’s in the vicinity. He gives it his all out there. He’s been working hard all summer and fall getting ready for his moment, and he had his moment tonight.”

Heading into the season, much had been made of the progress Omoruyi had made on and off the floor, and the impression the engineering student had made upon Myles Johnson, pushing him in practice and turning player development into a collaborative effort. Wednesday, with the lights on for the first time and the stage finally brought to life, the Roselle Catholic star who spent the past three years watching his current teammates rise up into a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender delivered, and fit in seamlessly.

“You know what? I think he’s one of the greatest kids, too,” said head coach Steve Pikiell. “We recruited Cliff from the day he arrived here, and through the course of three years, he got to see us play a lot, come to practices and I think that was very important. He saw the rise of the program and wanted to be a part of it, and we’re real thankful for that.”

“I wanted to recruit great kids, good students and good people, and he fits all those things. We’re really excited to have him in the program, and he happens to come from New Jersey, even better. But if he was from anywhere, I would recruit the heck out of him. Those qualities are really important to our program here and guys getting better, and he’s got all those qualities to get better.”

Cole’s game-winning three helps St. John’s escape against Saint Peter’s in opener

 

Vince Cole scored 21 points, including last five and game-winning 3-pointer, in St. John’s debut as Red Storm held off Saint Peter’s in season opener. (Photo by Vincent Dusovic/St. John’s University Athletics)

NEW YORK — Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends

We’re so glad you could attend

Come inside, come inside

— Emerson, Lake & Palmer, “Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2”

Say it with me: Carnesecca heart attack.

How many times, over the last decade-and-a-half on the corner of Union and Utopia, has the 40 minutes that ensued after the opening tip led to cardiac arrest-inducing moments, most of which usually never end well if the team you root for calls red and white its two primary colors?

And after going through yet another stretch where said team goes four minutes without a field goal and sees a mid-major opponent forge a four-point lead with 38 seconds to play, would it be wrong if the standard reaction was none other than ‘Here we go again?’

So begins the 113th iteration of St. John’s University basketball, sparing no expense to make its rabid fan base feel at home after eight months and thirteen days sidelined in the wake of COVID-19.

Here was the Red Storm, life and death to hold off Saint Peter’s, darlings of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the waxing stages of 2020 and perhaps the MAAC champion had basketball not been swept up in the throes of a pandemic that continues to wreak havoc on the world. Favored by double digits to defeat Shaheen Holloway’s Peacocks, the game was largely a two-possession affair for most of the evening Wednesday, and during a second half where St. John’s was unable to convert even the most routine of layups, its fearless Jersey City-based opponent took advantage of the miscues and not only kept itself within earshot, but forged a lead in the process to coerce fans of the Johnnies to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with a side of antacid.

But as the alarm grew louder and the threat stronger, it was the future that arrived early on a night where it was expected that the incumbent talent would lead the way. In fact, each of St. John’s three highly-touted newcomers were instrumental in the Red Storm squeaking out a 76-75 victory over Saint Peter’s in front of administrators, participants and cardboard cutouts to open a surreal and unconventional 2020-21 campaign.

First, there was Posh Alexander, the freshman from Brooklyn starting his collegiate debut and registering 16 points to go with seven rebounds and five steals, no theft bigger than that of an inbounds pass intended for Dallas Watson with 16 seconds on the clock. Then, there was Vince Cole, the benefactor of Alexander’s nose for the ball and Greg Williams’ ensuing pass, with 21 points off the bench and the final three field goals for the Johnnies, including the 3-pointer with eight ticks left on the clock that turned out to be the deciding factor when Isaih Moore, the last of Mike Anderson’s troika of impactful new faces, stretched over KC Ndefo to corral what would have been a buzzer-beating layup attempt after Matthew Lee was unsuccessful driving the lane following Cole’s heroics.

“Well, first off, all credit to Posh on the steal,” Cole prefaced his recount of a final possession where St. John’s (1-0) overcame the handicap of Julian Champagnie being unavailable due to an ankle injury that head coach Mike Anderson continues to evaluate, one which will probably keep him out Thursday afternoon against La Salle as well. “Without Posh, that play wouldn’t have happened. Coach looked at me. We just had to pick it up, Greg made a great pass and I just knocked down the shot.”

“Just playing in New York, it’s what I always dreamed of, and everybody wants to hit a big shot,” Cole added. “I can’t really take a lot of credit for that, though, because without Posh and without Greg making that pass, I wouldn’t have done anything.”

Cole made perhaps the best first impression any maiden Red Storm player has attempted in recent times, shooting 8-of-12 from the floor and connecting on five of his six 3-point attempts, but was he nervous about how the proceedings would go in his first crack at the bright lights of Division I?

“Definitely not,” he smoothly remarked. “You think about it a little bit, but I’ve been playing basketball my whole life. This is what I really love to do, I work on it every day and really try hard to perfect my craft, so it’s really not a nervous thing. It’s a different level, and you really have to play hard every night and pay attention to other teams.”

That is where Saint Peter’s comes in. Only playing 5-on-5 for the first time since March two short weeks ago, and with the Yanitelli Center — home to the Peacocks (0-1) — undergoing a renovation and forcing the team to practice at the now-closed Marist High School in Bayonne, this game showcased the underrated — sometimes misunderstood, and way too often taken for granted — coaching acumen of Shaheen Holloway, who nearly scored a signature victory in just his 63rd game as a head coach.

“I thought his team came in well-prepared,” Anderson said of Holloway and Saint Peter’s. “You get that first game and you don’t know how your team’s going to come out. I thought our guys came out and played a little lethargic. We didn’t match their intensity early on. In the second half, we took an 8-point lead, then we had some miscues. We were fortunate.”

“The lesson here is we’ve got to learn how to create our own energy. You’ve got to understand also that I’ve got a lot of new pieces, and I’ve got to put those pieces together. I thought Saint Peter’s played well. The thing for us is we did a decent job on the free throw line, which we took advantage of. We missed a lot of layups, and when you let a team hang around, it becomes a game, people start believing. And they believed.”

Now comes the first dose of adversity for St. John’s, flushing a barnburner of an opening game with essentially a 15-hour turnaround, if that, before welcoming La Salle to the floor in a Thanksgiving Day matinee.

“We don’t have time to cry about a win,” Anderson opined. “We have to learn from it, and we’ll learn that you’ve got to come out and up the intensity. This is such an unconventional season. You always want to play coming off a win, you feel much better about yourself. To me, it’s a case of whether we can apply it to La Salle, because it’s a quick turnaround and we’re going to have to play a lot better. We’re going to get some more guys playing well, and when they were thrown right out there in a game setting with no exhibitions, we’ll learn from it.”

One thing is certain, and that is the journey will be one worth monitoring every step of the way.

Come inside. The show’s about to start.

Stony Brook retools with new-look roster in new-look season

Geno Ford lost all five starters to transfer in offseason ravaged by COVID-19, and now rebuilds Stony Brook as all of college basketball begins anew. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Seldom does an offseason come and go where a program losing all five of its starters to transfer is not the biggest news surrounding it.

That, however is life in college basketball amid COVID-19, which has taken some of the proverbial crosshairs off a Stony Brook program that must replace all-conference talent the likes of Elijah Olaniyi, Makale Foreman, Andrew Garcia and Jeff Otchere, as well as a deadly shooter in Miles Latimer. But for head coach Geno Ford and his staff, while the egress of cornerstone pieces will be difficult to replace, the excitement for the influx of new arrivals offsets the loss.

“It was disappointing to lose them, because we were losing all-conference players,” Ford said. “At that point, you really go into scramble mode, and we’re really excited about the new guys we have. I think we were very fortunate in recruiting that we were able to add guys who were good enough. We don’t think we misevaluated, which is incredibly difficult because all the evaluation is on film. We signed several guys in the spring who are going to play huge roles for us. We added four of the top six in our rotation as spring signings in May, which is unheard of.”

“We are in a little bit of a reboot because we have zero experience. But I like our talent, I think we have enough players to compete at the top of our league, and in a year where (there are) no summer workouts, no scrimmages, no exhibition games, half your non-league got canceled, it’s going to be a bumpy ride for us early because we’ve just got to kind of weather the storm. I’m confident that we’ll have a good basketball team. I know the talent is in that locker room. We’ve just got to find the synergy as a group playing together to make each other better, which has been the big challenge.”

Of the Seawolves’ newcomers, including 6-foot-6 wing Omar Habwe (Mount St. Mary’s) and junior college imports Mohamed Diallo, Juwan White and Juan Felix Rodriguez, none may be as integral as former Manhattan guard Tykei Greene, whom Ford and Stony Brook played against each of the past two seasons and provides a brand of basketball that meshes with what can be best described as a collective work in progress.

“He’s been a big addition for us, because he brings a physicality that we need,” said Ford of Greene, a two-year starter for Steve Masiello as a Jasper. “We’ve been one of the better defensive rebounding teams in our league, and he’s very physical. He likes contact and he’s tough, so his having been down this road and having had success last year at Manhattan has brought a little bit of that to our group, which has been key. He certainly brings it on a daily basis from a physical standpoint.”

And with each of the Seawolves’ starting five having departed for what they hope will be greener pastures, the future on Long Island is present in the form of fifth-year senior Mo Gueye, an explosive athlete who showed flashes of being a special talent off the bench last season that will now be counted on to produce at a level he appears destined for.

“First of all, Mo’s skill set is so much better,” said Ford. “That’ll jump out at people when they see him play. He’s shooting better at mid-range and he’s improved his 3-point shooting, but I think the bigger growth to him is the mental side of it.”

“This is a guy who didn’t play as a senior in high school, and then his first year of junior college, averaged zero points and zero rebounds. He’s not a guy who grew up always being the best player on the team he was on, which is typically the case when you go around a Division I locker room, so for him, the mental growth of understanding consistency and being an everyday guy are all new experiences for him. But he really accepted the challenges well. He’s a much more vocal leader than he’s ever been, he’s got unbelievable size and length for his position, and he’s turned into a very, very good mid-range shooter.”

As for the one concern Ford has for Gueye when Stony Brook visits Bryant Wednesday afternoon? Handling the bright lights.

“It’s going to be the first game in his life where he’s ever been a key on a scouting report,” Ford said. “Do you know how rare that is for a fifth-year senior? He’s never gone into a game where the other team says, ‘Hey, we gotta stop Mo Gueye.’ He’s had a lot of highlights, but he’s never been the front of a scouting report. He’s never seen any of that stuff, so he’s going to need a little time to adjust to the other teams coming at him, but I do feel that mentally, he’s done as much as you could do without being thrust in that situation.”

The back-to-back nature of the America East Conference schedule helps the Seawolves, Ford feels, by virtue of Stony Brook’s ability to play nine or ten-deep on any occasion, particularly in the second leg of such league series. However, it is the unexpected twists and turns that the coach is concerned about, but he remains optimistic that the best is yet to come in Suffolk County.

“I have no idea what we’re going to get, but I’m really hopeful we’ll get to see the level of intensity and effort we’re accustomed to seeing, and that’s what we’re going to demand,” Ford reiterated. “I honestly think it’ll be a team that’ll be fun for our fans to follow, because we don’t have the big, veteran team where you know what Player A does. Everything’s going to be a first-time experience.”

“I’m very, very confident because I love the chemistry and the character of the group. They’re just good guys, all of them have been fortunate in that they just have a good demeanor, and for that in and of itself, I think we’re going to be night and day come February. I really feel like this is a group that, by the time conference is going, we have a realistic shot at being a very good basketball team.”

COVID-19 be damned, college hoops aims to refire

 

With COVID-19 changing almost everything in college basketball, some coaches, like Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell, may be at an advantage due to depth and experience. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

The last eight months in college basketball have truly been unlike nothing ever seen before.

As much of an understatement as that may be as the sport officially lifts itself from the grounded morass in which the COVID-19 pandemic buried it back on March 12, players and coaches across the country have used the time spent away from the hardwood to take stock of resources on and off the court, soldiering on and seemingly learning on the fly amid ever-changing conditions.

“We’ve had to just adapt,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell, whose Scarlet Knights saw a potential first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly three decades snatched away in a tidal wave of destruction, said of the learning curve to navigating a worldwide health crisis. “Everything’s different, the world is different right now. We used to have a lot more team film sessions, now we do those individually in a lot bigger spaces. We’re lucky we have a practice facility that has space outside, we lift weights with the windows open and the doors open. You’ve just got to be a little more creative, you’ve got to have a little more time, just a lot more planning goes into everything. There’s no more, ‘Hey, we’re having a team meeting.’ It’s all got to be thought out.”

For the University of Connecticut, returning to the Big East Conference this season after a seven-year exile in the American Athletic Conference, the virtual setting helped the Huskies get a leg up on their renewed rivals.

“When we were sheltered in place during COVID, obviously we were able to study the end of our season, but really begin to break down the new Big East opponents,” Dan Hurley revealed, shedding light on UConn’s preparation. “We felt like we were positioning ourselves to be potentially at the top of the league. During the shelter in place when the guys weren’t on campus, during our Zoom meetings, we did scouting reports for every Big East team.”

“One of the things we’ve been doing is we’re taking a different Big East opponent and we send our guys complete Big East games that the team played in,” UConn assistant coach Tom Moore expounded. “We do a Big East scouting report with the guys, and we go over their personnel just to get them to start thinking about the names and seeing the uniforms. We even show them clips of the incoming freshmen, just so we want them thinking about those names. We’ve never done that before this summer.”

Although the physical damage of the pandemic may pale in comparison to any mental aftereffects, the ability to turn an overall negative situation into a positive was discussed at length this offseason by Siena head coach Carmen Maciariello, who extolled the opportunity to forge a defining legacy to his players.

“We had a great conversation with Avery Johnson, and he was talking to us about how we’re not talking about a new normal, we’re talking about being special,” Maciariello imparted. “I think that’s the biggest thing, the mindset that you have to continually help your team achieve every day. Every single day, there’s a different road map to success, and these guys understand that they’re leaders on campus and everything they do is going to be looked upon, whether it’s making sure they wear their masks, just having that self-awareness.” 

“So I think we’ve realized that we have a good opportunity to be leaders, even in a greater capacity, and show people how to handle this with the social distancing, with the masks, and how to navigate these spaces with remote learning and remote meetings. I just think it continually reinforces what we need to do to be successful.”

With that said, the preparation may be unorthodox and unconventional, but the show must go on. Through the past few weeks, coaches have taken on a common refrain of controlling what their programs can control, but a great deal of work still remains.

“There are no more sure things in terms of planning,” said Quinnipiac head coach Baker Dunleavy. “The main thing we’ve talked about is just being all in, willing to adapt, and if somebody says we’ve got to go play basketball on an ice rink, that’s what we’ve got to do. If we’ve got to test seven times a week, whatever we’ve got to do, we’ve got to sacrifice, be uncomfortable and do it in order to have our season, and that’s what we’ve talked about most. The things we value don’t change, but we’re going to have to be flexible. I think the teams that are willing and able to sacrifice the most this year and stay healthy are going to have a huge advantage.”

Big East women’s basketball notebook

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

Being considered the conference’s preseason Freshman of the Year, as well as being entrusted with running the UConn offense, is an arduous task. Paige Bueckers, the nation’s top recruit, is approaching it all her normal way, as a competitor.

“Whether it’s drills, games, becoming a better teammate, I compete,” Bueckers said at Big East media day. “I hate losing. I’m the type that’s competitive in everything I do.”

UConn mentor Geno Auriemma admires Bueckers’ competitive trait while realizing there is another challenge. 

“We got Rebecca Lobo in 1991 without a lot of hoopla,” Auriemma said. “Then it was (Nykesha) Sales, (Diana) Taurasi, Maya Moore. The big difference now is pressure. The players like Paige are facing an incredible amount of pressure. It’s called social media. Social media will one day proclaim you the best ever, and after two bad games, call you overrated and a no-talent. Neither explanation is true.”

Auriemma admits even a talent like Bueckers will have bad games. 

“It’s natural,” he said. “No matter how great a year they have, there are bound to be bad games. It’s natural.”

How does the veteran coach address this to his players?

“Let it ride itself out,” he said. “Don’t put undue pressure on the individual. If you can, even make light of it. They’ll struggle at some point their freshman year. We must emphasize that struggling is not failing.”

There is a coach in her first year who will face challenges as well. Denise Dillon replaces legendary Harry Perretta, a veteran of over four decades, on the Villanova sideline. Dillon is no rookie to coaching, coming off a successful run at Drexel. Entrusted with replacing a legend at her alma mater, the COVID-19 pandemic was an obstacle, as Dillon had to meet her players by virtual means.

Villanova and Drexel are in different conferences, but that did not deter Dillon from entering her new position with some familiarity. As Dillon noted, “Villanova and Drexel are right around the corner, so to speak. We played each other and we recruited a lot of the same players Villanova did.”

For Dillon, the offseason proved a challenge. 

“We had to find a way to connect with our team from a physical and emotional standpoint,” she admitted. “Being away from campus makes it difficult, but we were able to connect with the team frequently. I think the physical training may have been set back, but I do believe we were able to come together as a team.”

Trying times indeed. The pandemic has given us concerns regarding our physical health, but below the iceberg’s water level is another point of contention, the mental issues.

“We have been more vigilant in the offseason,” Creighton coach Jim Flanery said. “We let our players know, very often, there are resources available to maintain their physical and mental well-being.”

“There’s a deep concern,” Butler’s Kurt Godlevske added. “These are not normal times, so we let our players know what is available to address any mental health issues. We have open communication regularly. What is happening now is everyone is facing changes on almost a daily basis.”

DePaul’s Doug Bruno said the daily life of a student-athlete has been altered significantly. 

“We ask them to go to practice, then go and stay in their room,” he said. “Back when I was a student, I don’t know how easy it would have been to do, just staying in my room. We set up protocols to follow, but it’s by no means easy to do.”

Bruno also added that playing  UConn “reminds me to a degree of the old Big East.” Facing the Huskies twice, maybe three times, is a daunting challenge. Both Bruno and St. John’s’ Joe Tartamella will not back down on out-of-league scheduling.

“You need a good out of conference schedule to be prepared,” Tartamella said. “You need signature wins to boost your resume for the NCAA Tournament. Playing UConn helps, but you want a challenging schedule overall.”

Day to day for Tony Bozzella, it’s business as usual. The Seton Hall coach is aware and very concerned with COVID-19. Each day is a different one as Bozzella preps his team, now having been forced to pause days before its season was to begin.

“We take each day focused on drills and general preparation to get us ready for that first game,” he said. “Unless anything changes, that’s how we’ll approach the weeks leading to the opener.”

Outside of practice, Bozzella ensures his team is following the proper protocols and doing everything to maintain safety. 

“The virus can strike even if you are prepared,” he said. “But the idea is to follow protocol and recommendations and do things to stay safe.”

Looking at the current season, the Seton Hall mentor expects another big season from Desiree Elmore. A preseason all-conference selection, Elmore, a 5’9” senior, averaged 13 points per game for the Pirates last year. Beyond point production, Elmore has morphed into a complete player and leader on and off the floor.

“When we were recruiting her in high school, I felt her conditioning could be better,” Bozzella said. “She seemed to take a few plays off and relied mostly on her talent alone to get by. She went to Syracuse, then transferred in.” 

Elmore arrived in South Orange with a new attitude and outlook. 

“She improved her condition and dedication,’ Bozzella noted. “It paid off, as she was very effective for us and we expect she’ll build on that in this, her senior year. She’s very bright and understands the game so well, I could see her going into coaching sometime down the road.” 

Elmore’s return is a bright spot for Seton Hall. A concern, though, is replacing Shadeen Samuels, not just for her team leading 14.3 points per game scoring output, but also the defense the six-foot forward provided. 

“Shadeen gave us a great defensive presence,” Bozzella stated. “That’s not something one player can step in and replace. We’re asking all of our players on the floor to step up and defend better. It has to be a group effort.” 

Bozzella feels the manner in which his team responds will go a long way to determining the Seton Hall season. He also mentioned how UConn rejoining the Big East strengthens the conference, and was emphatic in pointing out that this was a very strong conference with unique challenges even prior to the Huskies’ return.

“I would put our group of coaches against any conference in the nation,” Bozzella said referring to the league even prior to this season. “We have a great mix of talented veterans and young coaches in the conference.”

Bozzella went on to elaborate on a major task each coach in the Big East must address. 

“We have a very challenging situation we as coaches deal with,” he cautioned. “In some conferences like the ACC or SEC,  you may play a team once and maybe that game is at home. We play everyone twice, maybe three times (with the conference tournament), and that means we face everyone at their place.” 

Playing everyone on the road is one thing. Multiple meetings are another consideration.

“You face a team a second or third time,” Bozzella added. “Each game you face them, you must make adjustments and change your game plan. That’s something all of our coaches deal with each season.”

In every stop he has made, Bozzella has reversed the fortunes of his program. Entering his eighth season at his alma mater, it is safe to say Bozzella is facing a situation unlike any he’s seen in his 28 years as a head coach. Obviously, the discussion surpasses the competitive Big East.

“Our commissioner, Val Ackerman, has done a great job with her leadership,” Bozzella said. “I do not envy her job one bit. Her main concern is the safety of the student-athletes. That is our concern as well.”