Johnnies’ hot start fizzles out on road at Villanova

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — In the blink of an eye, this college basketball season is entering February and if the season ended today, St. John’s would be on the outside looking in. That is not what fans were expecting, nor the team, but right now, that is the harsh reality.

The Red Storm fell to Villanova Saturday at a sold out Finneran Pavilion, 73-62, in a game whose final score masked the actual disparity between the two programs. St. John’s built a quick 10-4 advantage in the first half, but after a timeout and lineup change that saw head coach Mike Anderson go to a full bench rotation, the game soon turned on its head and Villanova did not look back from there. A 6-0 Wildcat run immediately followed, and St. John’s was outscored for the rest of the half by a commanding 36-16 margin. Long-distance shot after long-distance shot fell for Villanova as it barraged the Red Storm for a 9-of-12 clip from 3- point range in the first half. St. John’s (11-8, 3-5 Big East) had no answers, offensively or defensively.

The offensive woes continued for Julian Champagnie as he endured his third straight game failing to score double-digit points, going 4-of-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. 

“He’s getting opportunities, he just has to knock them down,” Anderson said of his all-conference superstar. “I have all the faith in him.”

It was not just Champgnie who had a night to forget, as Posh Alexander — who shut down Collin Gillespie in St. John’s upset of Villanova last season — was held scoreless in the first half, finishing with seven points total amid a 2-for-8 shooting day.

“It’s just something we have to work at,” a succinct Anderson said when asked about the Red Storm’s shooting woes, compounded by an abysmal 8-of-17 showing from the free throw line, a season-long malady that has continued to plague a team picked fourth in the Big East preseason poll and one with tremendous upside.

If St. John’s has any hope of playing in the NCAA Tournament, its season-saving run has to start at home Tuesday night against what could be a Top 10 team in Providence, followed by two road games at Georgetown and Butler. When asked how big of a game Tuesday is, Anderson dismissed the notion that one game was bigger than the other, but nonetheless suggested he and his program are up for the challenge.

“They’re all big,” he admitted. “I don’t put more emphasis on one game than I do all year long, but I’m looking forward to it. We have to defend the home court.”

MAAC Monday: Saint Peter’s embrace of defense, midseason honors, stat leaders, power rankings

Shaheen Holloway and Saint Peter’s have found a groove heading into second half of MAAC season by renewing commitment to hard-nosed defense and toughness. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

MAAC Monday reaches the midpoint of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season this week, and as a result, the standout performers from the first half of the league slate will be recognized here in a special segment devoted to midseason all-conference selections, before transitioning to stat leaders and power rankings. Prior to that, this week’s team spotlight will take a closer look at one of the strongest threats to unseat Iona from the MAAC throne.

Since returning from a holiday COVID pause, Saint Peter’s has challenged undefeated Iona as one of the hottest teams in the MAAC, playing eight games in 17 days and winning six of them in a rejuvenation period that has seen the Peacocks find another gear while discovering not only a newfound appreciation for the opportunity to play, but also a return to their roots as far as team identity is concerned.

With senior forward KC Ndefo finding the rhythm that landed him preseason Player of the Year recognition, as well as a suffocating defense that has allowed just over 62 points per game since its January 14 return to action, Saint Peter’s has once again established itself as the gritty, fearless, undaunted team no one wants to see as the season heats up.

“I thought the guys that went on pause had a chance to really reflect and understand when something’s taken away from you, you don’t realize it until it’s gone,” head coach Shaheen Holloway said Friday after Saint Peter’s defeated Manhattan. “And when they came back, they came out with a different sense of urgency, plus the five guys that have been starting, they didn’t go in (isolation) and they’ve been working. KC is a big part of who we are and what we do. He’s starting to play like KC again, and that’s why we’re playing that way.”

“In the first couple of months, I was kind of like, ‘okay, we’ve got a new team, let me try to figure things out.’ Now I’m like, no. Now we’re getting back to the way I want to play. Early on, I wasn’t putting my stamp on the program like I needed to be. The pause helped me get focused, too, it helped me get back to who I am.”

Saint Peter’s pushed Iona to the limit Sunday, leading the Gaels early in the second half before an 18-4 Iona run changed the tenor of the game, but the manner in which the Peacocks have been molded was not lost on Holloway’s counterpart on the floor in New Rochelle.

“That was the toughest team we’ve faced since I’ve been here,” Rick Pitino remarked after his Iona team remained unbeaten in league play Sunday, but not before needing a full 40-minute effort to vanquish the scrappy Peacocks. “They’re physically tough, and they play tough. I’ve known Shaheen for a long, long time, but I didn’t know how good of a coach he was until coaching against him tonight. He was a great player as you all know, he beat out Kobe Bryant for an MVP in an all-star game, and he’s a terrific coach, too. I’m proud of him.”

Midseason MAAC Awards

Player of the Year: Tyson Jolly, Iona

Rookie of the Year: Jao Ituka, Marist

Sixth Man of the Year: Dylan van Eyck, Iona

Defensive Player of the Year: KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s

Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, Iona 

All-MAAC First Team

Marcus Hammond, Niagara

Tyson Jolly, Iona

Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona

George Papas, Monmouth

Jose Perez, Manhattan

All-MAAC Second Team

Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac

Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac

Walker Miller, Monmouth

Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider

Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth

Ricardo Wright, Marist

All-MAAC Third Team

Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s

Jao Ituka, Marist

Elijah Joiner, Iona

Colby Rogers, Siena

Dimencio Vaughn, Rider

All-Rookie Team

Jao Ituka, Marist

Jared Billups, Siena

Walter Clayton, Jr., Iona

TJ Long, Fairfield

Jaylen Murray, Saint Peter’s

Scoring Leaders

1) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (17.8 PPG)

2) Jose Perez, Manhattan (17.8)

3) George Papas, Monmouth (15.9)

4) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (14.7)

5) Tyson Jolly, Iona (14.7)

6) Jao Ituka, Marist (14.7)

7) Walker Miller, Monmouth (14.6)

8) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (14.6)

9) Ricardo Wright, Marist (14.6)

10) Colby Rogers, Siena (14.5)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (10.8 RPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (8.2)

3) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (8.0)

4) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (7.7)

5) Nikkei Rutty, Monmouth (6.9)

6) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (6.9)

7) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (6.9)

8) Anthony Gaines, Siena (6.6)

9) Jackson Stormo, Siena (6.5)

10) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (6.2)

Assist Leaders

1) Jose Perez, Manhattan (4.9 APG)

2) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (4.4)

3) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (4.1)

4) Noah Thomasson, Niagara (3.5)

5) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (3.4)

6) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (3.3)

7) George Papas, Monmouth (3.2)

8) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (3.1)

9) Elijah Joiner, Iona (2.9)

10) Caleb Green, Fairfield (2.9)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Jordan Jones, Marist (.681)

2) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (.667)

3) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (.609)

4) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.590)

5) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (.561)

6) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (.558)

7) Jao Ituka, Marist (.552)

8) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (.542)

9) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (.539)

10) Jackson Stormo, Siena (.523)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

1) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.920)

2) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.884)

3) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (.881)

4) Jared Billups, Siena (.848)

5) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.841)

6) George Papas, Monmouth (.836)

7) Quinn Slazinski, Iona (.820)

8) Walker Miller, Monmouth (.813)

9) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.813)

10) Jose Perez, Manhattan (.810)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Colby Rogers, Siena (.457)

2) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.439)

3) Nick Hopkins, Siena (.426)

4) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (.422)

5) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.402)

6) Ricardo Wright, Marist (.402)

7) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.400)

8) Samir Stewart, Manhattan (.394)

9) Caleb Green, Fairfield (.391)

10) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.390)

Steal Leaders

1) Nick Hopkins, Siena (1.9 SPG)

2) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (1.8)

3) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (1.7)

4) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (1.5)

5) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (1.4)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.1 BPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (1.8)

3) Jordan Jones, Marist (1.2)

4) Jackson Stormo, Siena (1.1)

5) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (1.1)

Power Rankings

1) Iona (18-3, 10-0 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 vs. Saint Peter’s (W 85-77)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 at Canisius, 7 p.m.

2) Saint Peter's (9-8, 7-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 at Iona (L 85-77)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 vs. Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

3) Siena (8-8, 5-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 vs. Quinnipiac (W 85-76)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/1 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.

4) Quinnipiac (11-8, 6-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 at Siena (L 85-76)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 at Saint Peter's, 7 p.m.

5) Monmouth (13-7, 5-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 vs. Niagara (L 70-69)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 vs. Fairfield, 7 p.m.

6) Fairfield (10-10, 4-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Friday 1/28 at Rider (W 76-65)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 at Monmouth, 7 p.m.

7) Manhattan (11-7, 4-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 vs. Marist (W 72-66)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 at Niagara, 7 p.m.

8) Niagara (9-11, 4-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 at Monmouth (W 70-69)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.

9) Rider (7-13, 3-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 vs. Canisius (W 70-62)

Next Game: Friday 2/4 at Siena, 7 p.m.

10) Canisius (7-14, 3-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 at Rider (L 70-62)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/1 at Siena, 7 p.m.

11) Marist (8-12, 3-8 MAAC)

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Sunday 1/30 at Manhattan (L 72-66)

Next Game: Sunday 2/6 at Saint Peter's, 2 p.m.

Saint Peter's youth, depth shines in runaway over Manhattan

Freshman Clarence Rupert helped ignite Saint Peter's bench Friday as Peacocks defeated Manhattan handily. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — When addressing his incoming freshmen this past offseason, Shaheen Holloway — candid almost to a fault — admitted he did not know what to expect from the newest recruits to Saint Peter’s University basketball. What the Peacocks’ head coach was sure of, though, was that good things would continue to occur for the program that has turned heads with its latest build into a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contender.

Friday was only the latest example.

After rebounding from a sluggish start in which Saint Peter’s missed seven of its first nine shots, the Peacocks shot 63 percent from the field for the final 16 minutes of the first half and used an 11-man rotation to stifle Manhattan in their final tuneup before Sunday’s clash with MAAC unbeaten Iona, throttling the Jaspers in a commanding 77-51 decision inside Run Baby Run Arena.

“I just want to make sure we’re playing the right way,” Holloway remarked as Saint Peter’s won its sixth game in seven contests since returning from a 26-day COVID pause. “It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing.”

“They had a tough weekend last weekend, and I was on them. They came in the last couple of days, and it paid off. That’s what I expect from these guys. Right now, I want the guys to understand that when you put the work in, this is what happens.”

Saint Peter’s (9-7, 7-2 MAAC) continues to round into top form following a layoff that saw the majority of its roster struggle to resume a full workload coming out of isolation, the latest positive sign being a grand total of 52 points scored by the Peacock bench, a unit that saw three players — Jaylen Murray, Clarence Rupert and Doug Edert — post double-digit point totals.

“That’s kind of what I envisioned the whole year,” Holloway said of the full roster complement, a quality that made his 2019-20 team so formidable before the pandemic sidelined the entire nation just four days before Selection Sunday. “If you watch my teams, not last year because we weren’t as deep, we played 12 guys double-figure minutes and I thought we kind of wore teams down. I want to get back to that.”

“Tonight, I wanted to make sure the guys who don’t get to play as much got used to playing again. Before Clarence went down, he was a big part of what we were doing, but he was in isolation and now he’s coming back into shape. The same thing with Ju (Murray). So we’re just kind of getting back into things.”

Rupert proved to be an X-factor which Manhattan (10-7, 3-5 MAAC) was unable to solve, exploding off the bench shortly after the opening tip for five quick points on his way to a career-high 13 markers in an outing that allowed the freshman to live up to his coach’s massive and effusive praise.

“In the summer, he expected a lot from me,” Rupert recounted with regard to Holloway’s tough love and unwavering belief. “When I got here, I was working hard because I knew it was college and not high school. The more work I put in, I knew it would get out on the court, so I was ready in the offseason and I’m ready now.”

“This is why I brought him here,” Holloway reaffirmed. “I knew what he could do. It’s going to take some time. I tell these guys all the time: As freshmen, you’re going to have more bad games than good. Some nights, you’ve just got to ride it out, especially with us being a veteran team. These kinds of performances, I’m looking forward to more, but at the same time, it’s all about consistency and kind of getting back in the gym, getting back in the lab.”

The Jaspers attempted to hold their own with the host Peacocks, but after a scramble for what turned out to be a held ball midway through the opening stanza, Jose Perez — the MAAC’s leading scorer with an average of over 17 points per game — was shockingly ejected, with initial reasons why being unclear when watching live. In his stead, Anthony Nelson led Manhattan with 11 points, while Samba Diallo and Warren Williams each tallied 10 apiece after Perez was given the hook following a promising beginning to his night, with six points on 3-of-5 shooting.

The Jaspers will return to Draddy Gymnasium Sunday to face a Marist team looking to gain ground in the middle of the MAAC standings, while a rejuvenated Saint Peter’s — who only saw three players log more than 20 minutes of action Friday — visits Rick Pitino and the Gaels in New Rochelle, seeking a fourth consecutive win against the class of the conference on the heels of another stout defensive effort.

“That’s who we are,” Holloway proclaimed. “That’s what I keep trying to preach to these guys. And the reason why we’re scoring now is we’re getting stops and getting runouts, kind of feeding off our defense. Early on, we weren’t doing that. We had a bunch of guys who thought we could outscore people, and that’s why we weren’t successful. Right now, we’re locking up, and I think that’s helping us.”

“As far as Sunday, that stuff’s going to take care of itself. I’m not looking forward to that yet, tonight when I go home and watch film until 7:00 in the morning, maybe. I was happy I didn’t have to play the older guys more than this, because it’s going to be a war on Sunday.”

A-10 Tempo Thursday: January 27, 2022

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

Davidson saw a 15-game win streak end on Wednesday, as VCU survived a late rally from the host Wildcats to record a 70-68 victory. The loss knocked Davidson

from the ranks of the Atlantic 10’s unbeaten after surviving a scare at Fordham the previous Saturday. Nevertheless, Bob McKillop’s group still is on top of the conference, with VCU, Dayton, George Mason, Saint Louis and St. Bonaventure in close pursuit.

As teams deal with busy schedules over the next few weeks, the increased activity may sort things out a bit, or give us more surprises.

Efficiency and Records (courtesy of KenPom)

1) Dayton (+16, 5-2)

2) Saint Louis (+14, 4-2)

3) VCU (+9, 5-2)

4) Davidson (+7, 6-1)

5) George Mason (+6, 3-1)

6) Rhode Island (+3, 3-3)

7 St. Bonaventure (+2, 3-2)

8) Richmond (0, 4-3)

9) Saint Joseph’s (-1, 3-5)

10) Fordham (-8, 2-4)

11) La Salle (-8, 1-6)

12) UMass (-11, 2-5)

13) Duquesne (-12, 1-4)

14) George Washington (-18, 2-4)

Offensive Efficiency:

1) Davidson 116 

2) Saint Louis 109

3) George Mason and St. Bonaventure 105 

5) Dayton 104

Davidson blisters the nets at a conference leading 57 percent effective field goal percentage. Bob McKillop’s Wildcats are hitting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Davidson also cares for the ball extremely well with a 16 percent turnover rate, all adding up to a dangerous offensive team as its 116 efficiency metric bears out.

Defensive Efficiency:

1) Dayton 88

2) VCU 91

3) Rhode Island and Saint Louis 96

5) St. Bonaventure 99

Dayton is getting the job done defensively with a third-in-conference 45 percent effective field goal percentage defense. The Flyers also limit the opposition’s trips to the charity stripe with a 15 percent mark, good for third in the A-10.

PACE:

Fastest: Saint Joseph’s (71 possessions per game)

UMass and Richmond 70 

George Washington 69 and Saint Louis 69

Deliberate: St. Bonaventure (62 possessions per game) Dayton 63

George Mason 64

Davidson and Duquesne 66

Not one to push the pace for 40 minutes, Mark Schmidt’s Bonnies are enjoying the grind-it-out tempo. A few other noted contenders evidently are as well. Duquesne would probably push the pace a bit, but with a freshman backcourt (Amir Spears and Jackie Johnson) Keith Dambrot is taking a more conservative approach.

George Mason, under first-year coach Kim English, is a team to watch. The Patriots got off to a rough start, dropping a one-point loss at George Washington in their A-10 opener on January 17. They scored an eye-opening 50-49 victory over Dayton on Saturday, and followed that up with wins over Saint Joseph’s on Monday and St. Bonaventure two days later. 

George Mason is getting things done on both ends. Offensively, it is second in the conference in both effective field goal (54) and turnover percentage (15). On the defensive side, the Patriots limit opponents to a 20 percent offensive rebounding norm, second in conference play. English also has the services of 6’9” Josh Oduro, a skilled big man who scored 31 points in Monday’s win over Saint Joseph’s.

Rhode Island saw an early 20-5 lead dissipate in its 63-61 loss at home to George Washington on Saturday. The arc and the foul line proved to be the Rams’ undoing, shooting 2-of-19 from deep and 15-of-32 at the line. Three nights later, again in Kingston, URI saw a 15-point second-half lead wiped out as Richmond posted a 70-63 victory. Coach David Cox was able to get the pace (67 possessions) he wanted, but not the result, as a great opportunity to get two home wins and go into Dayton Friday with momentum went for naught.

With rescheduled games due to COVID postponements, some schedules are resembling that of the NBA. UMass earned its first conference win, defeating Saint Louis on Thursday, 91-85. Sunday, the Minutemen went on the road to play who else? Saint Louis. This time around, the host Billikens got the better of the rematch by a 90-59 count. Fordham, noted previously, dropped a close one to Davidson at Rose Hill on Saturday. The Rams led by 13 with 17 minutes remaining. Darius Quisenberry paced all scorers with 36 points. Davidson shot 3-of-13 from 3-point range, but did win the offensive rebounding percentage battle, 32-20. In a one-possession game, that represents a significant, and game-winning, difference.

This week, we are not looking at an advanced stat for the weekly individual player leaderboard, but rather, a plain ordinary number readily available in a daily box score. With the 3-pointer so prevalent these days, we take a look at the conference’s top ten shooters from downtown. A minimum of two shots per game were required to qualify:

1) Michael Jones, Davidson (53 percent)

2) Rich Kelly, UMass (51)

3) Davonte Gaines, George Mason (49)

4) Tyson Acuff, Duquesne 47)

5) Foster Loyer, Davidson (47)

6) CJ Kelly, UMass (44)

7) Ishmael El-Amin, Rhode Island (44)

8) Kobe Elvis, Dayton (43)

9) Taylor Funk, Saint Joseph’s (43)

10) Jalen Adaway, St. Bona (43)

Interestingly, the lowest number of attempts from this group was Acuff, who is shooting 17-of-36 at this point.

Upcoming Schedule:

January 28: Rhode Island at Dayton

January 29: LaSalle at Davidson

Saint Louis at Duquesne

Saint Joseph’s at St. Bonaventure

VCU at Richmond

January 30: Fordham at George Washington

George Mason at UMass

February 1: Richmond at Duquesne

Davidson at St. Bonaventure

February 2: Rhode Island at Fordham

La Salle at George Washington

Saint Louis at George Mason

Dayton at VCU

All-KenPom

Luka Brajkovic, Davidson

Josh Oduro, George Mason

Vince Williams, VCU

Hyunjung Lee, Davidson

Grant Golden, Richmond

Conference Aggregate:

Efficiency: 102 

Tempo: 67 possessions per game

Effective Field Goal Percentage: 50

Turnover Rate: 18 percent

3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 35

Home Winning Percentage: 52

Kevin Willard quote book: Marquette

On slow starts:

“I actually thought we had two good looks at the basket, and Kur Kuath had two big blocks that just gave them some momentum and kind of just took a little bit of wind out of our sails again. We’re having opportunities and we’re not taking advantage of them, and I thought that kind of energized them a little bit, and put a little more pressure on our offense early in the game.”

On Kadary Richmond:

“Kadary’s giving us everything he’s got. It’s really hard to transition from playing 24 minutes a game to 39 minutes a game and taking on the whole load, and we’ve had to do that in a very short period of time. I’m seeing growth even though he’s struggling a little bit. He’s not making good decisions, but he’s making right reads and again, this is his first year of playing point guard in college and there’s always going to be a learning curve. He just got asked to go from playing 24 minutes a game to being a guy that’s got to play 40 minutes a game and get everybody shots. That’s a big transition, and I think he’s working at it, I think he’s doing a great job at it. It’s just that you’re going to have some ups and downs when you transition to that so quickly.”

On Seton Hall’s confidence:

“I’m still a little mystified about why we’re ball-faking some open shots. It’s been part of our struggles, when we’ve had open shots, we’re ball faking and we’re driving into tough shots. I don’t know where that’s come from, and that’s something that we’ve got to try to fix a little bit offensively. We’re not flowing into offense quite as nicely as we had been earlier in the year, and that’s something I’ve got to fix. I’m not putting these guys in very good positions right now, and I’ve just got to figure out where to get them and try to get them flowing a little bit.”

On missing Bryce Aiken:

“A lot. Again, you’re talking about the leading scorer in the Big East in conference play, and a guy that has a 4-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. It’s been hard to try to — we thought we might have him for St. John’s, so we really didn’t change anything, and then we found out we didn’t have him for the first St. John’s game — it’s tough to try to make adjustments when you have three games in five days without him. He’d been playing great, he’s a guy that can make shots off the dribble, but again, I think Kadary has really stepped up the best he has possible right now.”

On Marquette's Justin Lewis:

“He’s playing really well. I don’t even look at the scoring, I just thought he passed the basketball extremely well. He’s playing at such a level, even twice as good as what he was playing at the first time we played him. He’s got so much confidence in his jump shot, it’s hard to guard him. We went zone in the second half just because I had to give Kadary as much break, and he made some tough shots on us.”

On Jamir Harris having a larger role:

“Jerry, I’ve got to figure a lot of stuff out, and that’s one of them.”

On the crowd booing Seton Hall:

“Well-deserved, Zach. Well-deserved.”

Iona runs past Siena, ups MAAC streak to 9-0

Elijah Joiner flushes dagger in second half as Iona handled Siena Tuesday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The true mark of a champion is its ability to survive a B or C-level game, yet still manage to make short work of its opposition.

Scarier, still, is when said team possesses mounds of talent that is still a collective unit of untapped potential. And in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the one team that appears to possess both qualities in abundance put each on display Tuesday.

Mired in a defensive battle for most of the evening against longtime rival Siena, Iona overcame an off night from its offense to clamp down on the defensive end, forcing the visiting Saints into 18 turnovers and flustering them en masse with Rick Pitino’s patented full-court press in a commanding 74-57 victory inside the Hynes Athletics Center.

“Whether we’re home or away, (the) defense gotta travel,” Elijah Joiner remarked as the Gaels used their veteran instinct and suffocating ball pressure to improve to 17-3 and remain undefeated in nine MAAC games. “That’s the first thing we always keep in mind. We feel like we’re a physical team. We try to be the hammer and not the nail.”

“I think the best part of this Iona team is all their guys are stars in their own role,” Siena head coach Carmen Maciariello assessed. “They know what they’re going to get from (Quinn) Slazinski and (Dylan) van Eyck, they know what they’re going to get from Joiner and (Ryan) Myers. They wear you down.”

Iona survived a rock fight in the first half, thriving off Siena's giveaways to take a 29-21 halftime lead despite a lackluster opening stanza where the Saints (6-8, 3-3 MAAC) did not concede space under the rim to the Gaels’ frontcourt, nor did they allow Iona to take advantage of the 3-point shot. While the hosts led for the duration of the evening, Siena appeared poised to strike when it trimmed its deficit to seven points early in the second half, but a pair of turnovers led to five quick Iona points that kick-started a 21-5 run to put the game out of reach.

“Careless,” Maciariello said, describing Siena’s lack of execution. “We didn’t move our stack up in a press break to be able to have more space, we didn’t ball fake. Little details matter.”

Pitino has made an emphasis on learning the nuances of the game, a discipline he highlighted in Iona’s win at Quinnipiac Sunday, stating the Gaels were “a five or a six” on a one-to-ten scale of execution. Although still far from his ultimate vision later in the year, the Hall of Fame mentor has been able to find value in his young charges finding innovative ways to win while showcasing their maturation.

“I think defensively, it says a lot because our deflections are really, really high,” he said. “We’re very active with our hands, but we’re nowhere near where we want our basketball program to be. It’s where we’re trying to get this basketball program, and it’s nowhere near a Louisville or Kentucky, but we’re trying to get it to that point.”

With the halfway point of Iona’s conference season coming Sunday against Saint Peter’s, where a win would be the 800th of Pitino’s illustrious career, the talk of the Gaels running the MAAC table is now a serious possibility. Only twice before has it happened in league history, with La Salle accomplishing the feat in 1987-88 and 1989-90 in its run of three consecutive conference championships.

“That’s something that we’re not necessarily thinking about in March, but we’re thinking of taking it one game at a time,” Joiner reflected. “As long as we can go undefeated game by game, we’ll eventually get there.”

“I think it’s very, very difficult to do,” Pitino cautioned. “What I tell them is that it’s not probable, but it’s possible. The way to have a chance of doing it is you have to have great respect for every team you play. And they do.”

5 Thoughts: St. John’s wallops Seton Hall at Walsh Gym

Jared Rhoden (14) was visibly frustrated against St. John’s pressure as Seton Hall fell to Red Storm Monday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — In the first Big East men's game played at historic Walsh Gymnasium since March 2, 1985, the St. John's Red Storm came out and played like its season depended on it, throwing 40 minutes of hell defensively at the Seton Hall Pirates, holding them to 31 percent shooting and never taking their foot off the gas in an 84-63 victory. The stunning blowout loss snapped Seton Hall's 26-game win streak on campus in regular season play dating back to 1989.

Here are the 5 Thoughts:

- Throwback

First things first, the atmosphere to start the game and during the first half was electric. The entirety of the balcony and both courtside sections of seats were filled with students an hour before tipoff, and eventually, it was near capacity at the old gym. I have seen a lot of basketball at Walsh, and I have never heard the place as loud as it got tonight at times. The students, who have been fantastic all year long, showed out tonight, and they should be commended.

It was honestly so cool as an alum to see the atmosphere for an honest-to-goodness Big East men's basketball game on campus. I was glad to be there to witness the historical aspect of it all. Which makes it all the more disappointing for the students who packed the place that the game turned out the way it did.

- Red Hurricane

Give St. John's a lot of credit, they were desperate for a win, with no Quad 1 victories on the season, and it certainly played like it. Right off the jump ball, the Red Storm pressed Seton Hall to death, and frustrated the Pirates with its length and pressure. The home team couldn't find many good looks on offense, let alone easy baskets. The Pirates shot just 29 percent in the first half, falling behind by as many as 21 points before a 15-4 spurt got them within 10 at the break.

Head coach Kevin Willard said after the game that St. John's pace surprised Seton Hall, and knocked his team back on its heels. He also decried the effort on the glass, something you almost never hear him say. After dominating the glass 40-27 in Saturday’s win over the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden, it was St. John's outrebounding Seton Hall tonight, 48-43, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, and outscoring the Pirates 42-18 (!) in the paint. 

As Myles Cale said after the game: "They just wanted it more."

- Aching for Aiken

Earlier this year, when Ike Obiagu missed time with an injury, you could plainly see how much his presence on defense meant to the Pirates. You could also see its improvement upon his return.

Tonight, in a similar fashion, Seton Hall missed Bryce Aiken's presence dearly. With only one primary ball handler available to the Pirates, St. John's went all-out on Kadary Richmond, often face-guarding him in the backcourt and forcing less-skilled ball handlers to try and navigate the full court press. Richmond finished with only three points on 0-for-8 shooting from the floor, and had only four assists along with four turnovers as the Pirates were battling from behind all night long.

Combine that with how much Seton Hall missed Aiken last season, with Shavar Reynolds forced to punch above his weight, so to speak, in his stead, and you could make the case that on a team with a lot of talent and experience that the sixth-year man from Randolph is the most indispensable player on the roster. The Pirates need his return to the court, and tonight showed why.

- Turnovers, Turnovers

At the half, Seton Hall had just seven turnovers, and St. John's had not really done a lot off those giveaways, which was one of the reasons the Pirates were within an arm's length after 20 minutes. But the second half was disastrous in this regard, as Seton Hall turned it over 13 times, leading to a snowballing effect that allowed St. John's to run away with the game. 

I'd like to point to one sequence in particular that turned the tide of the game. After Jamir Harris converted an and-1 layup to cut the St. John's lead to eight points at the 13:10 mark, Montez Mathis hit a corner 3-pointer to get it right back, and then picked off an errant pass leading to a dunk on the other end. All of a sudden, the lead was 13 points with under 12 minutes remaining, and things got way out of hand for the Pirates from there.

While St. John's still had only 14 points off the 20 Seton Hall turnovers tonight, it was the volume that hurt the Hall more than the immediate damage off each one.

- No Rest For The Weary

Perhaps it's a good thing that Seton Hall has no time to really feel bad about itself, as the Pirates turn around quickly and welcome Marquette to the Prudential Center Wednesday night. Mind you, it was the controversial finish to the game last week in Milwaukee that concussed Aiken and led to his current absence, so Seton Hall would have had a definite edge to them coming into the game anyway. 

After being blown out in South Orange Monday night, I would expect them to come out with a heightened sense of urgency against the Golden Eagles, perhaps akin to St. John’s tonight. After this loss, the fans will certainly crave it.

Kevin Willard quote book: St. John’s

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

On biggest difference between Saturday and Monday:

“I thought their pressure was phenomenal. I thought they did a great job getting after Kooks (Kadary) early, and I thought their tempo was much, much different than it was the other night, it kind of got us on our heels early and they just did a good job of really coming after Kooks.”

On St. John’s personnel:

“I think putting Aaron Wheeler in makes a huge difference, just because of his length. I think he’s a difference-maker. With him, Soriano and Champagnie out there, that’s a big front line and you can get those guards to come after you. I thought Wheeler and Soriano have done a great job in both games of really not giving up anything easy out of their press. To me, Wheeler was the biggest difference in the game, and then Mathis hits a couple of threes, which obviously, that’s not what he’s known for. We cut it to nine twice in the second half and Mathis hit a three in the corner, and that was kind of a backbreaker right there, then we turned it over and they scored. But I think Aaron Wheeler, the way he’s playing right now, he’s a tough matchup.”

On his postgame message:

“We don’t have much time, Adam. We’ve gotta practice tomorrow and get ready for Marquette. This was what I was afraid of on Saturday, with one primary ball handler, Kooks was going to be a little tired. The effort he gave on Saturday was phenomenal, the effort he gave today was great. It’s just he had to do it a lot, and so sometimes you have to have a short memory.”

On St. John’s pressure and rebounding:

“I think what caught us off guard a little bit was their pace, to be honest with you. They played much faster than they did Saturday, and I think their pace offensively kind of caught us off guard, and then just kind of got us on defense and then their pressure — like I said, we beat their pressure early a couple of times — Wheeler and Soriano were terrific around the rim. They didn’t foul, they didn’t give anything easy, they made everything difficult. When those guys are playing that big and that long, they’re tough.”

“Well, we watched film at halftime. That was our total lack of effort on the rebounding, to be perfectly honest. That’s the major disappointment, I just thought we didn’t give the effort on the rebounding that we had in the first game.”

On the atmosphere inside Walsh Gymnasium:

“I don’t like playing here. It’s almost like it fits them perfect, they play at Carnesecca all the time, it’s a bandbox. But it is what it is, you have no control over the schedule. Our home crowd at the Prudential Center’s really good. We get like, 9,000 people for a Big East game, so that’s 8,000 less people that were there that would have been there. We don’t practice up there, I think that’s the first time we’ve been up there in about three months, so I’ll take the Prudential Center.”

On what disappointed him most:

“I just thought our effort on the rebounding side really disappointed me most. I thought we did a great job rebounding. If you look at the first four or five possessions Posh got in, he got three offensive rebounds, two putbacks, a foul. That changed the momentum of the game, missed shots and then Posh goes in there. And we did a phenomenal job on him the first game, we boxed out, we made sure we had a body on him. But again, I thought their pace that they played at offensively kind of got our matchups not great, but I thought our effort rebounding was terrible.”

On the difference in Posh Alexander:

“I don’t think there was anything different. I think Wheeler was the biggest difference. I thought defensively he ran and trapped the first half, he was a nuisance all night long, especially defensively. I think Posh plays good every game. Just because he had an off night the other night, we kept him off the glass, I thought that was the biggest thing. You look at some of his made field goals, where’s he at? He’s 7-for-12, he has four offensive rebounds from buckets. That’s a big difference.”

MAAC Monday: Inside Quinnipiac’s ascent, stat leaders, power rankings

Baker Dunleavy has seen improvement in his Quinnipiac team this year, as Bobcats have flown under the radar into top half of MAAC standings. (Photo by The Quinnipiac Chronicle)

In this week’s edition of MAAC Monday, the rise of Quinnipiac is profiled in the team spotlight before giving way to an updated list of stat leaders in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and a new set of power rankings of each of the 11 MAAC teams.

HAMDEN, Conn. — Picked ninth in the MAAC’s preseason coaches’ poll this past October, Quinnipiac’s standing in the prognostication was attributed more to the league being stronger as a whole than toward any inefficiency the Bobcats may have possessed. After all, the cadre of guards in Baker Dunleavy’s program remained together, with Savion Lewis and Tyrese Williams leading a group that included a pair of All-Rookie selections in Tymu Chenery and Luis Kortright. And up front, while Seth Pinkney transferred, the portal dished out an assist when Kevin Marfo decided to return to the place where he led the nation in rebounding two years ago, following a season at Texas A&M that proved the grass was not greener on the other side.

Nine games into the conference season, Quinnipiac has undergone minor cosmetic enhancements. Marfo is back at the top of the rebound charts once again, but the guard depth has been tested immensely. Lewis’ torn Achilles’ tendon has given rise to Dezi Jones, the Bobcats’ second-leading scorer in the backcourt behind Matt Balanc, who has supplemented Lewis as the flag-bearer in Dunleavy’s offense. Add the experience of Jacob Rigoni to Chenery’s uptick, and you have a starting five that has helped produce a 5-4 record in the league slate thus far, but when asked if it was where he thought his team would be, Dunleavy was noncommittal due to both the nature of the season to date and the remaining unwritten chapters in the story of the 2021-22 campaign.

“It’s really hard to say,” the fifth-year head coach admitted. “It’s one of those things where, year to year now, given the fluidity of rosters and transfers, player movement, it’s hard to have expectations. Personally, I was hoping we could be a balanced team, find ways to be good both offensively and defensively, and be in the top tier in the league of both, and that would lead to us being able to win some games. I think to this point, we’ve kind of been able to do that.”

“Adding Kevin back really helps us rebound the ball and finish possessions, and offensively, we have some guys that could get it done on the offensive end. So I would say we’re kind of right there. I would say by the end, we would like to be in the position that we’re in right now, competing for that bye and playing one less game in (Atlantic City). But there’s just so much time before that point that we’ve got to look at it as a positive that there’s so much time left for improvement.”

In Sunday’s loss to Iona, Balanc struggled, making just one of his nine field goal attempts. However, Kortright had arguably his best game of his sophomore season in Balanc’s stead, while Williams, Brendan McGuire and JJ Riggins provided equally understated contributions to a team that has, more often than not, been defined by its depth, and will continue to be moving forward.

“I think we’re just going to naturally be the type of team that is going to have different guys step up in different games,” Dunleavy said of his second unit and its importance as an integral piece of the puzzle on both ends of the floor. “We don’t have that one guy that’s going to lead us in scoring, so based on how the defense plays, based on what’s open that game, what we’re executing, different guys are going to have to step up, and that’s got to be a positive for us this season.”

Scoring Leaders

1) Jose Perez, Manhattan (17.8 PPG)

2) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (17.3)

3) George Papas, Monmouth (15.6)

4) Ricardo Wright, Marist (15.2)

5) Tyson Jolly, Iona (15.0)

6) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (14.9)

7) Walker Miller, Monmouth (14.5)

8) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (14.4)

9) Jao Ituka, Marist (14.3)

10) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (13.6)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (10.5 RPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (8.4)

3) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (8.1)

4) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (7.5)

5) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (7.2)

6) Jackson Stormo, Siena (6.8)

7) Nikkei Rutty, Monmouth (6.8)

8) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (6.6)

9) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (6.2)

10) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (6.1)

Assist Leaders

1) Jose Perez, Manhattan (5.1 APG)

2) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (4.2)

3) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (4.1)

4) Noah Thomasson, Niagara (3.6)

5) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (3.5)

6) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (3.3)

7) George Papas, Monmouth (3.2)

8) Elijah Joiner, Iona (3.0)

9) Caleb Green, Fairfield (2.9)

10) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (2.7)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (.686)

2) Greg Kuakumensah, Niagara (.607)

3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.600)

4) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (.590)

5) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (.566)

6) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (.557)

7) Jao Ituka, Marist (.543)

8) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (.540)

9) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (.529)

10) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (.518)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

1) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.929)

2) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (.878)

3) Scott Hitchon, Canisius (.878)

4) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.861)

5) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.847)

6) George Papas, Monmouth (.841)

7) Walker Miller, Monmouth (.824)

8) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.821)

9) Quinn Slazinski, Iona (.814)

10) Jose Perez, Manhattan (.804)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Nick Hopkins, Siena (.441)

2) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (.432)

3) Colby Rogers, Siena (.427)

4) Ricardo Wright, Marist (.421)

5) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.397)

6) Tyson Jolly, Iona (.394)

T-7) Walter Clayton, Jr., Iona (.391)

T-7) Caleb Green, Fairfield (.391)

9) Samir Stewart, Manhattan (.391)

10) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.382)

Steal Leaders

1) Nick Hopkins, Siena (1.9 SPG)

2) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (1.8)

3) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (1.7)

4) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (1.5)

5) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (1.5)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.2 BPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (1.7)

3) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (1.2)

4) Jordan Jones, Marist (1.1)

5) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (1.1)

Power Rankings

1) Iona (16-3, 8-0 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 at Quinnipiac (W 76-61)

Next Game: Tuesday 1/25 vs. Siena, 7 p.m.

2) Saint Peter’s (7-7, 5-2 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 at Canisius (L 63-60)

Next Game: Wednesday 1/26 at Marist, 7 p.m.

3) Siena (6-7, 3-2 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Friday 1/21 at Manhattan (L 75-68)

Next Game: Tuesday 1/25 at Iona, 7 p.m.

4) Quinnipiac (10-7, 5-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 vs. Iona (L 76-61)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.

5) Monmouth (11-6, 3-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 vs. Manhattan (W 78-62)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.

6) Manhattan (10-7, 3-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 at Monmouth (L 78-62)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 at Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

7) Fairfield (9-10, 3-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 at Marist (W 69-66)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 at Rider, 7 p.m.

8) Marist (8-9, 3-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 vs. Fairfield (L 69-66)

Next Game: Wednesday 1/26 vs. Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

9) Niagara (8-10, 3-6 MAAC)

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 vs. Rider (L 70-67)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 at Siena, 7 p.m.

10) Canisius (7-12, 3-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 vs. Saint Peter’s (W 63-60)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 at Monmouth, 7 p.m.

11) Rider (6-12, 2-6 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Sunday 1/23 at Niagara (W 70-67)

Next Game: Friday 1/28 vs. Fairfield, 7 p.m.

Iona shakes off Quinnipiac, rolls late to stay unbeaten in MAAC

Tyson Jolly scored 20 points as Iona pulled away from Quinnipiac to remain undefeated in MAAC. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

HAMDEN, Conn. — His Iona team trailing Quinnipiac by five points early in the second half after blowing a 13-point lead, Tyson Jolly knew it was time to flip the proverbial switch.

Shortly thereafter, his teammates followed suit.

The fifth-year senior and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year favorite raised his game at the most opportune of times yet again, scoring 20 points and spearheading a 14-4 run in the latter stages of the final stanza to propel the Gaels to a decisive 76-61 victory when it looked, even for just a few moments, that they may fall to a MAAC team for the first time this season.

“It was winning time,” an emphatic Jolly said as Iona battled back from giving up a 17-2 run to erase an early 21-8 advantage in the first half. “We knew we had to get more physical, get on the boards, we had to keep them off the glass so they couldn’t get second shots. We had to come together to finish it off.”

“We’ve won a lot of games in the final five minutes by executing the right way, defensively as well as offensively,” Rick Pitino elaborated. “I told the guys the other day, you’re a five or a six on a ten-star scale, execution-wise. Come February, I want you at a seven-eight, and then come March, I want you at an eight-nine. So we’re making our way.”

Iona (16-3, 8-0 MAAC) opened Sunday’s contest making six of its first eight shots, but made just as many in its next 26 attempts as Quinnipiac locked down the Gaels in a 2-3 zone defense, offsetting the struggles of leading scorer Matt Balanc, who missed all but one of his nine field goal attempts. The Bobcats (10-7, 5-4 MAAC) weathered the storm and fought back to ultimately tie the score at 33 apiece heading into halftime, but were stifled after the intermission, connecting on just two 3-point attempts after making six in the opening stanza.

“We had to stop giving up the three and stop giving up penetration,” Jolly said. “That was the halftime adjustment. We just had to start moving more, we were stagnant in the zone early on, then we started getting the ball to the middle, making the right reads, making passes, making cuts. I feel like we started breaking them down, and that’s how we started scoring.”

“We really did a good job,” Pitino affirmed. “We only had seven turnovers, 18 assists. The backcourt is strong, the players are strong, Nelly (Junior Joseph) did a really good job. Not giving Kevin Marfo an offensive rebound is a terrific job. I’ve got one of the best backcourts in the nation. And my biggest regret is not meeting Tyson and Elijah (Joiner) a lot earlier. They’re both playing terrific, they’re both mature, great guys. It’s an honor to coach them.”

Iona’s next game comes Tuesday at home against Siena, who has won four of its last five meetings with the Gaels in New Rochelle, but could be running into a team still peaking and nowhere near its best stride.

“I think we’re getting better every day,” said Jolly. “We’re making the right defensive improvements, we’re starting to really lock down and guard on defense, just coming out with a mindset of we’re not gonna lose, they can’t guard us and we can guard them. We’re stepping up to the challenge. I don’t feel like we’re relaxed, comfortable or anything. We’re really hungry, we really want to do this and we really believe we can do it.”

5 Thoughts: Seton Hall locks down St. John’s in first of two encounters with Johnnies in 48 hours

Myles Cale led Seton Hall with 21 points as Pirates held off St. John’s in first of two games in three days against Red Storm. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — In a scheduling quirk, the Big East’s Hudson River rivalry became much like the old crosstown Subway Series doubleheaders of the late 1990s and early 2000s when Seton Hall and St. John’s lined up to play twice in just 72 hours. And in the first leg of the double dip Saturday, one train rolled full speed ahead while the other lies stalled and close to derailment after yet another soul-searching defeat.

Playing for the first time in a week, Seton Hall used its respite to grind out a 66-60 victory over the Red Storm inside Madison Square Garden to improve to 12-5 overall and 3-4 in Big East play with a rematch against the same Johnnies squad Monday night, inside historic Walsh Gymnasium. The Pirates relied on stingy defense, rendering St. John’s to shooting just 29 percent from the floor, and a commanding 60-43 rebounding edge to seal the win as they embark on a stretch of three games in five days.

The postgame thoughts from Saturday’s matinee are as follows:

1) Madison Cale Garden

Myles Cale has had some of his finest hours at The World’s Most Famous Arena, including his heroic game-winning 3-pointer against Kentucky as a sophomore back in 2018. On this day, Cale — now a fifth-year senior and Seton Hall’s all-time leader in games played at 139 — recaptured the magic, doing so to the tune of 21 points, nine rebounds, and a vintage defensive effort against Julian Champagnie that will be elaborated upon later in this post.

While Big East expert John Fanta of Fox Sports insists that the aforementioned Kentucky game remains Cale’s magnum opus, the winning coach one-upped the declaration.

“I think this was his best game,” Kevin Willard proclaimed. “He always plays really well here, but I think this was his best game he’s ever played just because he didn’t settle to be a shooter. I thought he was aggressive, I thought he was getting to the rim and I thought he did a phenomenal job on Champagnie, obviously, because Julian’s one of the best players in the league and to have him shoot the night he had, that’s a pretty good compliment.”

“It’s the lights,” Cale quipped when asked exactly what about the Garden and its mystique brings out the best in him. “It’s a lot of history that goes down here, even coming up to the arena, walking up the little ramp, you just get the chills and you feel good, like you’re just about to play a good game, you know?”

Alexis Yetna tallied 16 points and 15 rebounds in Seton Hall’s win Saturday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

2) Lex Luthor

Willard described Alexis Yetna in the offseason as almost a left-handed version of Angel Delgado, the rebounding king of the Big East. The Frenchman and South Florida transfer lived up to that billing Saturday, amassing 16 points and 15 rebounds in what may be his best effort in a Seton Hall uniform to date.

“He’s crashing the offensive boards great,” Cale said of Yetna. “I wouldn’t really compare him to Angel because I feel like they’re two different players, but rebounding-wise, I would say they’re right there, hand in hand.”

“I think Lex has kind of found a groove of what Big East basketball’s all about,” Willard added. “He’s doing a lot of junkyard dog work, he’s doing a lot of things. I think he’s playing very well defensively, he’s rebounding the ball really well, I’d like to see him be a little bit more aggressive in the post at times, but I think he’s playing like a typical high-level Big East player.”

3) Champagnie Taste, Beer Money

Champagnie, St. John’s leading scorer, was bottled up all afternoon by Seton Hall, rendered into a 3-for-14 effort and just nine points total, breaking a string of 47 consecutive games in which the junior and All-American hopeful had reached double digits on the scoreboard. Cale will get credited for the lockdown by and large, but the graduate student admitted he saw an opening after watching another opposing Big East player write the foreword to the book, so to speak.

“I watched a lot of their Creighton game, and I saw Alex O’Connell try to make his shots uncomfortable,” Cale said of the Bluejay forward’s defense of Champagnie Wednesday in Omaha. “He actually did a good job on him too, so I was watching a lot of his film. (Champagnie) uses his size for his ability, so I just had to hold my ground a little bit more.”

“We had a week to prepare for them and our coaches did a phenomenal job just breaking it down,” he added. “All we did was go out there and execute.”

4) St. Elsewhere

At 10-7 overall and just 2-4 in Big East play, St. John’s is far from where most experts and fans projected it would be, a source of major consternation on the corner of Union and Utopia. Head coach Mike Anderson said he does not make excuses, but his attempt Saturday to explain the missteps and disappointment in Queens certainly sounded like one.

“I think we still continue to be a work in progress,” he conceded, despite the Red Storm’s winless record in six Quadrant 1 games. “You always want the pieces to come together quicker than not, but for some reason, we can’t. We can get there, but we can’t get over the hump. We’ve just gotta continue to work and grind, and clean up some of the little things. Some of that falls on me. I’ve just gotta find the right combinations.”

“We’ve got nine new players. The leaders on your team are some of the young guys who just got here last year, in a pandemic year. I don’t make excuses, but I think that’s part of it.”

In addition to Champagnie’s inefficiency, St. John’s backcourt of Posh Alexander, Montez Mathis and Dylan Addae-Wusu shot a combined 7-of-35 against a Seton Hall team not only missing Bryce Aiken to concussion protocol, but also only getting a 5-for-30 day from Jared Rhoden and Kadary Richmond.

“We’ve gotta have somebody who I think will be able to help us,” Anderson offered when it was suggested that maybe Tareq Coburn could have played more than the three-minute cup of coffee he logged. “Obviously, it didn’t take place today. We got to the free throw line as well and didn’t cash in on it. Basketball’s about making decisions, and you’ve gotta make the right decisions. It’s something we work on. We just didn’t execute.”

5) Monday Night Raw

Monday’s game, rescheduled from December 20 due to Seton Hall’s COVID pause right before St. John’s contracted the virus itself, will be played on Seton Hall’s campus at Walsh Gymnasium due to the Prudential Center being booked for a concert. The 1,400-seat bandbox will be occupied entirely by students, as Seton Hall decided to distribute tickets in South Orange to an enthusiastic crowd of undergraduate fans that will surely turn the ancient relic into a raucous environment.

“They’ve been great all year,” Willard said of the Seton Hall student body and its support. “And they’re going to be great on Monday. Home games are huge, so having an all-student game is kind of cool.”