Courtside notes from Fordham: Efficiency, usage, the Commissioner, AC and Brooklyn….

Fordham's Tom Pecora praised the Bonnies' efficiency

Bronx, NY – Fordham coach Tom Pecora lauded the ‘efficiency’ of St. Bonaventure, especially Andrew Nicholson and Da’ Quan Cook. Pecora’s reference sparked an introduction here, with examples, of usage. The term ‘usage’ is something even casual fans have hear mentioned. In tempo-free, usage deals with how many possessions a player ‘uses’. What percentage of the total possessions is said player involved.

          The team possession formula takes field goals attempted plus free throws attempted (times .475) minus offensive rebounds and adding turnovers. Last night’s St. Bonaventure-Fordham game (won 89-63 by the Bonnies) saw a 66 possession contest. To arrive at a player’s possessions, statsheet.com suggests using the same formula as applied to a team, for the individual  player. The numbers:

	Possessions	% of Team Poss.
Nicholson	17	25.8
Cook	14	21.2

Anything over 20% of a team’s possessions, suggests that player is an important option. Nicholson and Cook combined for 47% or almost half of St. Bonaventure’s possessions.  Now a look at Fordham’s leading scorer Chris Gaston with 18 points.

	Possessions	% of Team Poss.
Gaston	16	24.2

Gaston used almost one quarter of Fordham’s possessions. Despite not starting and logging 29 minutes, he obviously was a vital part of the Ram attack during his time on the floor.

          Commissioner Bernadette McGlade of the Atlantic Ten was a courtside ‘neighbor’ at Rose Hill. We spoke at length (and she even got to hear and enjoyed my officiating stories) but the question arose. What about the move to Brooklyn from Atlantic City? The conference post season tournament finishes its six year run in AC in just a few weeks, moving next March to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

          “The arena (Boardwalk Hall) is so historic and has a wonderful charm.” McGlade admitted. And the city has been a hospitable host. So why move? “We did a study and saw there are only 35,000 Winter residents in Atlantic City,” she said. “In the New York metropolitan area, conference schools have over 100,000 alumni living here. So obviously you are dealing with bigger numbers.” Another consideration is, if you want to make a move, get in on the ground floor, the first year of the new Barclays Center.

          McGlade also said having conference teams like Fordham, appear for a December non-league game at Barclays is in the works. The idea is to entice the local fan to recognize and get exposure to an A-10 team or two very early in the season with the hope of returning a few months later for the tournament.  

-Ray Floriani

 

St. Bonaventure 89 Fordham 63: An offensive show

Left to right: St. Bonaventure's Da'Quan Cook, Andrew Nicholson and coach Mark Schmidt

Bronx, NY – An outstanding offensive display was the main factor in an 89-63  St. Bonaventure victory over Fordham at Rose Hill on Wednesday.

          Bonnies attacked the paint and were equally effective on the perimeter. The defense was not bad at all either. “We rebounded, defended and shared the ball,” said St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt. Indeed, the offensive efficiency was outstanding:

	Possessions	Off. Efficiency
St. Bonaventure	66	135
Fordham	66	96

            That efficiency was largely due to a white hot eFG percentage of 71% by the Bonnies. They canned 7 of 11 (63.6%) from three point range. Inside the arc, the two point percentage was 62.9% (22 of 35). Bonnies also had 19 assists with a rate of 65.5% of the field goals being assisted.

          Perimeter shooters as Matthew wright 10 points (3 of 4 from three) benefitted from Fordham’s inability to close out on the perimeter. Whether it is physical fatigue or mental fatigue of a now six game losing streak, the Rams were a step slow. Inside they were beaten by the Bona offense found gaps inside and continuously fed the  big men. As Fordham coach Tom Pecora noted, “they (Bona) just threw it too deep inside. Their inside percentage was very good and that happens when you get two foot shots.” Andrew Nicholson (game high 30 points) and Da’Quan Cook (16 points) were the beneficiaries of those looks down low. Cook shot 7 of 12 from the field while Nicholson was 10 of 14 and even stepped out to can 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.

          “They (Bona) are very good,” Pecora praised. “They are what we want to be in a few years.”

          Fifty two.  With all the efficiency and percentage metrics, this was a figure on the mind of everyone, coaches, fans and players.  At the 5:58 mark of the first half play was stopped to replace a broken rim. The delay lasted 52 minutes. At the time the Bonnies were in possession of a 31-19 lead. Naturally there was concern over the long layoff. Would it negate the momentum built and/or provide Fordham a chance to regroup. Following a free throw by Fordham’s Alberto Estwick, the Bonnies Demetrius Conger drained a three pointer. A significant shot in Schmidt’s estimation as it allowed the Bonnies to continue that momentum started prior to the break.

          Turnovers, a Bona nemesis, saw them commit only a dozen for an 18% TO rate. That last metric was the one area Fordham did do well in. They had only 8 turnovers for a nice 12% rate.

          Chris Gaston did not start for ‘violation of team rules’. He logged 29 minutes leading Fordham with 18 points. Too much of the Ram offense relied on Gaston or the perimeter. As noted the Ram junior battled adding four blocked shots, but the outside game was a struggle. Fordham, a 42% eFG percentage on the night, shot 3 of 19 (15.8%) from three point range.

          St. Bonaventure is 15-10 (8-5) while the Rams fall to 9-17 (2-11).

- Ray Floriani

 

Seton Hall 73 Georgetown 55: Three points of emphasis

Jim Spanarkel, quite the backcourt performer in his day, interviews Jordan Theodore

NEWARK, NJ – Eighth ranked Georgetown was not simply upset. They were soundly defeated 73-55 by a red hot shooting Seton Hall team at the Prudential Center on Tuesday. Three points of emphasis:

 1.The Hall is in a great comfort zone at home. As of late Seton Hall is shooting the lights out. A week ago against St. John’s the Pirates connected for a 76.4% eFG percentage. Against a decidedly better defensive team (than St. John’s) , the Hall shot an eFG percentage of 71%. They were 8 of 13 from three (61.5%). Inside the arc the Pirates shot 17 of 28 (60.7%). As noted, their percentage from beyond the arc was better than that from two point areas. The deadliest Pirate shooter was Jordan Theodore. The senior guard scored a game high 29 points and was 5 of 5 from long distance.

2. Georgetown did not have an offensive answer. No one was able to step up and respond as Seton Hall began pulling away the second half. Not reliable options as Henry Sims, Hollis Thompson or Jason Clark. “If a player (Theodore) is having a great game you just can’t get down and forget the offensive end,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. They did. In a statistical rarity in this shot clock era, not one Georgetown player hit double figures. Greg Whittington led the way with 9 points. Thompson can’t remember ever happening. And certainly wants no repeat of such a situation on his offensive end

3. Inside-outside. With all this long range bombing going on, it’s easy to forget the philosophy of Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard. Begin your attack inside and take advantage when the perimeter opens up. The Pirates did just that. Theodore played a superlatively complete game. One of the things he did early was breaking down and penetrating the Hoya defense. Theodore handed out 5 assists while Herb Pope (12 points) and Brandon Mobley (10 points) established an inside game. Once Georgetown adjusted and the perimeter opened. Seton Hall seized full advantage.

3A. Rush the court. Seton Hall student section near our press seating had a night long succession and litany  of ‘Georgetown sucks’ chants. Near the final buzzer the students were up, ready and primed to celebrate by running onto the Prudential Center floor. As the clock ran out they made the move but were unable to get on the court as a few were ‘intercepted’ and/or tackled by security. With no access to the floor the students went off celebrating the big Pirate victory. One security worker said they would have let the fans ‘rush the court’ but felt media sitting at baseline press tables would have been in danger from the onrushing crowd.

     Seton Hall improved 10 19-9 (8-8 Big East). Georgetown is now 20-6 (10-5).

-         Ray Floriani

 

Atlantic Ten: Tempo Tuesday

Coming into the stretch, Temple and St. Louis lead. Several teams are fighting for those coveted third and fourth spots.  Should provide for a share of excitement and scoreboard watching over the course of the next week.  

	Record	Off. Efficiency	Def. Efficiency	Eff. Margin
Temple	10-2	115	101	+14
St. Louis	10-3	105	92	+13
Xavier	8-4	106	101	+5
St. Joseph’s	8-5	103	101	+2
LaSalle	7-5	106	101	+5
UMASS	7-5	100	97	+3
St. Bona	7-5	105	98	+7
Dayton	6-6	110	110	0
Duquesne	6-6	100	104	-4
Richmond	5-8	104	105	-1
Charlotte	4-8	94	100	-6
Geo. Wash	4-8	102	108	-6
Fordham	2-10	94	115	-21
Rhode Is.	2-11	97	110	-13

Temple’s overall defensive mark is on the borderline of just simply ordinary. The offense is extraordinary which makes the Owls, a tough out. In the 76-70 win at St. Bonaventure, the Owls rang up a 112 efficiency against a better than average Bonaventure defense. They allowed the Bonnies a 103 efficiency but next time out, Fran Dunphy’s group showed that vintage defense limiting Duquesne to a  92 efficiency in a 78-59 triumph.

            UMASS does not force a lot of turnovers but their defensive performance is rooted in a 46.1% opposition  eFG mark.  Second only to the most efficient defenders, St. Louis at 46%.

            The good folks at Blackburn Review had a reminder that Dayton had not won at Xavier since a victory in Schmidt Fieldhouse in 1981. Xavier kept the string going 86-83. But another tough defensive performance for X , allowing the Flyers a 105 efficiency, allowed for some anxious moments….Speaking of Dayton, a perimeter diet usually means fewer trips to the line. The Flyers  lead the A-10 in both three pointers tried (297) and free throws (272) attempted. An A-10 best in offensive rebounding percentage, 39.4%, undoubtedly affords Archie Miller’s group a number of opportunities to visit the charity stripe.

            Duquesne shows care of the ball with an 18% turnover rate. On the opposite end Ron Everhart’s club forces opponents into turnovers 23% of their possessions. Boards, specifically allowing second chances,  is a problem. Duquesne’s offensive rebounding margin is a minus 7. Their ORB percentage is 32% while opponents are grabbing 39% of those rebounds.

            Temple, with  little surprise, paces the conference with a 56% eFG shooting percentage. City of Brotherly Love neighbor LaSalle is second at 53.9%. What kind of year has this been in Kingston? A year ago Rhode Island finished 9-7. The Rams were slightly on the positive (+ .06) in efficiency margin with an offensive mark of 99.2 and defense of 98.6. This season, the offense dropped just slightly but the defense has fallen into the depths.

            George Washington has attempted only 152 threes, the least in the conference. They hit on 34% but the factor behind a slightly above average OE is a tidy TO rate of 18%.

Fastest tempo: UMASS 75 possessions, LaSalle 70

Walking it up: George Washington 64, Richmond and St. Louis 65

- Ray Floriani

 

Around the nation

Few teams in contention for an NCAA bid needed a win worse than Alabama did this weekend, and the Crimson Tide got one with a 62-50 win over surging Tennessee on Saturday. The news for ‘Bama fans got a little better on Monday night when coach Anthony Grant reinstated his best player, Ja’Mychal Green, to the team on Monday night. Green has exceeded 14 points and seven rebounds per game each of his last three seasons, and hadn’t played since UA beat Auburn on Feb. 7. Alabama then lost at LSU and at home to Florida before recovering to beat Tennessee even though Green and Tony Mitchell, the team’s second-leading scorer each of the last two years, both didn’t play. The news for Mitchell on Monday was worse: Grant has kicked him off the team for the remainder of the season. Right now, the ‘Tide has a decent chance to still make the NCAA Tournament, but missing Mitchell may not be the team’s biggest issue. That would be outside shooting (or lack of it): only three of the nation’s 345 Division One teams shoot worse from 3-point range than Alabama’s 27.2 percent. … Among the three teams shooting worse than Alabama is Butler, which probably wishes that Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke didn’t have to sit out this season. Interestingly enough, the Bulldogs are starting to follow the pattern of last year’s season, when they lost three games in a row before beating Cleveland State on Feb. 5. That was the start of a seven-game winning streak to end the regular season; of course, Butler won two games to win the Horizon League Tournament, then ran off five more in a row to get to the NCAA Tournament title game. However, Butler’s offense (Ken Pomeroy ranks the Bulldogs 237th in offensive efficiency) probably is too poor this year to make a similar run possible. … Butler, of course, fell to Connecticut in the title game last season. The Huskies are just 17-10 and 7-8 in the Big East, but according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi (subscription required), the Huskies are safe for now. A home win over Syracuse on Saturday could go a long way towards removing further doubt. … Another perennially high-profile team in a lot of danger to not make the field of 68 is Illinois. The Fighting Illini’s chances aren’t nearly as good as UConn’s right now, especially after Illinois was humiliated in a 23-point loss at 12-13 Nebraska over the weekend. It’s hard to believe, but since Weber’s 2004-05 club that went 37-2 and lost in the national title game to North Carolina, Illinois has won just two NCAA Tournament games, one in 2006 and the other last year. First-year athletic director Mike Thomas will be a in tough spot if the Fighting Illini falter down the stretch. On one hand, Weber runs a clean program, graduates players, and is one of the more respected coaches anywhere. He also returns nearly his entire squad next season. On the other hand, we’re talking about one of the most storied programs in college basketball, and one with a fertile recruiting base. Prior to Weber’s arrival in 2003-04, Illinois has missed the NCAA Tournament just five times since 1980, and had won at least one game in its last six appearances before Weber got there. Missing this season would be the second time Weber had been shut out.

- Chris Lee, VandySports.com

 

East meets West

Teams lined up before the start at MSG

NEW YORK CITY- St. John’s-UCLA. Just the mention brings to the mind’s eye images of tradition, the intersectional rivalry, PAC-12 versus Big East and so on. Saturday saw the two meet at Madison Square Garden with St. John’s  earning a hard fought 66-63 victory. Naturally both teams were ‘taking a break’ from conference battles but, make no mistake, the two respective teams dearly wanted this one.

          A lot of the rivalry can be rooted in the idea of Eastern style as opposed to that played a few time zones away. “There is a difference in the way the game is played,” said St. John’s assistant coach Mike Dunlap. “Just like jazz on the East coast is different from jazz out west, the basketball is different.” How? “In the West they will run more the style is more finesse oriented, a wide open game,” Dunlap said. “Here, especially in the Big east your four or five guys better be physical or you are going to get pounded. In the East it is lock down defense and possession by possession grinding it out. (UCLA coach) Ben Howland did that at Pitt and he’s instilled some of that with the UCLA program.”

          Moe Harkless, St. john’s freshman and 10 point, 12 rebound performer against the Bruins, said that “our style is scrappier. We get after it and got a lot of offensive rebounds.” rebounding, a pre-game concern saw the smaller Red Storm work their way to a 19-15 advantage on the offensive glass. St. John’s also forced the Bruns into 16  turnovers(a 25% TO rate).

          It wasn’t a Big East game. But it was extremely gratifying for St. John’s to exit MSG with the victory. Adding ‘spice’ to the rivalry was the fact St. John’s really wanted to win this for coach Steve Lavin, recovering from prostate cancer and whom the St. John’s players feel was not given the best treatment by the administration and fans in Westwood.

     In the end, the intensity was brought out on the court.  “Our styles are different,” St. John’s freshman Sir Dominic Pointer (13 points, 7 rebounds) said, “it’s what makes this rivalry so special.”

- Ray Floriani

 

Numbers define Wichita State’s ‘shock’ and awe

Most coaches are not into numbers in a basketball game except for the final score. However, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall couldn’t help but be awed Saturday afternoon after the Shockers’ 91-74 ESPN Bracket Busters win at Davidson.

They scored 91 points, eclipsing their average of 78.1 ppg. From there, Wichita State shot an amazing 80% from the floor in the second half as the Shocker connected on 20 of 25 shots and finished at 63.6% from the floor.  This included 58 points in the paint with 19 off the fast break.

“I think our performance today against a very good basketball team in a hostile environment,” said Marshall, “In the second half, we played beautiful basketball to build a 21-point lead.  When you can win by this margin in this building,  you have made something happen that doesn’t happen every day.”

Individually, Joe Ragland was 11-of-14 from the floor with 30 points in 32 minutes.  It seems the bigger the stage, the bigger Ragland performs as he had a career-high 31 earlier in the year against UNLV and had 25 last week as Wichita State took an 89-68 win over Creighton in a revenge game as the Blue Jays won 68-61 on New Year’s Eve.

“That was one of our keys, being efficient,” explained Marshall after his look inside the numbers, “Perfection is about the only thing he could do.  He was effective and he takes 14 shots.  The only thing I should have done is play him more I guess.”

Of course, Marshall was jokingly making light of him actually pulling Ragland for well-deserved breaks in regarding his performance.  Ragland was so steady throughout the game that he never had a run by himself.  he only had back-to-back baskets twice.

“It feels great, but a lot of my teammates command that much attention that I can get open,” noted Ragland, “I worked on my game enough to make the defense pay every time I get open.  I worked on my game enough to make the defense pay when I get open.  We had a lot of open opportunities tonight.|”

Marshall was undetered by the fact that this was his 300th career coaching victory as 106 of those have come in the last five years as the boss of the Shockers, for an average of 21.2 per season.

“More importantly, it’s win number whatever this season and it keeps our win streak intact and in front of the selection committee, it gives us a quality win .  We will move up in the polls I hope, if the coaches get a clue.  There’s some coaches who aren’t very smart, including me, but the writers will move us up in to the Top 20 if not Top 15.”

The Shockers and Creighton are battling for the regular season title as they have separated from the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference.  Wichita State has won 14 of its last 15 and 22 of 24.  As the team goes forward with seven juniors and seniors, combined, in it’s eight-man rotation, a deep run into March is certainly a possibility.

“We were not perfect, but guarded those guys pretty well,” said Marshall, ”  We in the second half, we were tremendous offensively. When these guys get revved up, it is some beautiful basketball to watch.”

-Ken Cross

 

Defense allowed Shockers an offensive air

While Wichita State shot 63.6% from the floor behind 30 points from guard Joe Ragland, a mid-second half defensive effort allowed the Shockers to break the game open.

Clinging to a 50-48 lead with 15:42 to go, Wichita State held Davidson to 2-of-10 shooting from the floor in it’s next 12 possessions as WSU was able to go on a 16-6 tear and push the lead to a 66-54 advantage with 9:46 remaining.

“I felt we played for 32 minutes and we need to understand that is not good enough against a team that’s Top 25 in the country,” said Wildcats coach Bob McKillop, who saw his team lose only it’s second home game on Saturday, “I don’t at all doubt our effort.  That was never a question.  Efficiency in terms of doing what we do, we deviated from that and we need to understand it is a 40-minute game.”

In that part of the game, the Shockers were able to take advantage of their athleticism to get out on the fast break and then break Davidson down off the dribble in the half court.  Demetric Williams, Toure’ Murray, Joe Ragland, and Carl Hall were able to get to the rim easily in this stretch as the WIldcats lost touch with Wichita State in the process.

“I thought there was a six minute stretch that we took premature shots and deviated some from the flow and rhythm that had been such an effective part of our offense,” explained McKillop, “That led to several possessions for them to get into open court and score some baskets and it became difficult to overcome.”

The lead ballooned to 84-61 with 4:49 left as the Shockers scored on 14-of-16 possessions.  Ragland had nine of the 26 points as Wichita State outscored Davidson 26-12 in that stretch.

“You know in practice, guys like him don’t take it easy on guys like me, so I am going to learn,” said Ragland, pointing at Murray,  ”We compete every day and have tough practices. With one through five being able to shoot contested threes, it makes it easier for a guy to get to the basket.”

 -Ken Cross

 

10 Questions with UMass beat writer Matt Vautour

By: Vinny Pezzimenti, CCT Atlantic 10 Columnist 

College Chalk Talk recently caught up with Matt Vautour, the longtime UMass basketball beat writer for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, to chat about the surprising Minutemen and the up-for-grabs A-10. Here’s what we discovered:

CCT: You’ve covered UMass men’s basketball for awhile now, even back to your days as an undergrad, right? Tell us about your history covering the team and some notable memories you’ve gathered along the way.

Matt: I covered the team as a student for the UMass Daily Collegian during the 1994-95 season. Being a student reporter at that point was pretty amazing. Not only did I work with quite a few sportswriters who went on to impressive careers – Dan Wetzel, Michael Morrissey, Arthur Stapleton, Mike Reiss, Dave Scott – but because UMass was getting considerable national attention at the time, I got to really study how some icons in this business worked, which was not only valuable but pretty fun.

CCT: What’s the single biggest reason UMass has been able to make such a quick leap from A-10 pretender last season to A-10 contender this season?

Matt: If I’m picking just one, I’ll say Chaz Williams. The transfer point guard from Hofstra has been an instant leader and the team has taken on his personality. He’s really been a positive influence as well as a really good player.

CCT: How much of John Calipari’s influence do you see in Derek Kellogg’s coaching style?

Matt: Sometimes more of the mannerisms than actual coaching style. Things like the way he stomps his feet during games. When Kellogg first arrived he was trying to emulate Calipari’s approach a lot more and that’s hard to do. A lot of Cal’s former assistants experienced failure before finding success. This season, Kellogg has abandoned the dribble-drive motion that Cal’s Memphis teams player for a more transition and pressure approach. It’s worked for him and he’s grown as a coach.

CCT: Of UMass’ emerging young stars, who has surprised you most?

Matt: I guess the guy who has surprised me most this year is Terrell Vinson. He showed such potential as a freshman, but really seemed lost at times last year. He’s rejuvenated this year and has been a key player. His presence has helped some of the younger guys develop around him.

CCT: Raphaiel Putney has thrown down some break-taking dunks this year. Where would you rank Putney among the greatest A-10 dunkers of the past several years?

Matt: It’s hard to compare somebody I see every day to some people I only see a time or two a year live and occasionally on TV. What’s interesting about Putney is that you’re usually not all that excited to see someone as tall as he is dunking. It’s usually the 6-3, 6-4 or 6-5 guys that look exciting because they’re so far off the ground. But Putney’s unusual length and considerable leaping ability has allowed him to start some of his dunks from pretty far away from the basket.

CCT: UMass is 12-0 at home this season. Has the Mullins Center become the most challenging venue in the A-10 for an opponent to steal a win?

Matt: The most challenging? Not yet. Towson and NJIT are among the victims in those dozen wins. But it’s getting better. UMass is more fun to watch that they’ve been and they’re playing well at home.

CCT: With experienced Temple, Xavier and Saint Louis teams at the top, is there any way UMass can win the conference regular season crown?

Matt: It’ll be a challenge. UMass still has games at Temple and at Dayton and at home against Xavier. Those games are great opportunities to gain ground if they win, but winning them is a tall task.

CCT: If you were a betting man, where would you lay the most money: UMass making the NCAA tournament? NIT? or CBI?

Matt: I’m going to say NIT. UMass doesn’t have the computer numbers for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, so they’d have to win the A-10 Tournament. I think they’re resume and the fact that they’ve been a good NIT participant in the past makes that a likely spot.

CCT: If the season ended today, who would you vote for A-10 player and coach of the year?

Matt: Player of the Year is really hard right now. There’s about 10-11 worth candidates. I’m inclined to say Ramone Moore and he certainly fits the bill and Andrew Nicholson is carrying St. Bonaventure. But Ramon Galloway and Chaz Williams have both taken teams that were picked very low and made them contenders. That should count for a lot. … If the season ended today, Kellogg’s transformation of UMass, which was picked near the bottom of the league makes him a leader.

CCT: What is your favorite city to visit in the A-10? Favorite restaurant? And, to make it interesting, what is your least favorite city to visit in the A-10?

Matt: My favorite city is Washington D.C. for so many reasons. Great things to do during the day, many of which are free, and great places to eat. If anyone in the A-10 office is reading this, please make GW and UMass travel partners. I want to go every year. My favorite restaurant is the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. The ribs are terrific. We once drove to Cincy from Dayton the night before a game just to get Montgomery Inn. … Least favorite is Kingston, R.I. Not that it’s bad, but as someone who heads there on a day trip, there’s no easy spot to eat before or after games.

You can read Matt’s UMass sports blog at www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports and follow him on Twitter @GazetteUMass.

 

For St. John’s, a learning experience

Mike Dunlap of St. John's

NEWARK, NJ – The record is 10-16 with a 4-10 mark in Big East play. The won-lost record can be misleading and unfair. Assistant coach Mike Dunlap is doing an excellent job at St. John’s. Dunlap was put in a tough situation. Head coach Steve Lavin opted off the sidelines early in the season as he recovers from prostate cancer. Nurideen Lindsey, a promising player, left the program before January. Last week Malik Stith also exited leaving St. John’s with six scholarship players. A team, already young and thin in the depth ranks, could ill afford another setback. It happened but Dunlap moved on, wished Stith well and  remained positive.

          Very highly regarded as a sharp basketball mind and outstanding clinician among his peers, Dunlap is very positive in his approach. He is an outstanding teacher and very patient with this young team trying to negotiate the ‘land mines’ of the Big East.

          Dunlap spoke of the inability to get anything going following Seton Hall’s 94-64 dismantling of the Red Storm on Valentine’s Day at the Prudential Center. “We tried to tell them during time outs to remain positive and keep working,” Dunlap said. “When those three pointers are going down like that you almost feel helpless.” The Hall shot a scorching 62.5% (15 of 24) from three point land. Six players canned three’s led by game high scorer Jordan Theodore with 16 points on 4 of 6 from downtown. “The biggest difference between Seton Hall from last year,” Dunlap added, “is they have more guys who can hit the three consistently. Last year they had one, maybe two.”

          On Sunday, St. John’s lost at Georgetown but battled gamely giving the Hoyas a run. “We prepared an extraordinary amount of time for Seton Hall, “ Dunlap said. Nothing could prepare for an offensive barrage as St. John’s faced that night. Regardless, it would be less than a half hour until Dunlap resumed work.

          “I’ll get on the bus and look at the game on the lap top,” he said . “In the morning we will meet and go over the game as a staff. Then I will meet with players individually to point out what they did well and what needs correcting.” Dunlap’s teaching accentuates the positive followed by necessary corrections.

          As noted, the record has been unkind. Still, St. John’s has received praise for how hard they play. Especially from Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard, who commended Dunlap and St. John’s following their meeting on Tuesday.

          Next up for St. John’s is a Madison Square Garden date with UCLA on Saturday. Dunlap, hard at work remains at the fore front of St. John’s as they use this season to ‘establish a culture.’ A foundation for promising days ahead. “Lou Holtz once told me,” Dunlap added, “in losing be visible, when you win become invisible.”

-Ray Floriani