St. John's Scouting Report

[Hey Adrien!]

Thanks for the scouting report, as always.

RJ Luis is apparently going to be available tonight.

Just saw this now.

RJ Luis reminds me a bit of David Jones. Not sure how much run he’ll get tonight, but he’s a high-flyer and will be a very good Big East baller in short order.

I’d expect the starting lineup to stay the same, but Luis will get backup 3 minutes over Dunlap.

On a separate note, it’s getting dangerously close to dinner time here in Arizona. The good news: we’re eating in today w just my wife and in-laws so good chance I’ll be able to watch live.

 

[REB1094]

Play in the 80s and we probably win. Play in the 60s and we probably lose

Oops

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Since we've last played St. John's in late December, Pitino's rotations have changed quite a bit.

RJ Luis is back healthy. Arguably St. John's best athlete, he can slash, hit the boards, especially on the offensive end. Very good defender too. He plays the 3 and 4.

Glenn Taylor has been playing less in favor of freshman Brady Dunlap. A three-level shooter, Dunlap is a surprisingly gritty defender for his slight 6'7 frame, but he's going to be a very good player for St. John's as he develops. With Alleyne out (ankle), Dunlap has really stepped up at the 2 and the 3.

Daniss Jenkins is starting to look like the guy I saw at Iona: confident, crafty and super versatile. He fits in this conference perfectly.

St. John's has lost four of its last five, but played a tough stretch visiting Creighton, SH and Xavier while hosting Marquette and Villanova (their only win).

I mentioned it in jest last weekend when Providence hosted Georgetown, but Saturday is St. John's Super Bowl and a lynchpin matchup for a team with March Madness aspirations.

Below are updated stats and metrics strictly from conference play.

Wish I could be at Saturday's game, but I'll be coaching our school's math team at a regional championship, so I'll have to watch this one on record.

Should be a fun one!

 

[NJHusky]

Since we've last played St. John's in late December, Pitino's rotations have changed quite a bit.

RJ Luis is back healthy. Arguably St. John's best athlete, he can slash, hit the boards, especially on the offensive end. Very good defender too. He plays the 3 and 4.

Glenn Taylor has been playing less in favor of freshman Brady Dunlap. A three-level shooter, Dunlap is a surprisingly gritty defender for his slight 6'7 frame, but he's going to be a very good player for St. John's as he develops. With Alleyne out (ankle), Dunlap has really stepped up at the 2 and the 3.

Daniss Jenkins is starting to look like the guy I saw at Iona: confident, crafty and super versatile. He fits in this conference perfectly.

St. John's has lost four of its last five, but played a tough stretch visiting Creighton, SH and Xavier while hosting Marquette and Villanova (their only win).

I mentioned it in jest last weekend when Providence hosted Georgetown, but Saturday is St. John's Super Bowl and a lynchpin matchup for a team with March Madness aspirations.

Below are updated stats and metrics strictly from conference play.
View attachment 95902
View attachment 95903

Wish I could be at Saturday's game, but I'll be coaching our school's math team at a regional championship, so I'll have to watch this one on record.

Should be a fun one!

Honest question….how do u coach a math championship. Before,yes. During???

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Honest question….how do u coach a math championship. Before,yes. During???

Oh, it's great. I literally do NOTHING when they are competing. Coaches aren't even allowed in the rooms.

So day of, starts off w/ a bunch of drop-off logistics (there will be like 250+ kids there) and registering and then just hanging out for like an hour to help the kids relax off the pressure of whatever they and/or their parents put on the kids.

Then for like two hours, I mostly just...hang out. I'll have my laptop with me, a book, coffee, some snacks. Only one of our kids made the state championship last year, so I literally went for a walk around the campus of the college we were at.

Then, lunch is chaos. Picture 250+ sweaty, smelly, awkward middle schoolers...it's painfully awful, but also kinda hilarious.

Then, after lunch, it gets a bit more fun. There's a 4-person team round (the only competition part of the competition where kids could talk to each other) and then the last part is kinda like a jeopardy style event where the top 16 kids do a tournament-style rapid fire. Here's the national championship of the same thing, it's ridiculous how these kids process information.

When all is said and done, it ends at like 3. It's a long day, but I'm able to clock all my work with the team as "coaching hours", so it's nice to get compensated for all the work it takes.

So, long story short, I mostly hang out. My main job is being there for the kids, keeping it light and having fun with them. Fingers crossed we'll make the State Championship this year but, like college basketball "our conference is super competitive".

 

[NJHusky]

Oh, it's great. I literally do NOTHING when they are competing. Coaches aren't even allowed in the rooms.

So day of, starts off w/ a bunch of drop-off logistics (there will be like 250+ kids there) and registering and then just hanging out for like an hour to help the kids relax off the pressure of whatever they and/or their parents put on the kids.

Then for like two hours, I mostly just...hang out. I'll have my laptop with me, a book, coffee, some snacks. Only one of our kids made the state championship last year, so I literally went for a walk around the campus of the college we were at.

Then, lunch is chaos. Picture 250+ sweaty, smelly, awkward middle schoolers...it's painfully awful, but also kinda hilarious.

Then, after lunch, it gets a bit more fun. There's a 4-person team round (the only competition part of the competition where kids could talk to each other) and then the last part is kinda like a jeopardy style event where the top 16 kids do a tournament-style rapid fire. Here's the national championship of the same thing, it's ridiculous how these kids process information.

When all is said and done, it ends at like 3. It's a long day, but I'm able to clock all my work with the team as "coaching hours", so it's nice to get compensated for all the work it takes.

So, long story short, I mostly hang out. My main job is being there for the kids, keeping it light and having fun with them. Fingers crossed we'll make the State Championship this year but, like college basketball "our conference is super competitive".

I clicked on the link it’s crazy how these kids do math in their head. Very impressive

 

[housekeys]

So, long story short, I mostly hang out. My main job is being there for the kids, keeping it light and having fun with them. Fingers crossed we'll make the State Championship this year but, like college basketball "our conference is super competitive".

Hope you have taught them the triangle and 1 defense? That's math, no? Kidding aside, good job and good luck.

 

[huskyharry]

Naheim was en fuego yesterday, 5/5, 3/3 from 3. Jenkins has played well all year and Dingle has been solid the last 7 games.
No way UConn allows 91 points though.
But protect the mojo, we are doomed, clearly DOOMED!

 

[Kembacity]

Not sure how to embed it but hope you guys have seen Pitinos quick interview last night. When asked what he needed to take down UConn tomorrow night he said: “well… we need about 6 of their guys to come down with COVID” he smiled and he walked away.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Naheim was en fuego yesterday, 5/5, 3/3 from 3. Jenkins has played well all year and Dingle has been solid the last 7 games.
No way UConn allows 91 points though.
But protect the mojo, we are doomed, clearly DOOMED!

Always doomed. We wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I've poo-poo'd St. John's most of the season, but the reality is that they've won their last six, including home wins against Creighton and Seton Hall and an away game against Butler. Two (close) wins over Georgetown and a cakewalk against DePaul makes it less impressive, but wins are still wins.

Here are St. John's most productive players in the six-game winning streak:

Jenkins: 15.8p, 5.5a, 1.7s, 55.2 FG%
Dingle: 15.2p, 73.0 2p%, 33.3 3P%
Luis: 13.5p, 56.6 2P%
Ledlum: 12.2p, 58.3 FG%

Soriano in that same span: 10.2p, 9.7r, 2.0b

So what's interesting, and also what makes St. John's is dangerous, is that they're winning without Soriano dominating on offense.

Defensively, St. John's hasn't changed much: they do a good job preventing 3PAs, but defend the interior well with Soriano, Ledlum and Ejiofor two of the team's best defenders. Dingle and Taylor are their two most suspect defenders who get regular minutes.