At this pace, Steve Lavin may lose his hair by March, and he has a full head of locks.
Between doling out suspensions and his team’s schizophrenic play, the start to Lavin’s fourth season at St. John’s has been chaotic. That the Red Storm have won three of their first four games, including Friday night’s far from impressive 64-54 victory over Monmouth, speaks to the roster’s high level of talent amid its inconsistency.
There are a number of areas St. John’s will have to improve upon, however, to keep winning as the schedule gets increasingly tougher, starting next weekend in Brooklyn against Penn State in the opener of the Barclays Center Classic on Friday, and either Ole Miss or Georgia Tech the following night. Below are a few areas of note:
Offensive identity
St. John’s talks about working inside out and living at the free-throw line, yet it has taken 36 3-pointers over its past two games and 26 free throws, many of those in the final minutes when opponents had to foul to extend the game. There is no reason — no good one, anyway — the Red Storm should be hoisting up long jumpers rather than pounding the ball inside with its bevy of long, athletic forwards and quick guards.
St. John’s has settled far too much for the 3-pointer this season — having attempted 59 of them — and has to figure out its identity. The roster would seem to suggest a slashing team that forces the issue. The Johnnies aren’t a team, they’ve said, that will rely heavily on the 3-ball, yet that’s what they have done in the early going more often than not.
Perimeter defense
At times, St. John’s can be too reliant on shot-blocking dynamos Chris Obekpa and Orlando Sanchez to erase mistakes, a problem that will eventuall backfire. Monmouth lived in the lane against the Johnnies on Friday night, and while Obekpa blocked nine of the team’s 15 shots — tying a school record — he also fouled out with more than three minutes remaining, and St. John’s allowed an alarming 32 points in the paint.
Better teams will find ways to finish inside or set up open opportunities on the perimeter, as Wisconsin did in St. John’s lone loss. Obekpa, and to a lesser degree, Sanchez, are a crutch for the Red Storm guards, a handicap they have used often this season. Lavin was especially critical of his team’s defense on Friday night, which speaks volumes from the usually positive coach on a night his team blocked so many shots. St. John’s certainly has the athletes to defend; it’s a matter of execution.
Rysheed Jordan
The freshman is suddenly a major question mark, after Lavin suspended the point guard from Philadelphia for Friday’s night’s game against Monmouth after a violation of undisclosed team rules. Granted Jordan gets back in Lavin’s good graces, St. John’s needs him to produce.
During the preseason, Lavin said Jordan would be “central to everything we do,” as his ability to penetrate and get into the lane can free up teammates on the perimeter and in the paint. In his first three games, Jordan was too tentative and was a non-factor, putting the onus on guards D’Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene IV to create their own opportunities.