Jordan Theodore, the kid from Englewood with the map of New Jersey tattooed across his back, is the Jekyll and Hyde of Big East point guards.
When he’s good, as he was last night in Seton Hall’s 94-64 demolition of St. John’s in The Rock, he’s a difference maker, a game changer, the most valuable commodity in college basketball — a senior floor leader.
When Theodore’s bad, like he was in the 55-42 loss at Notre Dame, his poor decision making derails his team.
“The team feeds off me,’’ said Theodore. “Especially with me being the point guard and me just having the ball in my hands as much as I do.’’
Good or bad, night in and night out, Theodore is a point guard first, a player charged with getting his teammates involved and making sure the message from the bench is relayed to his teammates. He’s a human switchboard, one that occasionally shorts out.
St. John’s, on the other hand, doesn’t have one point guard, it has two — freshmen Phil Greene and D’Angelo Harrison — which means it really doesn’t have a true floor leader.
Greene came to St. John’s as an athletic defender, never expecting or expected to be the starting point guard. Harrison came as one of the nation’s best prep shooting guard. He too was not expected to get the point.
But Nurideen Lindsey transferred after the first semester and Malik Stith left the team earlier this month leaving Greene and Harrison with no choice but to take a crash course in point guard play.
One problem, the Big East is not the place for on the job training.
So on a night when Theodore had 10 assists and four turnovers while Greene and Harrison combined for five assists and three turnovers, Seton Hall (18-8, 7-7 Big East) posted its biggest win of the year and St. John’s (10-16, 4-10) suffered its worse loss.
“What you saw tonight is pretty much what he’s been giving us all year,’’ Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said.
This is Theodore’s last year wearing the blue and white. The senior has never fulfilled his dream of playing in the NCAA Tournament.
He’s watched his friends, Kemba Walker of The Bronx and Truck Bryant of Brooklyn, play into late March, watched them on a TV in the gym when he was working on his game while they were dancing.
His dream is alive again after the Pirates won their third straight.
“I don’t even know where the Final Four is this year,’’ Theodore said. “I don’t know where the first tournament game is. But it don’t matter.’’
No, it doesn’t. Only 68 teams get there. Seton Hall probably will. St. John’s will not.
Even if Lindsey and Stith had stayed the Red Storm didn’t have enough depth and experience. But now it also doesn’t have a true point guard.
“He chooses tempo. He’s good with the pick and roll, keeps his dribble,’’ Greene said of Theodore. “You tell he’s played point for a long time.’’
Four years. Theodore has been thrilling and tormenting Seton Hall fans for four years. In that loss at Notre Dame he had one assist, five turnovers and was 4-of-12 shooting.
If the Pirates don’t hit the skids again like that six-game losing streak they recently snapped, they will be in the tournament.
That’s Theodore’s mandate.
“As I get older I got wiser, I slowed down,’’ he said. “I stopped playing 99 miles per hour.’’
The season is whizzing by in a blur. Seton Hall’s postseason push continues Saturday at Cincinnati.
“I’m going to get the guys ready,’’ Theodore said.
That’s what senior point guards are supposed to do.
* St. John’s athletic director Chris Monasch declined to comment on the alleged ticket scalping committed by former senior associated athletics director Brian Colleary. Monasch had been on a tour of athletic directors of Nike factories in Asia but was called back early.