Dwight Hardy says he has never looked at a list of Big East Player of the Year winners; couldn’t even name one person on the list. But sitting in the stands last night in the building that bears his name Lou Carnesecca was watching the Hardy kid drive through or shoot over DePaul.
“He reminds me of Boo Harvey or Marcus Hatten,” Carnesecca told The Post. “He really shows no fear. He takes good shots. And he always seems to be in control.”
Such was the case last night. Hardy was in control, scoring a game-high 21 points in the Red Storm’s 76-51 victory they controlled from start to finish. He made 8-of-13 shots, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists in 31 minutes.
Hardy, the only player to have won Player of the Week three times in the Big East this season, has now scored 20 or more point 11 times and 30 or more three times. And he’s done this while playing a new position – point guard.
It’s time to re-open the Player of the Year conversation. Kemba Walker clearly deserved it after the first third of the season. Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough deserves credit for lifting the Irish midway through the season.
Recently it’s been Hardy Time. The Johnnies (18-9 overall, 10-5 in the Big East) won their fifth straight last night. They have won 7-of-8, knocking off Duke, Connecticut and Pitt, and they are now in a tie for third in the Big East.
“Their coming down the stretch and he’s playing extremely well,” said DePaul coach Oliver Purnell. “St. John’s has got a chance to finish really high in the best league in the country. Sure he should be in the discussion.”
Forget stats, because every elite player has them. But there are some things Hardy has done that deserve extra consideration:
The Johnnies won their 18th game, the most since the 2003 season. They are flirting with a two-game bye in the upcoming league tournament, something they’ve never had. And with the ball in Hardy’s hands, the Red Storm has become a more controlled team.
Hardy is tied with Hansbrough for fourth in the league in free throw shooting, making 85.2 percent. The Johnnies were a 65-percent free throw shooting team last season. They’re at 71 percent this year.
Two plays in this dismantling of DePaul (7-20, 1-14) illuminate why Hardy is a legit candidate. With just under six minutes left in the first half he grabbed a long rebound, turned and in one dribble was at top speed. Hardy went in for an uncontested layup that gave St. John’s a 25-14 lead.
With just under five minutes left and St. John’s up 65-40, Hardy grabbed another rebound, turned and threw a perfect three-quarters court bounce pass to a streaking Paris Horne for the dunk.
“He’s definitely knocking on the door of Player of the Year in the conference,” said TV analyst Jim Spanarkel. “We’ve been hearing the regular names – Hansbrough, Kemba, Ashton Gibbs. But if you look at what Hardy’s done the last five weeks, he has to be in the conversation.”
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The Post has learned that St. John’s recruits D’Angelo Harrison of Sugar Land, Texas and Maurice Harkless of Queens have committed to play in the All American Championship game at the Final Four.