CHICAGO – So long, Sioux Falls.
After meeting some of the friendliest people in the country and crossing South Dakota off whatever is the opposite of a bucket list, I find myself stuck in a three-hour layover.
So, no time like now to look back at the Red Storm’s season-opening, 86-75 loss to 20th-ranked Wisconsin Friday night.
Here are my initial thoughts (not including how strange it was to attend a basketball game located next to a massive cornfield):
1. Offensive chemistry could be an issue. It certainly was in the first half, when the team shot 9-of-23 from the field and committed 10 turnovers. The players just didn’t look comfortable with one another and D’Angelo Harrison admitted after the game that the team is still getting used to each other. With two new, key pieces – Rysheed Jordan and Orlando Sanchez – it’s understandable that it will take some time.
The team wasn’t forcing shots or settling for shots early, they just weren’t hitting shots. They were either over-passing or not passing enough, problems easily worked out just by playing together more. Also, going against Wisconsin’s disciplined defense makes a lot of offenses look awkward.
There was improvement in the second half, when the team shot 54.3 percent from the field, hit 13-of-16 free throws and only committed two turnovers, but Harrison and JaKarr Sampson were the only players to reach double-digit points, combining for 48.
2. 3-point shooting is still an issue. St. John’s shot 27.1 percent on 3-pointers last season, ranking 338th out of 345 teams from beyond the arc, and last night, it didn’t look any better. They shot 2-of-13 on 3-pointers, with Harrison going 1-of-7. The team was at its best when penetrating or just powering it inside, particularly with Sampson, but the Johnnies need to spread the floor to prevent defenses from just packing the paint.
Max Hooper, the sharpshooter from Harvard, only played five minutes and missed his only attempt. Steve Lavin said he is still tinkering with the rotation, but Hooper needs to see some legit minutes to see if he can keep defenses honest and give Harrison, Sampson and Co. more room to operate. With so many difficult players to defend — Harrison, Sampson, Jordan, Sanchez — Hooper will see some open looks. If he succeeds, everyone benefits.
3. There’s no need to worry about Rysheed Jordan. Harrison and Sampson said after the game that the highly touted freshman was disappointed with his debut, but mostly because the team lost. Sampson, last year’s Big East Rookie of the Year, even laughed that it was better than his collegiate opener, when he shot 1-of-7 for two points against Detroit.
Jordan, who has received non-stop praise from Lavin for his selflessness, appeared to be pressing early and was looking for his shot much more than his reputation suggests. In the first half, he went 0-for-4 from the field with no assists and three turnovers, but he settled down in the second half, going 2-for-5 from the floor with three assists and no turnovers.
On one play — the first of many – the Johnnies may have found their most deadly combination, as Jordan found Sampson on a beautifully timed pick-and-roll for an easy bucket inside. By the time Big Easy play begins, it could be unstoppable.
*- St. John’s plays its next four games at Carnesecca Arena, starting with Friday night’s game against Wagner.