Tues 11/19 BE Game Thread (3 Games).

[Bill Marsh]

Question i have is how much of that was Memphis, and how much of that is Oklahoma St? I mean, OSU is the #3 team this morning in Ken Pom. Behind only Louisville and Ohio St.

I saw some of that game and I'd say it was some of both. Memphis was never in the game and that wasn't all OSU, which is a very good team.

[billyjack]

I saw the 2nd half of the St John's game (and just part of the 1st).

I think the keys were that they turned up the intensity when they had to, played focused, played with an edge, and dominated the paint in the last 10 minutes. Bucknell's #50 was swarmed with blocks and bodies whenever he got near the basket. So, the Johnnies could've folded and collapsed against an annoying Bucknell gameplan, but they bucked up and pulled out a win.

My take I think is like Bill's, where I think SJU has to reduce the number or stop taking 18 foot jump shots with 28 seconds left on the shot clock. Just pound it in low to Sanchez, Sampson and Obekpa (even though CO is raw on offense) and let them dunk or lay it in. Few teams can survive on so many deep jumpshots, because even a good shooting percentage isn't sustainable over time. And they had good matchups with better athleticism with JS, Sanchez and CO compared to Bucknell's #50.

So going forward, I think St John's could be an elite team if they adjust their gameplan just a little. They're like a Maserati that needs to get off the 87 Octane and get the good stuff. Their talent is awesome. Their D is awesome. Their fast break is awesome. They just need more inside offense**.

** for example, with under 10 to play, Obekpa was fed underneath and dunked it... textbook play... they never tried going back to that.

[TheHall]

Couple of media reports. Three things you won't see in any of them- 1) This season has already been a disappointment or 2 - BBall IQ is a fundamental problem plaguing SJU & 3- Bucknell represents a less than worthy victory.

"This Red Storm team has aspirations to go far in the NCAA Tournament this season, and a 67-63 victory over Bucknell — no matter how scrappy it was — at Carnesecca Arena certainly doesn’t bolster that notion, at least on the surface. But look at how the Johnnies came back in the second half to win, and the components start to show themselves."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/st-john-athleticism-pushes-squad-bucknell-67-63-article-1.1522951

"All Tuesday night, St. John’s bounced back and forth, showing just how far it can go and then displaying just how far it still has to go. But if the Red Storm’s talent can overcome their inconsistency and their final 15 minutes against Bucknell are any indication of how they’ll look in the Big East, they could be ready to match the hype."

http://nypost.com/2013/11/19/late-push-drives-st-johns-past-bucknell/

"Ultimately, St. John’s won the game on the defensive end as Steve Lavin elected to play zone midway through the second half. Bucknell carved up the man-to-man defense in the opening stanza for 35 points on 53.6% FG, but struggled in the second half because of it shooting 39%...Problem solving” was something St. John’s did tonight to come away with a victory. If developing a more consistent and reliable scoring game from the perimeter is next on the list — no easy feat — St. John’s will be on their way soon enough."

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/19/st-johns-problem-solves-in-come-back-win-over-bucknell/

"A loss to the Bison would’ve dropped the Johnnies to 1-2 and raised some major questions about their resume for March. But fueled by Phil Greene IV’s 16 points and 13 blocks by their defense, the Johnnies took control in the second half en route to a 67-63 victory at Carnesecca Arena. Instead of an unsightly 1-2 record to start the season, the Johnnies held steady at 2-1."

http://zagsblog.com/articles/lavin-says-johnnies-could-be-dangerous-by-february/

Everyone's entitled to an opinion but it seems like some are confusing their opinions for facts.