If you looked ahead, you could see the issues that may ultimately derail St. John’s biggest dreams, the potential problems that have been lurking for months.
St. John’s opened its season Friday night with a 77-61 win over New Orleans despite getting outrebounded 42-27 and allowing 15 second-chance opportunities. The Red Storm’s bench was as thin as its frontcourt, with four players combining for a total of eight points. Kassoum Yakwe still looked stuck in last season’s slump. Bashir Ahmed’s decision-making was still erratic.
And still, it was easy to see the reasons for the most excitement in Chris Mullin’s three seasons as coach. It was easy to see all that is possible, following the Red Storm’s win at Carnesecca Arena.
While Marcus LoVett (23 points, four steals) and Shamorie Ponds (12 points, six assists, seven rebounds) picked up right where their fantastic freshman seasons ended, Michigan State transfer Marvin Clark sparkled in his St. John’s debut, tying a career high with 15 points by hitting 5-of-6 shots.
“We’re glad to have continued expectations or improvement or whatever that might that be, but you still have to go out and do it,” Mullin said. “It’s one thing to talk about it and write about it … if you rehearse the right way and create the right daily habits it’ll show over time. I think, hopefully, that’s the point we’re at now.”
St. John’s led nearly the entire game, but had trouble shaking loose from the Privateers — an NCAA Tournament team last season, though returning just two starters — in the first half, initially struggling to get into an offensive rhythm, as the undersized unit was exposed on the glass.
Arizona transfer Justin Simon got the crowd going early by scoring six of St. John’s first eight points — including a backdoor alley-oop — and his fellow newcomer, Clark, carried the Red Storm at the end of the half, scoring 11 points in the final eight minutes to stretch a two-point lead to 37-28 by halftime.
St. John’s, which won its fourth straight season-opener, led by double-digits nearly all of the second half — eventually stretching the lead to 22 — moving the ball well, hitting 12-of-30 3-pointers, and turning 21 New Orleans turnovers into 36 points.
“I thought it was very choppy,” Mullin said of the performance. “For the most part, there were some good moments, and a lot we can look at on film and get better at, of course. They hammered us on the boards pretty good, which is always a concern, but we did some good things. From that standpoint, it looked like a first game.”
It was all that was needed on opening night. There is plenty of time for this talented team to look even better – and imagine all that is possible.
“I’m happy we got that first win out of the way. It wasn’t pretty but we got it done,” Clark said. “We just gotta figure out how to put a full, complete 40-minute game together and once we do that, I think we’ll be tournament ready.”