NEW YORK — It had been twenty years since early season buzz surrounded St. John’s l like this. Twenty years since optimism was so potent, it warranted the Crimson Storm renting out the constructing within the preliminary portion of the nonconference schedule. SJU final performed at Madison Sq. Backyard this early within the season approach again in 2003.
Hiring Rick Pitino adjustments so much.
On Monday, although, it did not change the result. Michigan simply dished Pitino his first loss at St. John’s, successful 89-73 after a laugher of a second half. It was U-M’s eleventh consecutive win on the Backyard.
Earlier than it completed in a whimper, the Backyard was buzzing for the Johnnies in a approach it seldom has over the earlier 15-plus years. A devil-red glow lit up the world pre-game. On the videoboard, a pre-recorded Pitino hype clip included the declaration: “St. John’s goes to be again, I assure it.”
“Run This City” blared over the audio system as pyrotechnics introduced hundreds of SJU followers to their toes. This was to be the primary huge second for the Crimson Storm of their new period. It was time for St. John’s to announce its first main assertion of the Pitino Period.
Michigan wasn’t inquisitive about any of it.
Maybe later this season, or two or three years down the way in which, we’ll witness St. John’s successful an NCAA Event sport or two and look again on this dud of a debut at Madison Sq. Backyard with fun. It is a humble begin, little doubt.
“They performed clever basketball. And we didn’t,” Pitino mentioned. “We performed like a staff in early November. And that was a distinction within the sport.”
Listed below are my three huge/prolonged takeaways from Michigan’s Monday night time mauling at MSG.
It appears most everybody was flawed on Michigan
Time for a mea culpa. I had Michigan 62nd heading into the season. Nobody was actually in on U-M — the Wolverines have been picked eleventh within the Massive Ten — but few power-conference groups have been extra spectacular by three video games than this group.
Credit score to Michigan interim coach Phil Martelli for guiding the ship. With Juwan Howard nonetheless not able to return after latest coronary heart surgical procedure, Martelli (a person with almost 450 wins, I am going to remind ya) has comfortably coached Michigan to a 3-0 begin with a median win margin of 24.7 factors over 2023 NCAA Event staff UNC Asheville, Youngstown State and St. John’s.
“I am appropriately drained, and it feels good,” Martelli instructed me afterward of quickly resuming his former function of operating a program.
The Wolverines aren’t overloaded with expertise, however they seem like a decent unit to date. At 18-16 final season, Michigan was a letdown (partially due to accidents). This staff’s an offensive machine in the intervening time, dropping 89 or extra in all three video games; on Monday, it scorched St. John’s to the tune of 1.24 factors per possession.
“They’re gonna have an important season,” Pitino mentioned. “I do not comply with the Massive Ten an excessive amount of, however there’s not too many groups higher than Michigan, I can guarantee you of that. As a result of they rating so properly. They rebound the ball. They share the ball.”
It is nonetheless unclear when Howard will come again, however between Martelli operating the day-to-day, Howard Eisley enjoying offensive coordinator and Saddi Washington operating the protection, that trio has quite a lot of basketball brainpower. It is why I picked it as among the best teaching teams in faculty basketball this offseason.
As for the win and the atmosphere, Martelli, a bona fide don of Philadelphia basketball, could not assist himself.
“You are gonna get pissed, however (Madison Sq. Backyard is): the second finest basketball area within the nation,” he instructed the media minutes after the win. “You are properly conscious the Palestra is the perfect basketball constructing in America.”
There might no be quick-fixing this St. John’s D
Once I sat down with Pitino at Massive East Media Day in October, he was ebullient on all issues besides one. Pitino instructed me his staff’s defensive prowess was nowhere close to the extent it wanted to be with a view to have NCAA Event credentials. He mentioned he was bracing for the primary few weeks of the season, as a result of he sensed there was much more work to be achieved. A significant cause for that was he introduced on quite a lot of mid-major transfers from groups who weren’t above common final season.
With almost 5 many years {of professional} basketball expertise, the person is aware of what he is speaking about. The Crimson Storm was imponent defensively a lot of the night time. That may even be placing it too properly. In reality, I am going to let Pitino’s phrases inform the story — succinctly. In his first postgame MSG presser in ages, he was rational however blunt.
Three pull-quotes:
- “Our frontcourt depth is horrible.”
- “Our offense shocked the s— out of me. Shocked the hell out of me that we did not share the ball.”
- “I at all times inform them … the movie by no means lies. It by no means lies. You already know, whenever you watch an important film, the identical issues are gonna occur in that film. And so they’re gonna watch it tomorrow, they’re gonna be very embarrassed at their play.”
The Johnnies have been listless all through the second half. Pitino acknowledged his staff did not come near matching the fervor of the St. John’s followers (attendance on Monday night time: 14,188). His greatest stunner was how his staff went limp on the offensive finish within the second half. The Crimson Storm regarded content material to observe Michigan run away with the sport. It might be gorgeous to see this type of physique language and collective efficiency from this staff by the center of convention play.
However to that time, Pitino mentioned, “We higher watch out now, as a result of this early schedule is hard.”
A pair minutes later, he deadpanned in regards to the schedule: “And the Massive East might be a lot simpler.”
Few groups introduced extra intrigue — or hype — heading into November than St. John’s. We will name this precisely what it was: A flop. Pitino has a venture on his arms, maybe one among his more durable assignments of the previous 10 years (Louisville, Iona and the EuroLeague in that stretch). So, in typical Pitino vogue, Monday night time didn’t conclude with him leaving MSG to go again residence to his cozy abode on the grounds of Winged Foot Golf Membership. The person is a preparation freak. He made certain a gathering room on the close by Renaissance Lodge was booked properly prematurely, in case the coaches wanted it to assessment video ASAP after a loss. Monday night time introduced alarming defea, which meant a research session was so as. Inside 90 minutes of the sport ending, your entire St. John’s employees was again on the staff resort and poring over the tape.
Dug McDaniel‘s profession night time a serious Michigan improvement
Michigan might be one of many 25 finest groups within the nation proper now, however St. John’s did not supply up sufficient of a resistance to precisely gauge the Wolverines’ potential. Regardless of that, two gamers supplied up a horizon of hope for this season.
Alabama switch Nimari Burnett opened his night time making his first eight pictures. He completed with 21 factors and was liable for preserving Michigan consistent with an excited St. John’s staff within the first 10 minutes of the sport. He had a career-best 19 factors — with six minutes left within the first half.
“We settled in as a result of Nimari settled in,” Martelli mentioned.
The loopy half: Burnett was coming off a bagel a number of nights earlier. He did not rating in opposition to Youngstown State. For all he did, it was sophomore level guard Dug McDaniel who was the MVP. He scored a game-high 26 factors, plus seven assists and 6 rebounds. McDaniel is listed at 5-foot-11, however I can report that is a traditional beneficiant media information increase from his faculty.
If he will be THIS type of playmaker — a plot level few envisioned — then it may possibly change Michigan’s calculus. Martelli instructed me McDaniel’s had an enormous on-court and off-court maturation course of for the reason that spring. All of it culminated right into a profession night time on Monday. McDaniel is diminutive however demonstrative in his model. A enjoyable participant and will develop into among the best guards within the Massive Ten. How a lot U-M has to depend on him might be key.
“He actually has to play (nearly) 40 minutes,” Martelli mentioned.
Michigan’s backup choices to run the offense are Burnett and not-ready-yet freshman George Washington. (Jaelin Llewellyn continues to be recovering from an ACL harm.)
Earlier than the sport, Michigan gamers have been donning these “MICHIGAN VS. EVERYBODY” shirts which have turn out to be the soccer staff’s rallying cry. In a approach, it prolonged to the lads’s hoops staff because of the low-end projections from throughout the game. Motivation for this staff? Not a lot, per the gamers.
“We do not actually pay an excessive amount of consideration to [preseason rankings],” McDaniel mentioned. “We do not take note of the surface noise. It is type of enjoyable being underdogs.”
A real check to their credentials will come subsequent week, when Michigan travels to the Bahamas to play within the Battle 4 Atlantis. A 2-1 or 3-0 document in that bracket will break this season extensive open. This is to hoping Howard is wholesome and again on the sideline in time for that occasion.