Young Storm faces Garden test vs. Arizona

So far, so good for Steve Lavin's first big recruiting class at St. John's. They're off to a 3-0 start, but the Red Storm will take on its first "name'' opponent when it meets Arizona (3-0) in the second game of the 2K Sports Classic event for Coaches Vs. Cancer Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

The first semifinal matches Texas A&M against Mississippi State and the winners play Friday night at 7 after the 4:30 consolation game.

Lavin's recruiting class includes four freshmen and two junior college transfers, and it won't be surprising if they experience a touch of stage fright in their Madison Square Garden debuts. "I know, even as a coach, my first game in the Garden, it's natural to have butterflies, to have the heart in your throat and to have a lot of adrenaline running through your body,'' Lavin said. "It's how we channel that after those first three or four minutes and settle down and try to find some kind of rhythm or flow. Because we're so young, we anticipate some butterflies.''

In preparation for the Garden stage, Lavin pumped up the volume at practice, and he also showed tape of last season's senior-laden Red Storm in some of its biggest victories at MSG as a means of demonstrating how the newcomers are expected to play.

"We showed them our team playing games in February so they could see the blueprint for where we're trying to get this team to go,'' Lavin said.

"There was the functional, practical side of our zone defense, our fullcourt pressure and our traps and offensive execution. Our team was undefeated in Big East play in the month of February. We wanted our players to see that. It will help them when we do the drill work on a daily basis.''

Lavin has been pleased by the skill and quickness his young team has shown, but he is concerned by the lack of depth and size in the frontcourt. The Red Storm has been outrebounded in every game, and that isn't likely to change against an Arizona team that lost Derrick Williams, the second overall pick in the NBA draft, but returns a core of two seniors -- guard Kyle Fogg (14.7 points) and forward Jesse Perry (10.7, 8.3 rebounds) -- and junior forward Solomon Hill (10.3, 8.0).

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The Wildcats also have a premier recruiting class, including guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner and forward Angelo Chol.

Through three games, the Red Storm has a 49.7 field-goal percentage and four players averaging in double figures: God'sgift Achiuwa (17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds), Moe Harkless (16.7 points), Nurideen Lindsey (16.3 points 4.7 assists) and D'Angelo Harrison (14.3 points).

"I'm pleased with the balanced approach offensively,'' Lavin said. "Now, as we step up in competition, we'll get a better sense for where we are on all fronts as a basketball team with teams like Arizona, Texas A&M and Mississippi State, the Dukes, at Kentucky, at Detroit. So, you have to stay tuned in terms of where this basketball team is headed.''