4 starters go 40 minutes as St. John's wins
Phil Greene of St. John's University shoots over Fordham University players for 2 of his nine points. St. John's University beat Fordham University by a score of 56-50. (Dec. 17, 2011) Credit: Errol Anderson
The basketball adage about the importance of being in the starting lineup goes this way: "It's not who starts that is important, it's who finishes."
At St. John's these days, it's all one and the same.
Four starters played all 40 minutes in a riveting 56-50 win over Fordham in the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival yesterday, and the other played 36. That was partly because of a minor disciplinary measure but mostly because of necessity. In terms appropriate for a program trying to reestablish its place in New York City, getting on the court for St. John's is like riding the express instead of the local. No stops.
"Actually, I'm feeling pretty good," D'Angelo Harrison said after leading the Red Storm with 15 points in his start-to-finish effort. "We got a 'W,' so my energy is at a high right now."
Moe Harkless, who had 13 points and 16 rebounds in his 40 minutes, said, "Once you get that second wind . . . I could probably keep playing for another 40 minutes."
He might just get that chance soon enough for a team that is shorthanded in many ways. The Storm (5-5) began the season without three highly regarded recruits because they failed to qualify academically. Next, coach Steve Lavin discovered he had returned too soon from prostate cancer surgery and has had to miss more games, including Saturday's (he told MSG Network in a phone interview that he needs less stamina to recruit than to handle games).
Most crushing was last week's announcement that starting point guard Nurideen Lindsey has decided to transfer. Then guard Malik Stith, the one veteran regular, was benched Saturday for what was called a minor academic violation. What you had was a very short bench.
What you also had was the start of the point guard career of Phil Greene, recruited as a shooting guard. "By necessity, his evolution has to be rapid-fire," said assistant coach Mike Dunlap, running the team in Lavin's absence. "He is very understated, but he's very intelligent and he's a good player."
Greene had just the right touch in two big stretches: during an 11-0 run at the end of the first half that put St. John's ahead by nine (Harkless had a block and five points in that burst) and in the final minute, when Fordham (5-5) was within three and threatened to reprise the upset win at Rose Hill last year.
Greene made a free throw with 26 seconds left to put St. John's ahead by four -- having assured his teammates that even if he missed, they were going to stop Fordham.
"My coaches have tremendous confidence in me to come out there and play. They know what I can do, they believe in my ability. So I'm up to the challenge. That's why I came to St. John's," Greene said after nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in his 40 minutes.
Had Fordham won, it would not have been as huge an upset as it was last season, Tom Pecora's first as coach. That is a reflection on the progress of Fordham, which got 17 points from Branden Frazier and 14 rebounds from Chris Gaston (who played 40 minutes). "We're building something here," said former Hofstra coach Pecora, who still lives in Williston Park.
This was all about New York, and about guys who weren't too tired to say so. Said Harkless, "There are a lot of guys on that team from New York. So everyone was talking junk and stuff like that. We won, so I've got bragging rights from this season."
