D'Angelo Harrison, seniors poised to lead Red Storm back to NCAA tourney
D'Angelo Harrison of the St. John's Red Storm reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars during their Big East quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The preseason announcement that junior college transfer Keith Thomas was declared ineligible by St. John's after a school investigation revealed problems with his transcript at Westchester Community College must have seemed like a case of "déjà vu all over again'' to seniors D'Angelo Harrison, Sir'Dominic Pointer and Phil Greene.
That's where they came in three years ago as part of a nine-man recruiting class that was down to six before their freshman season began because of academic problems. It has been an uphill slog ever since for those three and senior Jamal Branch, who joined them the following season. Now, just as they could begin to feel optimistic about making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their Red Storm careers, they lose Thomas and his size and rebounding.
But if there's one thing St. John's seniors have developed, it's the mental toughness to look adversity in the face.
"We came in as freshmen by ourselves and we didn't have leadership,'' Pointer said. "The difference is we have [four] seniors to lead. We learned the hard way how to lead, but we learned. Our freshmen won't have as much pressure as we did. We're going to know how to finish games.''
The Red Storm demonstrated mental toughness last season, rebounding from an 0-5 start in Big East play to go 10-3 the rest of the way and finish 20-13 overall and 10-8 in the conference. But the season ended badly when they laid an egg as a No. 1 NIT seed, losing at home to Robert Morris in the first round.
Call it more fuel for the fire. "I've probably watched that tape 37 times," Harrison said. "Every time I watch it, I get sick to my stomach. Sometimes when practices aren't going good, the coaches bring it up, and practice automatically will change. We say, 'All right, we don't want to go back there.' ''
St. John's coach Steve Lavin believes his senior class is poised to do something special. "We want to take that next step,'' he said. "We've been knocking on the door, and now we want to bust it down and send these seniors out the way we feel they deserve.''
Without Thomas, Lavin and the Red Storm must count on the improvement of 6-9 junior center Chris Obekpa and 6-4 sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan to make a big difference.
Obekpa quit the team at the end of last season but returned during the summer with a new attitude. Lavin predicted he will average a double-double this season, and Obekpa had a triple-double in the first preseason win with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocked shots against Humboldt State.
"Coach Lavin made me understand it doesn't matter where I go to school,'' Obekpa said. "My work and my effort that I put into the game is what is going to make me happy.''
Jordan remains off-limits to the media because Lavin wants him focused on his studies, but he, too, seems poised for a breakout season that might end with him jumping to the NBA.
"If Rysheed has a good year, he could make $10 million,'' said Harrison, who is a first-team preseason All-Big East pick. "He's that good right now.''
The Red Storm will have to play small with Harrison, Jordan and Greene in the backcourt and Branch coming off the bench. Freshman center Adonis Delarosa could develop into an important inside presence at 6-11, 265 pounds, but he needs to get in shape.
The Storm also will get bench help from 6-9 freshman forward Amir Alibegovic and 6-7 redshirt sophomore Christian Jones.
"As a team, we've been through a lot,'' Branch said. "I think this will be a good year for us. We definitely can make the NCAA.''
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
