St. John's building on Posh Alexander, Julian Champagnie
St. John's Red Storm guard Posh Alexander controls the ball against the Utah Valley Wolverines during the second half of an NCAA non-conference men's basketball game at Carnesecca Arena on Jan. 23. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
One climbs a steep learning curve when he signs on to play for Mike Anderson.
St. John’s third-year coach uses a system and a style that is very unique among college basketball programs. Few players are used to playing the withering style of baseline-to-baseline defense he demands nor the high level of exertion it requires. Some, like sophomore point guard Posh Alexander, were born to play that way. For almost everyone else it’s like jumping from long division to advanced calculus.
This became more than apparent when Anderson replaced Chris Mullin for the 2019-20 season. It was all new to that young team and, though there were some early successes, the Red Storm didn’t truly get it until the last few weeks of the season when they started winning tough games.
This season, St. John’s has brought in a load of talent – five impressive transfers and a pair of high-ceiling freshman – to join returning stars Julian Champagnie and Alexander. The team was realistically tabbed in a preseason poll of Big East coaches to place fourth of 11. Whether they meet or exceed such expectations is going to depend on how quickly they pick up Anderson’s beat.
"This is different in the sense that we brought these guys here," Anderson said when asked if this group will travel the learning curve faster than his first team. "We got guys who fit what we want to do. But at the same time, it’s a process – there’s no question about it. It’s why you hear me say ‘there’s a lot of question marks right now.’ I don’t have the answers yet, but we’re working on the answers."
St. John’s was a Big East success story last season, going 16-11 overall and 10-9 in the conference to finish in fourth place for the first time since 2000. Champagnie was first-team all-Big East after averaging 19.8 points. Alexander earned conference Freshman of the Year by averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals. Anderson was Big East Coach of the Year.
This year’s edition brings back the best and improves at virtually every position. It adds, via transfer, guard Seth Smith from Vermont, guard Montez Mathis from Rutgers, forward Aaron Wheeler from Purdue, center Joel Soriano from Fordham and guard Tareq Coburn from Fordham. Guard Rafael Pinzon from Long Island Lutheran and O’Mar Stanley from Overland Park, Kansas could see major minutes as freshmen.
Mike Anderson, St. John's University men's basketball head coach, speaks with the press during Media Day at Carnesecca Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. Credit: James Escher
The 6-11 Soriano and 6-9 Wheeler should improve rebounding, a major weakness last season. Another big weakness, three-point shooting, should be shored up with Coburn and Smith, who shot 40% and 39% on three-pointers, respectively, in four-year careers. Mathis was an 8.0-point scorer over his three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, but is most attractive for his athleticism and defensive motor.
Anderson said he hoped working with established talent will "accelerate the learning" curve.
"The thing I really express with our guys is the sense of urgency. You guys some guys that have one year or two years (left) and their window is kind of is shortening," Anderson said. Some of those guys come from winning programs and I think they came to win . . . with a focus on what they need to get done. To establish themselves as a major player on a good basketball team."
"You can see these guys already starting to understand (Anderson’s) system," Champagnie said, "and I don’t think they will need to learn to play hard because of their experience."
St. John's head coach Mike Anderson calls out to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
The array of new players could also present some challenges for Anderson. His style demands a deep team to keep fresh legs in the game to defend for 40 minutes and he could go 10 deep (or 11 when sophomore Dylan Addae-Wusu returns from injury) however he will need to figure out the combinations that will produce the best results and that could involve some trial and error.
In the Storm’s two exhibitions, Mathis. Smith and Soriano joined Champagnie and Alexander in the starting lineup.
"We’ve got to have that balance with this basketball team – we have a lot of versatile parts," Anderson said. "We can go inside or we can go outside, but I still want us to be . . . attacking the basket. Still, we’ve got to hang our hats on our defense."
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
