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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 20-12;
9-7 in Big East (3rd/East)
Postseason: Lost to Wisconsin 80-70 in first round of NCAA East Region.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Hatten 20.1
Rebs: Glover 6.7
Assists: Hatten 4.5
FG: King 44.8%
3pt: Cuffe 37.1%
FT: Hatten 72.4%
01-02 Stats:
St. John's | Big East
KEY LOSSES
Alpha Bangura | 5.6 ppg
Donald Emanuel | 6.1 ppg
Sharif Fordham | 5.1 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Elijah Ingram | Fresh
G | Marcus Hatten Senior
F | Anthony Glover | Senior
F | Eric King | Soph
C | Moh. Diakite | Junior
Player to Watch
Marcus Hatten
Senior Guard
With Ingram at PG, he could easily lead Big East in scoring.
DATE TO REMEMBER
The Red Storm's second game against Boston College (the first one is Feb. 5) will be at Madison Square Garden, where the crowd will be treated to NBA-like guard play between the hometown Hatten-Ingram and the Eagles' Troy Bell-Ryan Sidney.
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ST. JOHN'S RED STORM
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The best five players from last season's 20-12 team are back, but that's not the biggest reason the Red Storm should be even better this season. The biggest reason for coach Mike Jarvis to smile is the addition of 5-10 freshman Elijah Ingram, a flashy point guard from Jersey who will win over the Madison Square Garden in about five minutes, and then spend the next four months helping 6-1 Marcus Hatten win games. Hatten was forced to play the point last season, and while he became the first newcomer to lead the Big East in scoring (22.3 in league play), he wasn't altogether comfortable, as evidenced by his nearly even ratio of assists to turnovers. With Ingram running the show, Hatten can play shooting guard, which also should take pressure off Willie Shaw, a very good shooter who shot very badly last season, probably because the weight of the team seemed to be on his and Hatten's shoulders. Shaw, 6-8 Kyle Cuffe, 6-6 Eric King and 6-6 senior mainstay Anthony Glover (10.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg) ought to give the Red Storm enough size to offset their lack of a true center, though 6-11 Abe Keita and 6-11 Mohammed Diakite will try to fill that void.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Hatten was the best new guard in the Big East last season. Ingram might be that guy this season. He more than held his own in national recruiting showcases against the likes of more-hyped classmates Ray Felton (North Carolina), Sean Dockery (Duke) and Anthony Roberson (Florida). With Hatten, St. John's has a small backcourt that will make up in quickness and tenacity what it lacks in size.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Can't shoot, can't win. Not the tough games, and that's what happened to St. John's last season. The Red Storm was an awful 28.7 percent from 3-point range, a performance they exacerbated by attempting 15 three-pointers per game.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
The Red Storm not only should get to the NCAA Tournament again this season, but they ought to send a team or two home before they are sent on their way. Hatten and Ingram are special, Glover is a rugged rebounder and leader, and Cuffe, King and Shaw are skilled role players.
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