St. John's still chasing NCAA berth

Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Steve Lavin says St. John's controls its own destiny regarding the NCAA Tournament, but they need to string some wins together.

St. John?s has completed its most brutal stretch of the season. Now it embarks on its most-important one.

The Red Storm?s goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament is still in reach even after going 1-3 in a four-game gauntlet ? a home win against Connecticut and road losses to No. 8 Syracuse, No. 10 Louisville and No. 11 Georgetown ? over a two-week stretch.

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The Johnnies? RPI is 60, it?s strength of schedule ranks 16th in the country, and head coach Steve Lavin is back at the helm for the final five games of the regular season after spending a week with his family mourning the death of his dad.

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?We control our own destiny,? Lavin said Tuesday before practice. ?We?re the captain.?

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The five games are all pretty huge. St. John?s (15-10, 7-6 Big East) has two games against teams below them in the standings, tonight?s 7 p.m. Carnesecca Arena date with last-place South Florida (10-15, 1-12) and a road game at Providence the weekend after next. The other three are shots to make a statement: Sunday against No. 20 Pittsburgh at the Garden, a road game March 5 at No. 25 Notre Dame and the regular season finale in the Garden against No. 17 Marquette.

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?I don?t think we can lose to another team that?s below us,? sophomore Sir?Dominic Pointer said. ?It would probably drop (our chances) to slim to none. (Although) A loss to a bad team and a win to a good team could balance it out.?

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Lavin said that in his experience with NCAA Tournament selection committees, the two most important factors have been the strength of a team?s schedule and whom that team has beaten.

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For some fun, consider a couple numbers: Only seven Big East teams in 30 years won 10 conference games and did not get in to the NCAA draw; and 85% of Big East teams with 18 overall wins have gone dancing. Were St. John?s to win three of the last five, they?d have both of those.

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Last season a 20-win Seton Hall didn?t make the cut, but its RPI was 68 and it had just three wins against teams with the 50 best RPI. The Johnnies have three of those now and three more opportunities.

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Pausing a moment to consider St. John?s in the draw, Pointer said ?We're a young dangerous team. I think we a sleeper team in tournament: you know a couple of upsets, bracket busters and all that stuff. I think we'd be a very dangerous team.?

Lavin?s goal is to keep the team on point for all of it. He said being with his five siblings and his mother has helped him and ?now my focus in 100% on this team and this season.?

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?He had the same energy, same passion. He was basically coaching as the same way he had all year,? sophomore Phil Greene said of Lavin returning to the team Monday. ?His message was to finish the season strong. We have one goal: to make the NCAA Tournament.?

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?We?re just trying to get enough wins coming down the stretch, and then in the postseason tournament, build the resume or body of work,? Lavin said. ?So when the selection committee looks at it with this strength of schedule, with this RPI and the quality wins over Cincinnati, Notre Dame and UConn (and) hopefully a few more quality wins. Now you?ve got five quality wins (and) a top-20 schedule coming out of the best conference in America with a good RPI.?

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While tonight?s game is as close to must-win for the Johnnies as any they?ve played this season, the Bulls are more dangerous than their record. They play a patient, low-scoring style and a first-rate point guard in Anthony Collins. Plus their one conference win is against conference co-leader Georgetown, who has beaten the Storm twice.

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?That?s it right there,? Pointer said. ?We lost to Georgetown twice so we know we have to come out and play. They beat one of the top teams in our league so we know we have to come out and play.?

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BRANCHLESS

St. John?s point guard Jamal Branch will not play on Wednesday when the Red Storm faces South Florida in a 7 p.m. Big East game at Carnesecca Arena, coach Steve Lavin said Tuesday. The Texas A&M transfer still has pain from a sprained MCL in his left knee suffered Feb. 2 at Georgetown.

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He has not been in a full practice yet with the team.

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Branch is averaging 8.3 points and 2.5 assists in 10 games since becoming eligible. St. John?s is 5-2 with him in the starting lineup.

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Though he is termed ?day-to-day? by the school, Lavin said there was no set timetable for him to return despite the fact he is progressing.

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?With cutting or lateral movement there's still some pain,? Lavin said, ?so I don't know if it's another week? Is it two weeks? Is it ?wait ?til next year?? We just won't really know.

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?We won't play him until he can go at full speed, make stops and starts, be able to change direction, have the explosiveness you need at both ends of the floor to play this game effectively.?

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/sports/~3/DJulolstjvY/story01.htm

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