Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Head coach Steve Lavin and St. John’s will embark on a European tour on Monday (Aug. 19) that will take them to stops in Paris, Amalfi, Rome and Barcelona through Sept. 1.
“It’s a great opportunity for all 15 kids,” Lavin told SNY.tv referring to the team’s 12 returning players, newcomer Rysheed Jordan and two walk-ons.
In preparation for the trip, the players will get a briefing on the areas of Europe they will visit.
“The team will listen to two lectures from St. John’s professors on our campus prior to departure,” Lavin said. “They will give a global and historical perspective along with a discussion of the present issues of significance from the regions of the world we will be visiting. These lectures will give our team a better context for our upcoming travel.”
In Rome, the Johnnies will make a special stop.
“We will also visit the St. John’s Rome campus for another educational experience,” Lavin said.
“We will set up two to three service-orientated experiences consistent with the Vincentian values and the St. John’s mission as an institution. Serving at a soup kitchen would be one example.”
On the court, the Johnnies get 10 practices before the trip which should help them jell.
“The 10 practices prior to Aug. 19 departure will be helpful to jump start out teaching progression as we move toward the 2013-14 season,” Lavin said.
St. John’s was picked second behind Marquette in the SNY Big East Preseason poll.
The Johnnies return their entire team from last year, while adding Jordan, Orlando Sanchez, Max Hooper and God’sgift Achiuwa into the mix. Sanchez was declared ineligible last season, but will suit up this year, while Hooper and Achiuwa red-shirted last year.
“The competitive games in Europe will allow them to shake off the rust after having sat out this past season,” Lavin said.
Jordan, meantime, is expected to have a big role in the backcourt this season.
“Rysheed will be able to accelerate his learning curve by receiving his baptism as a college athlete in Europe,” Lavin said. “Playing in competitive games will provide Rysheed the opportunity to gain a better understanding for how to best play with his new teammates.
The trip will also help new assistant Jim Whitesell, who moves over from St. Louis.
“The two week sojourn overseas presents an ideal setting for our newly appointed assistant coach Jimmy Whitesell to acclimate and familiarize himself with all members of our basketball team,” Lavin said.
Lavin added: “The overall experience on the foreign tour will be an instructive piece to building our team. The Europe trip provides us with a basketball summer school report card as we move towards the 2013-14 season.”
On the recruiting front, the Johnnies remain in the mix for several bigs and wings, including 2014 centers Goodluck Okonoboh of Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.), Pascal Chukwu of Fairfield (Conn.) Prep and Adonis Dela Rosa of Christ the King.
Several onetime St. John’s targets, including Payton Dastrup of Mesa (AZ) Mountain View; Abdul Malik Abu of Kimball (N.H.) Union; Jared Terrell, Abu’s Expressions Elite teammate out of Brewster (N.H.) Academy; and Robert Johnson of Chesterfield (Va.) Benedictine have cut St. John’s from their lists.
“The 2014 class will likely be a smaller sized recruiting class relative to 2011 and 2012,” said Lavin, adding that his team has 13 players on scholarship.
“Frontline players are the priority. WE are not in a rush to sign prospects unless they are the right fit. With our roster depth we can now afford to be a bit more selective and even wait to the spring signing period to have a more precise picture of our composite roster and the specific needs to enhance our objectives.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Head coach Steve Lavin and St. John’s will embark on a European tour on Monday (Aug. 19) that will take them to stops in Paris, Amalfi, Rome and Barcelona through Sept. 1.
“It’s a great opportunity for all 15 kids,” Lavin told SNY.tv referring to the team’s 12 returning players, newcomer Rysheed Jordan and two walk-ons.
In preparation for the trip, the players will get a briefing on the areas of Europe they will visit.
“The team will listen to two lectures from St. John’s professors on our campus prior to departure,” Lavin said. “They will give a global and historical perspective along with a discussion of the present issues of significance from the regions of the world we will be visiting. These lectures will give our team a better context for our upcoming travel.”
In Rome, the Johnnies will make a special stop.
“We will also visit the St. John’s Rome campus for another educational experience,” Lavin said.
“We will set up two to three service-orientated experiences consistent with the Vincentian values and the St. John’s mission as an institution. Serving at a soup kitchen would be one example.”
On the court, the Johnnies get 10 practices before the trip which should help them jell.
“The 10 practices prior to Aug. 19 departure will be helpful to jump start out teaching progression as we move toward the 2013-14 season,” Lavin said.
St. John’s was picked second behind Marquette in the SNY Big East Preseason poll.
The Johnnies return their entire team from last year, while adding Jordan, Orlando Sanchez, Max Hooper and God’sgift Achiuwa into the mix. Sanchez was declared ineligible last season, but will suit up this year, while Hooper and Achiuwa red-shirted last year.
“The competitive games in Europe will allow them to shake off the rust after having sat out this past season,” Lavin said.
Jordan, meantime, is expected to have a big role in the backcourt this season.
“Rysheed will be able to accelerate his learning curve by receiving his baptism as a college athlete in Europe,” Lavin said. “Playing in competitive games will provide Rysheed the opportunity to gain a better understanding for how to best play with his new teammates.
The trip will also help new assistant Jim Whitesell, who moves over from St. Louis.
“The two week sojourn overseas presents an ideal setting for our newly appointed assistant coach Jimmy Whitesell to acclimate and familiarize himself with all members of our basketball team,” Lavin said.
Lavin added: “The overall experience on the foreign tour will be an instructive piece to building our team. The Europe trip provides us with a basketball summer school report card as we move towards the 2013-14 season.”
On the recruiting front, the Johnnies remain in the mix for several bigs and wings, including 2014 centers Goodluck Okonoboh of Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.), Pascal Chukwu of Fairfield (Conn.) Prep and Adonis Dela Rosa of Christ the King.
Several onetime St. John’s targets, including Payton Dastrup of Mesa (AZ) Mountain View; Abdul Malik Abu of Kimball (N.H.) Union; Jared Terrell, Abu’s Expressions Elite teammate out of Brewster (N.H.) Academy; and Robert Johnson of Chesterfield (Va.) Benedictine have cut St. John’s from their lists.
“The 2014 class will likely be a smaller sized recruiting class relative to 2011 and 2012,” said Lavin, adding that his team has 13 players on scholarship.
“Frontline players are the priority. WE are not in a rush to sign prospects unless they are the right fit. With our roster depth we can now afford to be a bit more selective and even wait to the spring signing period to have a more precise picture of our composite roster and the specific needs to enhance our objectives.”
