By CHRIS RUSSELL
After helping push St. John’s to the brink of their first NCAA Tournament since 2011, senior forward Sir’Dominic Pointer has been named the ZAGSBLOG National Player of the Week.
For the first time since 2000, St. John’s has reached the 20-win column in back-to-back seasons. If the NCAA Tournament began today, St. John’s would be an 8 seed, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
The Johnnies’ success can largely be attributed to the play of the 6-foot-6 Detroit native, who appears to be a virtual lock for All-Big East First-Team honors after being named Big East Player of the Week on Monday.
In a must-win game against Georgetown on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, Pointer finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in an 81-70 rout. Pointer’s performance propelled the crowd at The Garden to chant “MVP.” In Monday’s 58-57 win over Xavier, he went for 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 assists and 3 steals.
“Coach Lav, he asks this of me and he expects it from me,” Pointer said of Johnnies coach Steve Lavin after the Xavier win. “My teammates do, too. They see I can do it, so they demand it now. Once you do something, you have to keep doing it. I just want to be there for my teammates and help them win.”
Said Lavin: “I can’t imagine there’s anybody in our league, let alone the country, who influences the game at both ends of the floor and in such dramatic fashion. I know in my career, I’ve never had a player, there’s no one. Not even close. Baron Davis was an exceptional talent. Trevor Ariza was, some really good players, but his ability to influence the game on both ends of the floor in such dramatic fashion is really unusual.”
Next game: Mar. 4 at Marquette @ 9 PM
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMERS
Trey Lyles, Kentucky – The 6-foot-10 freshman went for 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 4 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Arkansas after putting up 18 and 6 in Wednesday’s win over Mississippi State. On the season, he’s averaging 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in under 22 minutes per game. Kentucky coach John Calipari has been calling Lyles the “X-factor” of late.
Next game: Mar. 4 at Georgia @ 9 PM
Deandre Bembry, St. Joe’s – The sophomore was named the Big 5 Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the Hawks’ 1-1 week. He scored a career-high 33 points and had a game-high 14 rebounds in Saint Joseph’s 82-71 win at Massachusetts. It marked the first 30-point game for a Hawk since Langston Galloway scored 31 against Dayton in the 2014 A-10 Quarterfinals..
Next game: March 5 vs La Salle, @ 7 PM
Perry Ellis, Kansas – Kansas entered Saturday’s tilt a bit thin with the suspension of freshman big man Cliff Alexander, but Ellis rose to the challenge. The former McDonald’s All-American scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks in a victory over Texas. With the victory, Kansas has extended their home winning streak to 23 and are currently projected as a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Next game: Mar. 7 at Oklahoma @ 4 PM
Nigel Johnson, Kansas State – Not known as a scoring threat, Johnson came into last week averaging less than 5.0 points per game. The sophomore from Ashburn, VA lifted the Wildcats to a 70-63 victory over arch-town rival Kansas on Monday. Against the Jayhawks, Johnson scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting. On Saturday, he 6-foot-6 guard scored 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a victory over Iowa State.
Next game: Mar. 7 at Texas @ 4 PM
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State – In a video-game performance, the talented freshman scored 30 points in the final 4:38 against Miami. In that stretch, Rathan-Mayes scored 26 consecutive points and did not miss a shot. Rathan-Mayes finished with 35 points. Despite the heroics, that was not enough to overcome the 18-point deficit as Miami held on to win 81-77. Despite having struggled against Louisville on Saturday, posting 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting, His performance against the Hurricanes left the nation in awe.
Next game: Mar. 7 vs Pittsburgh @ 12 PM
Kyle Collinsworth, Brigham Young – One of the most complete players in the country put a dagger in the heart of No. 3 Gonzaga on Saturday, leading the Cougars to a shocking 73-70 upset in Spokane. Against the Zags, Collinsworth scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. The Cougars have now won six straight and are “The last 4 in” in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology. On the season, Collinsworth is averaging 13.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
Photo: USA Today Sports
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