Dwight Hardy at Hoops in the Sun – Photo: Randy Cruz and Joe Cruz Jr.
Playground 101: “I have to take my man to the basket.”
The first thing you learn in any park that has serious run is the above words. St. John’s has gone back to basics, signing two playground All-Stars and sitting strongly in the cut with another. Former St. Ray’s standout Omari Lawrence and former John F. Kennedy Knight Dwight Hardy are tremendous scorers, while the fall-out move of the possible addition of Lincoln’s Lance Stephenson would bring the mechanics of the run-and-gun back to the Garden. Lance and Dwight are proven players against grown men in the parks of NYC and Omari has enough skill and AAU-Gaucho/Panther-city stuntman in him to be an effective wing finisher. The three added to Mason Jr, Justin Burrell, and Paris Horne have me hoping Norm Roberts will go uptempo to the fullest. So what do you think, should the Redstorm go 40 minutes of run and press to regain their past glory?
April 13th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Peter Robert Casey says:
The Johnnies need to restore their legacy. I’m willing to try anything at this point.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Sean Couch says:
Been tough for Norm and crew, but for St. John’s to be solid, it needs a player from the city with NBA potential – See Ron Artest, Mark Jackson, and Chris Mullin. Lance will be that lightning rod if he chooses to go there.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Money$D says:
Add a 3pt sniper to the group…someone like
a Andy Rautins(Syracuse) and it could happen
April 14th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Elliot Rosado says:
If Lance Stephenson signs with St. John’s. The garden will be live again especially with Dwight Hardy who just scored 47 points in the hoops in the Sun spring league And Omari Lawerence who is tearing up the i.s.8 spring league.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Sean Couch says:
They do need a 3-pt shooter, that’s a good point. Mason Jr could be that player…
April 14th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
aubrey brown says:
St. John’s needs a big man who they can throw ball down too and score. Lance would be a nice addition but we are pretty good with wing players already. A big man is what we don’t have.
April 14th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
jose(R2K)coach says:
hopefully lance decides 2 go.but i think even if he doesnt choose ST.Jonhs,wit D. HARDY coming in and a healthy mase jr,da paint should open up for justin burrell.as long as mase,paris horne and d.hardy hit their shots.teams r not gona CONTINUE 2 doubble him da way they do.lance can bring alot 2 da table but da nation is finally gona see wat we been seeying in d.hardy.a player dat can turn da game around in a brink of an eye.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Sean Couch says:
I think the St.John’s players should all play this summer in pro-city and the other top leagues in the city with various teams to get their rhythm up and challenge themselves against top comp. Dwight Hardy is super-dedicated to the playground and I expect him to come right in and have an impact.
I would expect assistant Freddie Q and Norm to go hard on the jr. college level to get a big. Someone like Westchester C.C.’s 6′11″ Jarrid Famous would be a big get. I hear he has interest from Arizona, Seton Hall and Pitt. Famous would seal the deal. He’s worked out in the Jim Couch Foundation-Dyckman gym when he was in high school.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
ali says:
my sources are telling me that lance will wind up at a certain acc school. i promised to keep the lid on, so i can’t speak on it until, or if it happens.
but i hope i got some wrong info and he gives the johnnie’s the one and done treatment that melo and derrick rose gave on their stopovers. it would be great to see st john’s come back alive again. the city percolates when they’ve got it hummin’.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Sean Couch says:
You know how these things go, so many lines of thought. What do you think, is Lance better suited for the ACC or the Big East?
April 14th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
bobbito garcia says:
lance needs to go to st. john’s. that’d be ridiculous! didn’t dwight hardy drop 50 up at Hoops In the Sun last summer . . . a couple of times? i can’t front, i’d love to see st. john’s on top the big east again, even if just for a year. all the st. john’s players should just get on one squad with ryan williams, daryl hill, ron artest, and the rest of the alumni that still go hard on the asphalt, and try to take over every tournament. sean, didn’t you mention last summer that you heard that all the rice hs alum–andre barrett, kemba, corey williams, kenny satterfield, etc.–are all gonna join forces in 2009 and run outdoors? is that still happening? that’d be sick! moe hicks was all-city at rice decades before he started coaching the program. he could coach them, or even play! i played against a moe hicks squad once in the ray diaz classic in the early ’90s. they waxed us by 40. moe was pure fundamental, no butter rolls or eyebrow raises, but man was he effective. good dude, too.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Sean Couch says:
I heard that might be happening up at Dyckman but knowing Coach Bingo he won’t let former St. John’s and Rice standout Anthony Glover play on that crew which would be the glue to hold it together. Satterfield, Homicide, Barrett, Keydren Clark, Burtt Jr… there might not be enuf ball to go around with that crew. They could score 100 in a running time unlimited game if they put their minds to it.
April 16th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
alldayjay says:
just in from the daily news It’s down to St.Johns and Kansas and next tuesday we will find out for sure Xavier henry is looking to go with KU and kansas will give the scholarship to Henry over lance so that can leave the door wide open for the johnnies but i agree with most of you a good big man is what they need Tyshwan Edmonson transferred out so that leaves one scholarship open to get a good big man from a JUCO