What Can You Learn from a Rout? Johnnies smash Quinnipiac 108-74
The man of the match, in his element on the defensive end.
The grand point-guard-less experiment is off to a rousing start
Folks, we made it. After eight long, dark months without our glorious sport, college basketball is back. For the true sickos among us, an 8:00 a.m. tip between Queens and Winthrop officially welcomed us back to the sport, as part of the Field of 68’s Opening Day Marathon. Say what you want about the Field of 68’s media personalities, but this was a fantastic way to kick off the season and a great celebration of the sport. As for our St. John’s Red Storm, the sad memory of our second-round exit at the hands of John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats is 222 days in the rearview mirror. The hype of a new season is palpable in New York City, and the Johnnies have a historically high preseason national ranking, 5th in the nation.
Today, the new-look Johnnies got their first win of the season over Quinnipiac, 108-74. Tom Pecora’s Bobcats were picked to finish first in their conference, garnering eight of a possible 13 first place votes in the MAAC preseason poll. As far as personal accolades go, Amarri Monroe was a preseason first team All-MAAC selection, while sophomore Jaden Zimmerman was voted onto the preseason second team. During the game, freshman Keith McKnight looked like prime fodder for next year’s transfer portal class. The Teaneck native dropped 19 points in just 21 minutes on 7-of-11 shooting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump ship to a high major program if he keeps up that level of play.
Enough about the Bobcats. The Red Storm fully dismantled their opponent, shooting 56.5% from the field and winning each half by 18 and 16 points respectively. Rick Pitino’s team showcased their run-and-gun style of play, consistently pushing their pace to score 100 points in a game for the first time since March of 2024 against DePaul. In fact, the 108 points scored was the most points the Storm have scored under Pitino, and the most since a 119-61 drubbing of Mississippi Valley State in 2021 under Mike Anderson. But really, who even counts the Delta Devils as a real D-1 program anyway? Cue sassy MVSU X account post.
It’s easy to get carried away by the novelty of a new season and a 34-point opening night victory. Here are my three little jays, or three takeaways from the first game of Rick Pitino’s third year at the helm.
1. Lighting Up: Point Guard Smoke and Mirrors
One of the biggest offseason narratives for the Johnnies was the lack of a true point guard on the roster. At one point, Rick Pitino named North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson St. John’s “next great point guard”. Never mind that Jackson averaged a whopping 0.9 assists per game last year with the Tar Heels. Then, Slick Rick named Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers the point guard. In Sellers’ three years with the Cardinal, his highest assist total was 1.3 assists per game, last season. Rick also floated the idea of Dillon Mitchell point-forward, with a career high 1.7 assists per game. Finally, Rick poo-pooed the entire notion of PG, derisively referring to the idea of a PG as “a guard that can’t shoot.”
Those of us familiar with Rick Pitino’s media antics were not surprised by the ever-shifting statements. What ultimately came to pass during the opener wasn’t any of the 3 players referenced as PGs, but something closer to the PG-less system Rick’s comments otherwise alluded to. What we saw was a free-flowing first unit, with all five positions taking turns bringing the ball up. I was especially impressed with the ball-handling skills of our three-headed forward monster group of Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins. At different points, each of these players brought the ball up the court after missed baskets, showcasing their athleticism by pushing the break themselves after defensive boards. This focus led to fast-break opportunities that wouldn’t have existed in prior years, and the three aforementioned players accounted for a combined 10 assists, with Hopkins alone dishing out five. Who needs a true point guard when all five guys on the court can handle the ball?
The second unit more closely resembled a classic basketball lineup, with Dylan Darling emerging as the primary ball-handler. Racking up six assists total in 17 minutes, Darling was the facilitator that the slightly-less-athletic second unit needed. That’s not to say that our bench forwards can’t handle the ball, though. Ruben Prey looks a bit more comfortable on the ball than last year and brings a Euro-style flair with timely passing. Sadiku Ibine Ayo (10 pts) has shown impressive development, as the co-captain has shown himself to be a great teammate and a more confident cutter and shooter from deep.
Top to bottom, the 2025 Red Storm look to be more versatile and athletic, and this should bode well when they face high-major teams.
2. In the Flow: NBA-style Efficiency and Marked Shooting Improvements
Aside from showcasing a five-out starting lineup of ball-handlers, Rick Pitino’s squad displayed a style of play that resembled an NBA offense rather than the stodgy offense that has become synonymous with college ball. Just take a look at the shot chart from last night’s win.
Metrically optimal.
While we all loved Jordan Dingle, Daniss Jenkins, and Kadary Richmond, these three were notorious deep-two merchants over Rick’s first two seasons. I remember several games in the 2023-2024 season where a Jenkins or Dingle deep two from the top of the key seemed like our best chance at scoring. Last night, however, viewers saw dynamic cutting from all positions, and willing shooters stretching the floor. Obviously, one game is an infinitesimal sample size, but St. John’s took only seven shots deemed “Far 2s” by Bart Torvik, or 10.1% of FGA. The Red Storm’s refusal to settle for inefficient shots is a harbinger of the NBA-style offense that Pitino clearly thinks this group is capable of running.
Our Beloved “Far-2” Merchants
Jordan Dingle (2023-24) - 98 Far 2 FGA, 309 Total FGA, 31.7% Far-2 FGA%
Daniss Jenkins (2023-24) - 166 Far 2 FGA, 426 Total FGA, 38.9% Far-2 FGA%
Kadary Richmond (2024-25) - 164 Far 2 FGA, 392 Total FGA, 41.8% Far-2 FGA%
Not to mention the clear improvement in three-point shooting on this team. I don’t think I will ever get Kadary Richmond’s ugly-ass, hitched, line drive three-point stroke unseared from my mind. But, the smooth strokes of Ian Jackson (3-3 3pt) and Joson Sanon (1-1 3pt) were aloe to my burns from last year’s historically bad deep-ball shooting team. These fat J’s (sorry) spaced the floor to allow Ejiofor, Hopkins, and Mitchell more room to maneuver on the interior. As a team, St. John’s shot 31-50 (62%) from two and 8-19 (42%) from three. That added offensive versatility should help this version of the Red Storm unlock a fluidity it lacked in Pitino’s first two years.
3. Coming Down: Room for Improvement
It wouldn’t be a November 3rd game at Carnessecca Arena without some areas to improve upon. Luckily, the mistakes shown against Quinnipiac look to be easily fixable.
For one thing, the Red Storm did not always value the basketball, turning it over 14 times. Most of these turnovers looked to be the result of general sloppiness. Of course, this will happen to an extent when the team plays fast and in transition. Fast pace equals more possessions, equals more turnovers, which is why rate stats are generally more useful. In that vein, the Johnnies posted a mediocre but not awful TO rate of 14.3% per CBB Analytics. Last season, that would have placed them 5th in the conference in that category. Unfortunately, many of the turnovers happened when the Johnnies were forced into half-court sets. This begs the question of offensive viability when better teams make more shots and get back in transition, limiting our ability to run and gun.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, missing 12 free throws is simply inexcusable. I won’t spend too much time on this, but I hope that the team’s 64.7% rate can be ameliorated in subsequent games. After the game, Rick Pitino was quoted as saying: “We made our mistakes, as you always do in a first game, but overall, I couldn’t be more pleased.” I have a feeling that Rick will not be as generous when he gets his guys in the gym for practice ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the 15th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. If opening night was any indication, Rick Pitino’s 5th-ranked squad is reloaded and ready to make noise on a national stage.