St. John's Takes On Marist In First Round Of Holiday Festival

Dec. 27, 2007

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QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's men's basketball team (5-4) makes its season debut at Madison Square Garden on Friday and Saturday when the Red Storm plays in the 2007 Aeropostale Holiday Festival. St. John's takes on the Marist Red Foxes (6-5) of the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in the opening round at 8:30 p.m., following the 6:30 p.m. matchup that features Hofstra (2-6) of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Virginia Tech (6-5) of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Holiday Festival games air on the Madison Square Garden Network, with Carl Reuter and Bucky Waters calling the action and Maggie Gray reporting from the sidelines. The game will also air on Bloomberg Radio 1130-AM, with announcers Mike Crispino and Tarik Turner. Live audio is available on the Internet at WFAN.com.

St. John's is 64-35 (.646) all-time in the Holiday Festival, now in its 100th game and 42nd appearance in the annual event. St. John's has captured 14 Holiday Festival titles, including the 2004 and 2005 crowns during the first two seasons of the Norm Roberts Era. St. John's defeated Boston University, 45-44 in overtime, in last season's first round contest but fell, 63-51, to Hofstra in the championship game.

The Red Storm heads into the contest against the Red Foxes after posting a 1-2 record in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, from Dec. 19-22. St. John's fell to Ohio, 71-69, after a Bobcat layup at the buzzer, downed tournament host Hawaii, 68-62, and lost in the consolation bracket championship game, 79-71, to Tulane.

St. John's is 3-1 all-time against Marist and looks to avenge a 56-53 loss from Dec. 17, 2005.

Storm Tracker

At the Rainbow Classic Dec. 19-22, St. John's received an early Christmas present in welcoming Anthony Mason Jr. back to the floor. The Red Storm's returning scoring and rebounding leader averaged a team-leading 13.0 points per game to go along with a 56.0 percent mark from the field (14-for-25) and a 42.9 percent effort from long range (3-of-7). Mason Jr. missed five games in 2007-08 with a high left ankle sprain, suffered first in the preseason and then re-injured on Nov. 28 vs. LIU. Mason Jr. averaged 11.9 points per game and 5.9 rebounds as a sophomore in 2006-07.

Redshirt freshman forward Rob Thomas capped a tremendous personal, academic and physical comeback, making his first-ever appearance in a Red Storm uniform against Ohio en route to game action in all three contests in the Rainbow Classic. He averaged 5.3 ppg and grabbed nine rebounds (3.0 per game, 5-of-9 offensive) in only 8.7 minutes per game. Thomas, ruled a partial-partial qualifier by the NCAA last September, took the last exam of his NCAA-mandated "year in residence" on Wednesday, Dec. 12, and was therefore allowed to begin practice for the first time as a collegian. Thomas also had to overcome a severe knee injury suffered last March 26, and is now eligible to compete in games since fall grades are in.

Two freshmen lead five St. John's players with double-figure season scoring averages. D.J. Kennedy (12.0 points per game) and Justin Burrell (11.9 ppg) currently pace the balanced Red Storm attack. The duo is also the BIG EAST's best rookie tandem on the glass, as Kennedy averages a team-high 8.1 rebounds per outing, and Burrell pulls down 7.6 boards per game.

Kennedy stepped into a starting role with Mason Jr.'s early-season ankle injury, has ranked among conference rebounding leaders all season long, and posted two double-doubles in the last four games with 10 points and 11 boards vs. Niagara (Dec. 15) and 12 points with 11 rebounds at Hawaii (Dec. 21). A do-it-all contributor, Kennedy is first on the St. John's squad in scoring, rebounding and 3-point percentage (.435, 10-of-23), and is second in minutes played (30.9 per game), steals (15) assists (18) and field goal percentage (.500, 37-of-74).

Burrell has four double-doubles in the last eight games with 13 points and 10 boards against Niagara (Dec. 15), after contributing 19 points and 12 rebounds vs. LIU (Nov. 28), 15 points and 14 boards against FDU (Nov. 25) and a 15-point, 11-board effort against Sacred Heart (Nov. 20).

Eugene Lawrence, the Red Storm senior floor general, led all BIG EAST players in assists in 2006-07 at 5.6 per game. The fourth-year starter, who has experience at either of the guard positions, is now fourth on St. John's all-time career assists chart with 455, seventh on the all-time steals list with 164, and fifth on the all-time 3-pointers chart with 110. With five assists vs. Hawaii last Friday, Lawrence surpassed Chris Mullin on the all-time assist leader board, who totaled 449 from 1981-85.

Lawrence has dished 45 assists with only 13 turnovers in the first nine games of 2007-08 to rank third among all BIG EAST players in assist-to-turnover ratio, and his 5.0 assist per game average ranks sixth. Lawrence also owns an 11.1 ppg scoring average on the year, good enough for fourth on the Red Storm squad, and his 2.1 steals per game ranks seventh among all league players. His leadership and steady play in Hawaii helped the Red Storm down the host-Rainbow Warriors (Dec. 21), and his 11 points in the final 2:07 vs. Ohio (Dec. 19) and game-tying 3-pointer nearly stole a win from the Bobcats.

On Deck

St. John's plays in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival on Dec. 28 and 29, before traveling to meet Syracuse in its first BIG EAST contest of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 2 (7 p.m., SNY).

St. John's In the Holiday Festival

St. John's plays in its 42nd Holiday Festival, having participated regularly since 1952. The 2007 tournament opener vs. Marist marks STJ's 100th game in the annual event.

St. John's owns 14 Holiday Festival titles: 1958, 1964, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2004 and 2005.

In 2006, St. John's senior forward Lamont Hamilton made one of two free throws with 1:05 left in overtime to give St. John's a 45-44 victory over Boston University in the opening round of the Holiday Festival. The Red Storm's victory was its seventh- straight. Hamilton finished the game with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Avery Patterson tallied 16 points and Eugene Lawrence 10.

In the 2006 title game, Antoine Agudio scored 24 points to lead Hofstra to a 63-51 victory over St. John's. Hamilton totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds for St. John's, while Anthony Mason Jr. had seven points and 11 rebounds.

In 2005, Red Storm head coach Norm Roberts became the first St. John's mentor to win back-to-back Holiday Festival titles (2004 and 2005) since Lou Carnesecca in 1986 and 1987. St. John's actually won four-consecutive titles in 1984, `85, `86 and `87, marking the only time the school has accomplished that feat.

Anthony Mason Jr. led all scorers with 15 points in the 2006 63-39 first round victory over Columbia. Eugene Lawrence netted 12 against the Lions to go along with eight assists and five rebounds, while Hamilton scored 11. The Red Storm made 50 percent of its field goals while limiting the Lions to 27.1 percent.

Defeating UMass 51-49 in the title game, Hamilton contributed 12 points while Lawrence scored nine with seven rebounds and four assists. Aaron Spears scored eight points, including the game-winning layup with 32 seconds to play.

Lawrence went on to be named the 2005 Holiday Festival MVP, while Mason Jr. was named to the all-tournament team.

St. John's won its first Holiday Festival championship since 1996 when the Roberts-led Red Storm was victorious in 2004, topping Canisius on Dec. 28, 71-51 and No. 17 NC State on Dec. 30, 63-45.

Daryll Hill was named the 2004 Holiday Festival MVP, while Hamilton and Lawrence were selected to the all-tournament team. Hill missed the entirety of the 2005 tournament with a knee injury that would be surgically repaired in February, 2006.

The Series With Marist

The Red Storm leads the all-time series with the Red Foxes by a 3-1 margin. St. John's has faced Marist once before in tournament play on Dec. 28, 1987, coming away with a 66-59 victory in what was then the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.

Marist got the better of St. John's in the last meeting, a regular-season home game on Dec. 19, 2004 at The Garden. Will Whittington scored 20 points, including two free throws with 24 seconds to play, and Marist beat St. John's 56-53, the Red Foxes' first-ever win over the Red Storm. Marist took the lead for good at 51-50 on a free throw by Ryan Stilphen with 1:43 left. After a missed 3-pointer by St. John's, Carl Hood hit a 3 for the Red Foxes with one minute left. Those were his first points of the game, on his second shot of the contest. Daryll Hill and Anthony Mason Jr. each had 13 points, while Eugene Lawrence and Lamont Hamilton scored 10 apiece.

St. John's downed Marist on Dec. 19, 2004, at the Red Storm's Carnesecca Arena in Queens, 74-66. Hill netted 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while Hamilton scored six points with 10 rebounds. The Red Storm shot 50 percent from the field while limiting Marist to 38.6 percent shooting.

The Series With Virginia Tech

St. John's leads the all-time series with the Hokies by a 6-4 margin, including a 75-65 Red Storm victory on Dec. 8, 2004, at Carnesecca Arena and a Dec. 10, 2005, loss at Cassell Coliseum.

In the 2005 matchup, Coleman Collins scored 21 points and Zabian Dowdell added 18 Saturday as Virginia Tech held off St. John's, 73-64. Collins hit six breakaway dunks, three straight in the second half. The Red Storm kept Collins off the boards, but he hit nine of 13 from the floor, mostly in transition. Markus Sailes added 11 points and Deron Washington 10 for the Hokies. Daryll Hill scored 15 points, Lamont Hamilton 12, and Eugene Lawrence 11 for the Red Storm, who led for the only time after Hamilton's opening basket.

St. John's is 3-1 against the Hokies in New York, last scoring a 62-59 victory on Jan. 25, 2003. The teams have never met in Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm owned a 4-3 record over Tech when both were members of the BIG EAST Conference.

The Series With Hofstra

St. John's holds a 21-5 advantage over Hofstra in the all-time series, including a 13-4 lead at home venues. The Pride and Red Storm met in the Holiday Festival in 2006.

The Red Storm would look to rebound from four straight losses at the hands of the Pride -- a 63-51 loss in the Festival title game last year, a 64-51 loss at Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 29, 2005, a 78-68 defeat in Hempstead from 2004 and an 81-64 loss at what was then Alumni Hall on Dec. 2, 2003.

In 2005 in Queens, Loren Stokes scored 19 and the Pride held St. John's scoreless for the final eight minutes of the game. Hofstra led by 11 early, trailed by 15 in the first half and pulled away late. Lamont Hamilton posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double effort, while Cedric Jackson contributed 11 points and 10 boards in the absence of an injured Daryll Hill.

Prior to the last three seasons and an 86-80 loss at home in 2000-01, St. John's had won 19 straight against Hofstra, dating to 1940.

On The Biggest Stage

St. John's is now 377-241 (.610) all-time at The World's Most Famous Arena, which has served as a home court for St. John's basketball for more than 75 years. St. John's played its first men's basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 19, 1931-- a 17-9 victory over CCNY.

St. John's was 5-7 at the Garden last season after dueling national programs Maryland and Texas in the Coaches vs. Cancer championship rounds, going 1-1 in the Holiday Festival, and posting a 64-53 victory over DePaul on Jan. 3, a 64-60 win over Syracuse on Jan. 21, a 71-68 victory over No. 22/21 Notre Dame on Jan. 23 and a 77-64 victory over Providence in the regular-season finale on March 4. The Red Storm fell to Marquette, 76-67, in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament, held each of the last 25 years at Madison Square Garden.

All five of St. John's victories over ranked teams during the Norm Roberts Era have come at Madison Square Garden: No. 22/21 Notre Dame (Jan. 23, 2007; 71-68), No. 9 Pitt (Jan. 21, 2006; 55-50), No. 17/15 Louisville (Jan. 17, 2006; 68-56), No. 21 Pittsburgh (Jan. 18, 2005; 65-62) and No. 17 NC State (Dec. 20, 2004; 63-45).

Rob Thomas: An Incredible Comeback Story

The Red Storm got a lift when NYC native Rob Thomas joined his teammates in uniform for the first time ever on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at the Rainbow Classic. The redshirt freshman, who began regularly practicing on Wednesday, Dec. 12, has overcome academic difficulty and has rehabilitated what longtime St. John's Associate A.D. for Sports Medicine Ron Linfonte, A.T.C., has called "the worst knee injury in the last 27 years of St. John's basketball."

Thomas has been enrolled as a full-time student at St. John's since January of 2007, but has not been able to participate in team activities as per NCAA regulations. Ruled as a partial qualifier by the NCAA last September, Thomas has been attending to his studies and strength training during his NCAA-mandated "year in residence," in anticipation of joining the Red Storm as full-time member of the team in December of 2007, which now he can do with the official close of St. John's fall semester. Thomas' learning disabilities, dyslexia and early-life struggles have been well-documented in publications such as the New York Times.

Thomas' freak knee injury occurred on Monday, March 26, 2007, during a pick-up basketball game, where he suffered tears in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and his lateral meniscus.

Thomas was attended to and examined immediately by Linfonte and later by team doctor Osric King, M.D. Following a MRI, surgery was performed by Answorth Allen, M.D., team orthopedist to St. John's and the New York Knicks, on Friday, March 30. Allen and strength coach Patrick Dixon have worked with Thomas to help rehab and strengthen the knee over the last eight months. Thomas has dropped close to 40 pounds working with Dixon to get into playing shape, but will likely need additional practice sessions to become a regular contributor in the Red Storm lineup.

St. John's University Athletics

St. John's Takes On Marist In First Round Of Holiday Festival

Players Mentioned

Justin Burrell

D.J. Kennedy

Eugene Lawrence

Anthony Mason Jr.

Rob Thomas

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