Streaking Red Storm Meets Marist In Holiday Festival Opener

Dec. 18, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - Off to its best start since the 1994-95 season, the St. John's men's basketball team (8-1) takes a six-game win streak into the opening round of the 2008 AÃ©ropostale Holiday Festival, where the Red Storm faces Marist (3-6) at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Virginia Tech Hokies (6-4) of the ACC take on the Ivy League's Columbia Lions (3-5) in the tournament's opener at 2 p.m. Sunday's schedule features a noon consolation game, followed by the 2:30 p.m. championship game, where St. John's will attempt to capture its third tournament title in the last five years, having won the Holiday Festival in 2004 and 2005.

St. John's Holiday Festival games will air live in the New York City area on the Madison Square Garden Network, with Carl Reuter and Bucky Waters calling the action, and Tina Cervasio reporting from the sidelines. The games will also air on the official flagship of St. John's Basketball, Bloomberg Radio 1130-AM, with play-by-play announcer John Minko and analyst Tarik Turner on the call.

The Red Storm enters the contest on a six-game win streak, marking its longest victory string since a seven-win stretch in 2006-07. The Red Storm posted seven-consecutive wins over a one-month span from Nov. 28 to Dec. 28, 2006, marking the longest win streak of Norm Roberts' tenure. St. John's has put up impressive numbers in running out to an 8-1 early-season record. As a team, the Red Storm's field goal percentage (.475, 5th), blocked shots (4.6 per game, 7th) and rebounding margin (+7.7 per game, 5th) all rank among the BIG EAST's leaders. STJ's advantage over its opponents on the glass also ranks 31st nationally.

St. John's is 65-36 all-time in 42 Holiday Festival appearances and owns 14 titles: 1958, 1964, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2004 and 2005.

STJ is 4-1 all-time against Marist, including a 62-59 win in the 2007 Festival's opening round.

Storm Tracker

A consistent contributor on both ends of the floor, D.J. Kennedy is currently the team's leader in scoring at 14.3 ppg and rebounding at 6.9 rpg. He now places 22nd among all BIG EAST players in scoring and tied for 18th in rebounding. He has established new career highs in points, field goals, attempts, 3-points field goals and attempts, assists and blocked shots this season.

Paris Horne played in all 30 contests as a freshman in 2007-08, coming off the bench to average 5.1 points per outing. He exploded down the home stretch last season, contributing 7.1 points over the last eight games, firing at a 51.4 percent clip (19-for-37) from the field and hitting at a 64.3 percent mark from long range (9-for-14). After missing this season's NIT opening-round game vs. Cornell with a right ankle sprain (Nov. 17), he bounced back to make his first six career starts in the last six contests, and is averaging 13.2 ppg, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks, while connecting on 50.0 percent of his field goals and 42.9 percent of his 3-pointers. He earned a spot on the BIG EAST and MBWA Honor Rolls this week.

Sophomore forward Justin Burrell leads a deep crop of post returnees, coming off an outstanding freshman campaign in which he averaged 10.8 ppg and 5.9 rebounds. His efforts were good enough to earn BIG EAST All-Rookie honors and a spot on the NABC All-District second team, and this season he picked up where he left off as a freshman, averaging 10.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg. He spent part of the summer training at the Tarkanian Big Man Camp in Las Vegas with NBA stars Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington, among others.

Lightning-quick and relentless on the defensive end, Malik Boothe has taken over as full-time floor general. Boothe spent his entire offseason on campus - working on his jumpshot and bonding with teammates - and is proving to be a true STJ floor leader. He is averaging 9.3 ppg, and has 47 assists (5.2 per game), good for fourth among all BIG EAST players. He is averaging 29.4 minutes in the Red Storm's first nine games.

Sean Evans, who steadily improved all season long as a freshman and drew starts in six contests, has started all nine games and is averaging 9.4 points, and his 5.4 rebounds per contest are second on the team. He has set new career highs in field goals, attempts, rebounds, steals and minutes -- and a new career-best with 18 points vs. Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 14).

Sophomore center Dele Coker is still a tremendous 6-10 presence inside, but dropped close to 20 pounds in the offseason and has logged significant minutes in the post. The slimmed-down, 260-pound version of the Nigerian big man is playing with better quickness, and is averaging 4.4 ppg and 2.9 rpg.

Rob Thomas, now a redshirt sophomore after joining the Red Storm in uniform midway through the 2007-08 season, is also much-improved physically and is playing at 226 pounds. In the last five games, Thomas is averaging 5.8 ppg and 3.7 rpg while shooting 56.0 percent from the floor.

Rookie combo guard Quincy Roberts has played a key reserve roll in the early part of the season, and is showing signs of improvement every outing. Roberts is averaging 5.8 ppg over the last six contests while shooting at a .538 clip (14-for-26) and grabbing 3.0 rebounds.

Anthony Mason Jr. will miss the remainder of the Red Storm basketball season, as a MRI on Nov. 21 revealed a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot that requires surgery. He averaged a team-best 14.0 ppg in 22 contests a season ago.

On Deck

The Red Storm takes on former BIG EAST and current ACC-foe Miami (Fla.) following the Christmas Holiday, returning to The Garden on Dec. 27 for a noon contest (ESPNU). BIG EAST play follows with a trip to Providence on New Year's Eve (SNY).

St. John's University Athletics

Streaking Red Storm Meets Marist In Holiday Festival Opener

Players Mentioned

Malik Boothe

Justin Burrell

Dele Coker

Sean Evans

Paris Horne

D.J. Kennedy

Anthony Mason Jr.

Quincy Roberts

Rob Thomas

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