I recently wrote an article pinpointing St. John’s University’s guard D’Angelo Harrison as the key player to an NCAA Tournament invite. But just as the piece was published, an announcement was made: Harrison had been suspended for the remainder of the year by head coach Steve Lavin.
The news was heartbreaking with a NCAA Tournament bid in sights. But it reminded us that, thankfully, academics come before all else in college basketball.
The reason for Harrison’s punishment was given simply as conduct detrimental to the team, leaving the St. John’s Red Storm with the task of adjusting and overcoming the adversity sure to follow in their final three regular-season games.
“I had a productive meeting with D’Angelo yesterday,” Lavin said. “He has a bright future in basketball and I’m optimistic his time away from our team will be of value.”
Harrison’s departure from the team left a number of concerns.
His 18.3 points-per-game average was third-best in the Big East. He led the team with 58 three-pointers made. And he was a key player on both sides of the court, with 4.3 rebounds per game despite playing as a guard.
He was the go-to guy on more occasions than not, with 13 games of 20 points or more. And his was a clutch performance in the team’s 53-52 upset victory over the then-No. 14 Cincinnati Bearcats, connecting on the game-winning shot with 31 seconds remaining to cap off a 15-point, seven-rebound night inside Fifth Third Arena. But in their first contest without Harrison, the Johnnies learned just how much they needed him, dropping a 62-59 loss to the Providence Friars on the road.
The loss likely seals their fate. The Red Storm’s bubble has burst and the NCAA Tournament is seemingly out of their reach.
“What I try and do is coach the kids I have,’’ Lavin remarked after the loss. “D’Angelo’s been suspended so this is the group I’m coaching and I really don’t dwell too much on thinking about outcomes when I’m coaching this group.”
The Red Storm jumped out to a 25-17 lead in the first half behind a cohesive offensive approach featuring accurate passes and smart shot attempts by every player that touched the floor.
The Friars fought back, however, and made it 27-26 as the teams headed into the tunnel for halftime. If you believe in momentum, Providence guard Bryce Cotton’s three-pointer — which sent the Dunkin Donuts Center crowd into a frenzy and capped off a 7-0 run — was certainly the turning point.
In the second half, the Friars struggled shooting much like the Johnnies. Neither team could find their handle from behind the arc, but kept throwing up threes anyway. Providence finished 7-of-22 from three-point land. St. John’s, meanwhile, finished a lowly 1-for-11.
The Friars finally swung the game in their favor when Cotton made a three-pointer as he was being fouled by Felix Balamou with 3:46 left in the game. The Big East-leading scorer would make the ensuing free throw and give his team a 57-55 lead. They never looked back.
Red Storm freshman forward JaKarr Sampson did his best to pick up the pieces on offense, scoring 22 points on 9-20 shooting. But it wasn’t enough to combat Cotton, who did his part for the Friars by landing 24 of his own on the night.
This loss is a devastating blow for a team that was on the cusp of earning a tourney invite — just the second in the last decade. Instead, St. John’s now shares a resumé with the Friars at 16-12 with an 8-8 conference record. But the same team that just beat them has won six of their last seven games whereas the Red Storm has lost five of its last seven.
If there is still any glimmer of hope to earn a bid, the Johnnies must win their final two games against the No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-7, 10-6 Big East) and No. 22 Marquette Golden Eagles (21-7, 12-4 Big East).
St. John’s has a quick turnaround as they prepare to face the Irish Tuesday night at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.
Louis Musto is a contributor for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.