SportsLine.com Report
March 18, 2000

Round 2: Cinderella upends Red Storm's title hopes

The Red Storm escaped one shocking upset Thursday, but could not avoid another one Saturday -- though this one probably shouldn't come as such a surprise.

After St. John's escaped No. 15-seeded Northern Arizona, the Storm came across a Gonzaga team that is up to its old tricks, qualifying for the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year via an 82-76 victory in Tucson, Ariz.

The Red Storm are the second No. 2 seed to be toppled by the Bulldogs in as many years as Gonzaga knocked second-seed Stanford out on its way to the Elite Eight last season. That's little consolation for a St. John's team that entered the tournament with its highest seeding since being a No. 1 in the West in 1986 and was determined to overcome adversity that dogged it all season.

"We were so souped up about getting to the Final Four that this really hurts," Chudney Gray said. "They made all the shots they needed to. Whenever they needed one, (Gonzaga guard Matt) Santangelo hit it. We didn't get the stops we usually get."

Erick Barkley led the Red Storm with 21 points and Anthony Glover added 18, but Bootsy Thornton, who had topped 20 points in seven of his last nine games, was held to 12 on 3-of-13 shooting.

St. John's lost a brilliant opportunity to make a run in a region it briefly became the favorite to win after top-seeded Arizona lost earlier in the day. The Red Storm entered the game winners of 12 of their past 13 -- dating back to the first of Barkley's two suspensions by the NCAA.

Barkley tied the game at 54-54 with a 3-pointer with 10:19 remaining, but missed two free throws that would have given St. John's the lead. Gonzaga responded with a 9-2 run and the Red Storm never led again.

"It wasn't meant for us," St. John's coach Mike Jarvis said.

How They Got There

St. John's overcame a season's worth of trials and tribulations to win the Big East Tournament and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that goes with it.

The Red Storm bounced in and out of the Top 25 all season before staying put thanks to an eight-game winning streak that featured consecutive victories over Syracuse, UConn and Duke. All of this came after a late-January swoon in which they lost four of five and appeared to be on the rocks.

The Johnnies won the Big East Tournament, but it was hardly a totally happy affair. At halftime of their semifinal game against Miami, oft-suspended point guard Erick Barkley was reportedly involved in an altercation with teammate Bootsy Thornton. After the game, Barkley announced he would not play in the championship game against Connecticut, saying he was taking a "leave of absence."

That lasted less than 24 hours and Barkley was back in time to help the Storm to the title and automatic bid with the 80-70 triumph over the defending national champions.

Just another night in the life of St. John's, which is a talented, dangerous team when coach Mike Jarvis is able to keep things lined up and together.

Starting Lineup

• PG Erick Barkley (6-8, 220, So.): He missed some time in December after undergoing minor knee surgery, then three more games because of NCAA suspension. He responded by leading the Big East in steals and ranking in the Top 10 in four other categories, including scoring. When he can avoid distractions, he might be the best point guard in the nation.
• SG Bootsy Thornton (6-4, 195, Sr.): A big-game guy, all of his six 20-point plus games this season came against teams ranked in the Top 25 at one point or another. He came up big in the conference tourney as well, earning outstanding player honors after dropping 22 on UConn. His finest 40 minutes might have come against Duke, when he scored 22, pulled down 11 rebounds and made a late-game defensive stop to secure the victory. Better than third-team All-Big East, which is what the coaches picked him.
• C Anthony Glover (6-6, 225, So.): After sitting out last season because of academics, he earned All-Big East Rookie team honors. His offense is solid, but he doesn't need to score 15 points for St. John's to win. He can play against guys 4-5 inches taller than him, although he is a natural power forward. His lack of size isn't always a drawback, but his propensity for fouls is.
• SF Reggie Jessie (6-7, 213, Jr.): His contributions aren't always measured in numbers. He can play some point forward and also hits the glass.
• PF Lavor Postell (6-6, 212, Sr.): Can play inside or outside, scores (14.6), draws fouls, rebounds, defends. A second-team All-Big East pick, not to mention the league's Scholar Athlete of the Year, he is the emotional backbone of this team.

Keys to Success

First and foremost, St. John's must have Barkley on the floor. Although the Red Storm have rallied around him in his absence, there is no question that they are a better team with him playing 35-plus minutes a game.

Health is also a chief concern. Since they only go seven deep, they must steer clear of injury bugs that could derail a deep run into the postseason.

Another key is for Postell and Thornton to continue their great play of the past month. With Barkley in and out of the lineup, Postell has finally gained recognition for being one of the Big East's best forwards. Thornton, meanwhile, has a multidimensional game.

The Coach

Mike Jarvis has done one of the finest coaching jobs in the country. He's already won more than 50 games in his first two seasons at St. John's, getting the most out of each kid every minute he's on the floor.

Jarvis' NCAA Tournament record is 6-7, including a 3-1 record last March when he led the Johnnies to the Elite Eight. He has led three different programs to the Big Dance -- Boston (twice), George Washington (four times, last in 1997-98) and St. John's last season.

The Bench

Senior guard Chudney Gray (6-3, 185) was seen as a career backup heading into this season. With all of the chaos surrounding Barkley, he saw considerable playing time and made the most of it. His 13-point, seven-rebound effort keyed a win over Seton Hall on Feb. 29. ... Sophomore forward Donald Emanuel (6-8, 230) is playing better of late, which is why Jarvis leaves him on the floor for longer stretches. He has a solid mid-range jumper, though he could be more of a forceful presence inside.

Offense

The Red Storm like to force the action when it's called for, though they can't play run-and-gun for very long because of their lack of depth. ... Averaged 74.4 points in the regular season. ... Ranked 12th in the Big East with 123 3-pointers. ... Shot 46.2 percent from the floor. ... Had six players averaging in double digits at one point this season, but only four now (Barkley, Thornton, Postell and Glover). ... Ranked last in the Big East by averaging 35.1 rebounds per game.

Defense

Because of depth concerns, the Red Storm play a lot of zone. ... Allow only 66.3 points per game, though their field-goal percentage defense (44.2 percent) is the Big East's worst. ... Barkley has helped this team lead the Big East in steals (11.0 per game). ... Without much of a tall inside presence, the Red Storm rank last in the league in blocked shots (2.79 per game).