In the paint

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

It was sure ugly, but you'll take last night's win over Marist if your a St. John's fan. Here is a quick run down of the good, bad and ugly from the game.

The Good

Tomas Jasiulionis score a career-high 12 points and hit a huge, and very unexpected three-pointer, late in the second half. Did he think he was Lamont Hamilton last night. Maybe he read my soft in the middle and wanted to show why he starts and that he can still play. Jasiulionis needs both his play and leadership to continue as the young big men develop. Dele Coker’s sweet up and under, courtesy of coach Q, yesterday was a great sign of that.

Anthony Mason Jr. had that look in his eye. He established himself early offensively, created for his teammates and just had the swagger in his step you want in your No. 1 guy.

The Bad

Larry Wright's "disappearing act” continued. He scored just six points on four field goal attempts in 17 minutes. Mason's return is really starting to limit his minutes and even his scoring opportunities.

A dumb foul by Mason late led to a four-point Marsit possession that got it back into the game. Instead of finally closing out the Red Foxes the Red Storm has to sweat out the final possession.

The Ugly

(A couple of goose eggs)

Point guard Eugene Lawrence had zero assists. That's right zero. They flashed the stat up when he was at the free throw line and I was flabbergasted.

D. J. Kennedy did not score. He was 0 for 6 from the field and did not attempt a free throw. Now that's ugly.

So could the game today against an impressive Virginia Tech team if St. John's does not play better. We will see. I'll be watching with you.

By STEVEN MARCUS

Hofstra star guard and potential CAA player of the year Antoine Agudio may sit out or see limited action in tonight's game against Virginia Tech in the two-day Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden, Hofstra basketball SID Jeremy Kniffin said at 3:30 today. Agudio, who is averaging 26.8 points (second in the nation in Division I), sustained a sprained ankle Wednesday in practice. If he is is out for the games this weekend, Kniffen said Hofstra expects Agudio to be ready for Old Dominion Jan. 2.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Stony Brook captain Emanuel Neto took his first practice in about two weeks today - having returned from burying his mother in Angola on Monday. His return, said coach Steve Pikiell, has come not a moment too soon. The struggling team plays Cornell Saturday afternoon and is glad to have what the coach called the heart of the team back in the mix.

Neto said he plans to play on Saturday despite his loss. He added that though he thought it would be difficult to play after his mother's demise, basketball has helped him focus.

"Sometimes being on the basketball court is the best thing to do," he said, adding that he felt he owed it to his team after the extraordinary effort they put forth to save his mother. Coach Pikiell, teammates and other members of the university had raised money, procured medical help, and attempted to secure a transplant for Fatima Domingos da Silva, who died of kidney failure earlier this month.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Ho Ho Ho…

The big man in the red suit is finished for another season and now it's time for the guys in the red jerseys to continue theirs. Here are a couple of quick items before Friday’s Holiday Festival game against Marist at 8 p.m. at the Garden.

Norm Rogers (It’s not a typo. Read on)

Prior to the Aeropostale Classic on Dec. 20, a radio ad for both that and the Aeropostale Holiday Festival came on during my drive to work. After mentioning Duke and Pittsburgh, the announcer shifted to the Holiday Festival. He said, come see St. John’s and head coach Norm Rogers take on Marist. Norm Rogers? Who is Norm Rogers? You have to be kidding me. Who let that ad on the air? I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my career, but you are telling me no one listened to that before it was released and said, wait I think something sounds funny. I guess Norm ROBERTS hasn’t quite made a name for himself yet. Today on my way to work and ad solely for the Holiday Festival came on the radio. I waited to hear Norm Rogers again, but this time they got it right.

St. John’s on the XBOX 360

On Christmas Eve I opened my College Hoops 2K8 for XBOX 360 and immediately set up a St. John’s versus Pittsburgh match up with my brother at Carnesecca Arena. The Johnnies came storming out of the virtual locker room not into replica of Carnesecca Arena, but into something that looked more like a glorified high school gym. There were no multiple levels of seating and the bleachers had fans standing in the front row. On the bland walls behind the hoops were a few Red Storm and STJ posters. (Some people will say that Carnesecca Arena is a glorified high school gym).

The play-by-play announcer called Mike Cavataio, Cav-at-tie-o. The court looked perfect though, down to Lou Carnesecca’s signature by the hash marks. The other piece of good news was the Red Storm pulled out a seven-point comeback victory with the help of some nifty outside shooting and some full-court pressure.

Larry….(W)Right?

A poster named Pico left me a comment over Christmas about “Larry Wright’s "disappearing act" the last two games. It’s a great point that I failed to touch on after the Rainbow Classic. He is becoming a forgotten man in Norm’s rotation. Seven points in 31 minutes the last two games will not cut it. Early he looked like he was going to be the perimeter scorer St. John's needed to compliment Anthony Mason Jr. and Justin Burrell. Yet since Mason's return, outside of a decent game against Ohio, his minutes and production have dropped. Roberts has seemed to favor the longer and stronger D. J. Kennedy and Paris Horne, to an extent. Kennedy is a different player than Wright, but Larry is more polished and a better outside shooter than Horne.

I'll check back after Friday’s game.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Another road game means another road loss for Hofstra.

Yesterday, it was Rhode Island's turn to flex its muscle against the Pride in an 88-69 pasting at the Thomas Ryan Center in Kingston (no, not Jamaica). As has been the case in its four road losses so far, Hofstra fell behind by a ridiculous margin.

Rhode Island led by as many as 23 points in the second half and not even Antoine Agudio could bring the pride back this time. Once again, as if this game would be any different, it was all Agudio. He scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half.

Let's get this out of the way first: Rhody is a formidable opponent. The Rams are a few votes shy of being in the top 25 poll and are 11-1 now after picking up their sixth-straight victory. But this trend is becoming maddening.

The players need to realize that your intensity needs rize to unparalled levels on the road. You can't expect to fall behind by double digits and continually climb out. That doesn't work. You might get lucky once or even twice, but to have that mindset isn't a good thing. It's almost like a mirage and they have a false sense that because they've come back from large deficits (ie: against Fordham) before that they can do it again and turn it on when they need to.

We all know coach Tom Pecora is counting on more first-year players than he would probably like. He keeps talking about the biggest thing he needs is for his young players to get old. At some point, though, they need to learn from their mistakes and play much better than they have.

They showed some grit in their win over Charlotte last Saturday (of course, it was at home) and need to play more like that if they hope to be a better team come when CAA play begins in a week and a half.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

St. John’s interior play has been as soft as the Pillsbury Doughboy lately.

Haa Hoo….

That might be a bit harsh, but St. John’s (5-4) has shown an inability to defend and rebound against good interior players.

While it did a great job getting Tulane forward David Gomez, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, in serious foul trouble, center Robinson Louisme scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. It was far better performance then some of St. John’s front court players combined in a 79-71 loss last night at the Rainbow Classic. Roberts tried to switch to a zone to help alleviate the problem a bit, but to no avail.

Another big game from another opposing big man.

Ohio’s Leon Williams was good for 24 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday night and Niagara’s Charron Fisher went for 30 and 14 on Dec. 15. Like I’ve said before, these guys are nothing compared to what awaits the in Big East play.

Last night not one St. John’s player had double-digit rebounds. There were plenty to be had considering the Red Storm shot an abysmal 25.7 percent in the second half. After Sean Evans’ 11 points, the next highest total by a St. John’s big man was four apiece from Tomas Jasiulionis and Justin Burrell.

It makes me miss the sight of Lamont Hamilton patrolling the middle, but vision of him shooting threes I can live without.

Happy Holidays Everyone

BY MARCUS HENRY

The St. John's women are still a good distance from making any national statements. The Red Storm's 81-58 loss to Baylor on Saturday should give you all the proof you need. To be fair, the game wasn't as lopsided as the score indicated. The Red Storm (8-4) put up a good fight, but the Bears (9-1) were always able to keep them at arm's length. St. John's never trailed by more than 15 in the first half and were within 10 to 13 points for three quarters of the second half. Baylor put the game away with a 7-0 spurt for a 68-50 lead with 5:12 left.

There were several positives coach Kim Barnes Arico could take from the game. One is the similiarities between Baylor and Big East heavyweights Rutgers and UConn. Baylor has a quality post player in former St. John the Baptist All-American Danielle Wilson. UConn has one in former Christ the King star Tina Charles. Rutgers also totes a great post presence in former St. Michael standout Kia Vaughn. Hopefully the Red Storm's experience against Baylor taught them a valuable lesson.

Another positive was the play of sophomore forward Recee Mitchell. Mitchell played just 18 minutes, but had three points and five rebounds. Mitchell brings to mind former Red Storm forward Danielle Chambers. With junior forward Angel Tate's departure from the team a few weeks ago, Mitchell is be counted on to provide quality minutes in the paint.

Saturday's loss was also a learning experience for freshman guard Sky Lindsay. Barnes Arico was critical of Linday's shot selection and also wants her prized freshman recruit to know that the physical nature of the Baylor game will be the same in the Big East. Hopefully Linday will adjust.

The matchup: Hofstra (2-5) at Rhode Island (10-1)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Thomas M. Ryan Center
TV/Radio: WNYG (1440 AM)
Key players: Hofstra – Antoine Agudio, Sr., G (27.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg); Charles Jenkins, Fr., G (12.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg); Nathaniel Lester (8.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg); Rhode Island – Will Daniels, Sr., F (17.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg); Jimmy Baron, Jr., G (15.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.3 apg); Parfait Bitee, Sr., G (10.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 6.0 apg)
All-time series: Rhode Island leads 2-1
Current streaks: Hofstra won 1; Rhode Island won 5
Last time out: Hofstra beat Charlotte 70-68; Rhode Island beat Syracuse 91-89.
The skinny on Rhode Island: The Rams are off to a strong start and are coming off a big win at Syracuse. Already, they've beaten three Big East schools and the polsters are taking notice. The Rams sit in the 26th position in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, receiving 41 votes in the latest poll that was released Monday. But they've been off for two weeks, so there's a possibility rust could be a factor. Will Daniels can light it up and Uniondale product Kahiem Seawright is formidable inside the paint, giving them a solid inside-outside combo.

RODERICK BOONE

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Christmas came early for St. John's.

The Red Storm finally got a healthy Anthony Mason Jr. yesterday. Imagine the smile on coach Norm Roberts face seeing that nestled under his Christmas tree.

His 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting helped lead St. John's to 68-62 win over host Hawaii in the consolation round of the Rainbow Classic. He was one of four players in double figures. D.J. Kennedy and Justin Burrell each had 12 and Eugene Lawrence added 10. Kennedy also had 11 rebounds.

Mason's health is arguably the key to St. John's (5-3) going from a bottom of the Big East team to one that can be highly competitive. Roberts raved about Mason's versatility from the day the 6-foot-7 swingman stepped foot on campus.

His presence on the court helps St. John's in so many ways. Mason is a legitimate scorer who can shoot from the outside. His ability to rebound will help an inexperienced front line compete in a physical Big East. He is an athletic leader that now deepens the rotation.

And he plays defense.

Mason held Bobby Nash, Hawaii's best player, to 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting. His ability to guard a team's top scorer has a trickle down effect. As they did last night Eugene Lawrence and Malik Boothe are then able to try to wear down and frustrate an opponent's point guard and stifle their offense.

While kudos go to Lawrence for his leadership and other incredible final minutes, the story yesterday was Mason.

So go tell it from the mountain: Young Mase is back

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Leon Williams’s game-winning layup with .2 of a second left must have made St. John’s Hawaiian hotel feel like the heart-break variety. The Red Storm dropped its first game of the Rainbow Classic 71-69 to Ohio last night and play Hawaii tomorrwo. It was St. John’s (4-3) third straight loss.

Just as Chad Gates (Elvis) made his return from the Army in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, back was Anthony Mason Jr. from a high ankle sprain last night. Mason scored just four points on 2 of 4 shooting and committed three turnovers in 17 minutes. Partial qualifier Rob Thomas made his debut, two points in four minutes. Getting Mason and Thomas on the floor, but not what they did on it, was the bulk of the good news last night. There were plenty of concerns keeping the St. John’s players from dancing to Rock-A-Hula-Baby at a celebratory luau and each coach sipped on a Blue Hawaii.

1. No double dip for Burrell: Freshman Justin Burrell had just seven points and seven rebounds. He called Ohio’s 6-foot-8 245 pound William’s “the best player I’ve played against so far.” Williams had 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The Concern: He may change his tune after played Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert and UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet, both over 7-feet tall.

2. Move your feet: St. John’s committed 26 fouls leading to 34 Ohio free throws. Against Niagara it was 28 fouls for 46 free throws.

The Concern: Shockingly it was an improvement, but still a disheartening trend. To coach Norm Roberts credit he did say.” We’re young, we foul too much – silly fouls that put them in a one-and-one."

3. Shooting highs and lows: The high was St. John’s shot 53.1 percent from the field for the game and 65 percent in the second half. The low, just 1 of 11 from three in the first half.

The Concern: Except for a few blips, St. John’s has shot the ball fairly well, but it hasn’t seemed to matter recently.

4. Jolly Geno: Eugene Lawrence scored all of his 16 points in the second half and 11 in the final 2:07, including a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to tie the score at 69.

The Concern: A basketball game has two halves.

5. Just plain odd: Neither team had any fast break points.

The Concern: Even in a fifth grade CYO game there is bound to be that one basket-hanging kid who scores after catching a baseball pass to the chest and using every once of strength to just the get the ball over the rim.

BY STEVEN MARCUS

Stony Brook captain Emanuel Neto could not wait to go home to Angola for his mother's funeral, now he cannot wait to leave. He left Long Island earlier this week after his mother died of kidney failure during a major effort by Stony Brook to raise funds for a kidney transplant. Neto was expected back today but coach Steve Pikiell said his center was experiencing visa problems. ``After all he went through and now this,'' Pikiell said. Neto is not expected back before Christmas Eve.

BY JOE GERGEN

Forget North Carolina's undefeated record. Dismiss for the moment the team's position at the top of the national rankings. The most impressive aspect of the Tar Heels' start to the 2007-08 college basketball season is its willingness to take on all comers away from home.

A 9-0 record would be nice under any circumstances. But what makes Carolina stand apart from its powerful peers is the fact that only two of its victories occurred in the Dean Dome. The Tar Heels played their most difficult opponent to date, Davidson, on a neutral court in Charlotte, defeated both Old Dominion and BYU at a tournament in Las Vegas and whipped Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn and Rutgers on those schools' home courts. In this day and age, for an elite team to risk in hostile environments when it could be filling its coffers with sellout home crowds while devouring cupcakes, is remarkable.

"We didn't expect to lose any of those games," junior forward Tyler Hansbrough said bluntly after the Tar Heels whacked Rutgers at the RAC.

But that's OK. The fact is they played the games on the road. "It has been a challenge for our team, six straight games away from our building--the travel, going through exam period, playing in some tough places," coach Roy Williams said. "It's been a difficult stretch for our guys and I feel really good about what we accomplished."

Now comes the fun part, five consecutive home games against middling competition before Carolina begins its ACC schedule on the road at Clemson. By then, the Heels figure to be 14-0 and ready to roll.

BY RODERICK BOONE

As if Antoine Agudio needed any more honors, the Hofstra senior was just named the CAA's co-Player of the Week along with Old Dominion's Brandon Johnson.

Agudio had a great game in the Pride's big 70-68 win over Charlotte on Saturday, going 6-for-6 from the three-point line and dropping in 30 points.

Agudio still leads the country in scoring (27.4 ppg - he has a percentage points edge over Charron Fisher - 27.42 to 27.38 or something like that). He is also averaging 17.4 points in the second half this season, including 21.3 in the last four games (18 against Charlotte, 18
against Stony Brook, 30 against Fordham, 19 against UNC Wilmington).

The second-leading leading scorer in the CAA is UNC Wilmington's T.J. Carter, who is averging 17.3 points - less than Agudio averages in the second half alone.

Below is the release on Agudio's honor from my man Jeremy Kniffin at Hofstra:

Senior guard Antoine Agudio was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week, it was announced today by the conference office.

Agudio earned the honor after a spectacular performance in the Pride's
70-68 win over Charlotte on Saturday. Agudio scored 30 points, grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, and dished out a season-high five assists to give Hofstra a key non-conference win over a Charlotte team that came in with a 6-2 record on the season. He shared the CAA honor with Brandon Johnson of Old Dominion, who helped key the Monarchs' win over Virginia Tech on Sunday.

Agudio also shot 6-6 from three-point territory in the Charlotte contest, the best single-game performance from beyond the arc in school history. Several players had shot 5-5 before, including Agudio himself against Drexel as a sophomore in 2005-06. His fourth three-pointer was his 300th in his career, making him the first player in school history and the fifth in CAA history to reach that milestone. In fact, no Hofstra player had ever made 200 three-pointers in a career prior to Agudio reaching that plateau last year.

In addition, Agudio maintained the national scoring lead with his 30 points, leaving him percentage points ahead of Niagara's Charron Fisher.

The two players entered the game tied at 27.0 points per game, and both scored 30 points on Saturday, but Agudio moved barely ahead (27.43 to 27.38), since Hofstra has played one less game than Niagara. Agudio has held or shared the national scoring lead since scoring 36 in a Dec. 5 game against Fordham.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

St. John’s suffered a historic loss to Niagara on Saturday. It was the first time the Red Storm’s sister school won in Jamaica since Feb. 16, 1963 when it beat then coach Joe Lapchick 53-49. St. John’s was a dismal 9-15 that season. It is the second time Niagara has beaten the Johnnies under Norm Roberts. In 2004, Roberts first season, they fell 102-82.

The game before that St. John’s lost to St. Francis College 53-52, on the night they named Carnesecca Arena, for the second straight historic loss that season. It was the first time the Terriers beat St. John’s since a 76-73 win in 1956, the game was played at a neutral site. The last time the Terriers had beaten St. John’s at home was a 67-48 victory in 1954. Both of those losses came with Alfred “Dusty” DeStefano on the bench.

Now there is a name you don’t hear to often.

In 2004, St. John’s was depleted after the sex scandal gutted any talent left from a team that won the NIT two seasons prior. When the season ended Roberts sat behind his desk and told me:

“This past year that we played was a mirage. It wasn’t the true atmosphere, the true way St. John’s is going to be as far as depth. Last year we had eight players. Even if you played bad you were going to play.”

Since then Roberts has improved St. John’s talent and depth. So, losses to teams like Niagara shouldn’t happen any more. Right?

They will when you are as sloppy as St. John’s was Saturday

Eighteen Red Storm turnovers led to 21 Niagara points and 28 St. John’s fouls allowed Niagara to score 32 points from the free throw line. Big men Dele Coke and Sean Evans combined for six points, two rebounds, and nine fouls in 28 minutes.

While the talent has risen, St. John’s has still needed players on the lower end of the team’s talent pool to play a good number of minutes because of injuries and the chance to get experience. That should change with Anthony Mason Jr. and Rob Thomas’s return for St. John's game against Ohio in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii on Wednesday.

As St. John’s says aloha to its first national tournament outside New York since the Great Alaskan shootout in 2001, try to do the same to any memories of Saturday.

BY RODERICK BOONE

This is why there's nothing like sports.

Few gave Hofstra a chance to win today. The Pride went up against Charlotte, a strong Atlantic 10 team, at Mack Sports Complex. The 49ers were riding a three-game win streak, knocking off the likes of Davidson, Wake Forest and Southern Illinois. Hofstra, meanwhile, was coming off an embarassing loss to Stony Brook and the combination didn't point in the Pride's favor.

But Hofstra found a way to pull out a 70-68 win, shooting 58.3 percent in the second half. The Pride fell behind by 13 points early in the second half and it looked several times like Hofstra's losing streak was going to swell to five.

And even when Hofstra climbed back into it and took a lead, it had the smell of another heartbreaking, too-little-too-late comeback. It wasn't. And the players were really pleased afterward, showing smiles and joking around with each other in ways that haven't been seen following a game in a long time.

"All is good," Hofstra coach Tom Pecora cracked in his opening remarks at the postgame press conference.

Not quite. There were a few things the Pride still need to correct, such as as cutting back on the 23 turnovers. It had 27 against Stony Brook.

"We are still very sloppy with the basketball," Pecora said. "But because of the intensity that we defended and rebounded, we were still able to win."

Yeah, but now can they build on this and roll up to Rhode Island and get a win on Saturday? If so, maybe things are on the verge of turning around. Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, though.

"We know we can beat just anybody we play," Antoine Agudio said. "We've just got to work on our turnovers like coach said and keep working on our weaknesses."

The matchup: Charlotte (6-2) at Hofstra (1-5)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mack Sports Complex
TV/Radio: MASN/WRHU (88.7 FM)
Key players: Hofstra – Antoine Agudio, Sr., G (27.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg); Charles Jenkins, Fr., G (12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg); Nathaniel Lester (7.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg); Charlotte – Leemire Goldwire, Sr., G (20.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg); An’Juan Wilderness, Fr., F (10.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg); Charlie Coley, Jr., F (7.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg)
All-time series: Charlotte leads 3-1
Current streaks: Hofstra lost 4; Charlotte won 3
Last time out: Hofstra lost to Stony Brook 77-74; Charlotte beat Southern Illinois 71-56
The skinny on Charlotte: It's been an impressive start for the 49ers. They've already posted wins over Davidson, Wake Forest, and Southern Illinois. They've showed they are extremely stingy, holding their last five opponents under 40 percent shooting. And that's not a good thing for the Pride considering Hofstra's shooting woes. Leemire Goldwire can catch fire at any time from the perimiter, so he bears some serious watching. In Charlotte's win over Davidson, he drained 4-of-4 three-pointers in the final four minutes to help the 49ers pull it out. The 49ers, although they're 1-2 in neutral court action, haven't been tested on the road so far. This will mark their first true road contest of the season, but that shouldn't matter too much the way they've been playing.
Outlook: Hofstra coach Tom Pecora pointed the finger at himself after the Pride's latest unflattering loss. Good thing Mike & the Mad Dog had the Mitchell Report to discuss all day Thursday otherwise they might've had a little fun poking at Hofstra's loss to Stony Brook. Seriously, the players need to take a close look at each other. They seem to expect Antoine Agudio, who's leading the nation in scoring, to rescue them in every game. When Agudio has an off night, as he did against the Seawolves, no one else seems capable of stepping up. If Hofstra is going to turn around this dreadful start, then others are going to need to start contributing regularly ASAP. Bottom line: No more "atta boys" or "we're getting there." Everyone knows Hofstra is chock full of youth. But it's time the players learn from some of those mistakes and get this thing turned around immediately before conference play starts in another 2 1/2 weeks.

RODERICK BOONE

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Optimism can evaporate quickly.

Is St. John’s expected to beat Niagara at home Saturday? Sure. But if they don’t, the juice it created with four impressive performances against inferior opponents to start the season could start to evaporate

The Purple Eagles are not Miami, but they are not St. Francis College either.

Niagara (4-3) won the MAAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament last season. It was picked to finish third in the conference this year. Niagara has two preseason All-MAAC selections in senior Charron Fisher and sophomore Tyrone Lewis. Fisher is averaging 27 points and 8.6 rebounds while Lewis averages 14.0 points and 5.4 boards. A loss Saturday would be St. John’s second straight after falling to Miami 66-47 all the way back on Dec. 2.

Rust could be a factor.

The Red Storm (4-1) will need to answer some questions about its shooting. It is shooting 44.6 percent for the season, but shot a dreadful 30 percent against Miami and just 38.2 percent against Long Island University in the game prior. Just two bad nights or a sign of what’s to come as the opposition becomes more formidable? Saturday could start to give us a clearer idea.

A Red Storm win mean you can still adamantly believe the team will be fine without Anthony Mason Jr. for the majority of its non-league schedule. Also, it puts the Miami loss out of your mind, at least until St. John’s next true road game. Amazingly, it is the Red Storm’s Big East opener against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 2. St. John’s on the road is topic for another day though.

For now it’s about keeping the optimism palpable.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Call it what you want. A clean sweep, a double play, double trouble. First the Stony Brook women took apart the Hofstra women. And then the Stony Brook men followed that up with a 77-74 win over the Pride at the Mack Sports Complex Wednesday night.

You can make the argument that Hofstra is down. Pride coach Tom Pecora starts one freshman (Charles Jenkins) and two first-year Division I players (Darren Townes, Dane Johnson). Another freshman, Nathaniel Lester, gets significant minutes also. All of that notwithstanding, the Pride can't be excused for getting beat up by Stony Brook. The final score indicated the game was close, but the Seawolves led from start to finish. Stony Brook came into the game with only one big man (Rio Pitt) as Emanuel Neto was on his way to his mother's funeral in Angola. Pitt was ejected early in the second half for the leaving the bench during an altercation.

So what happened? For starters, Stony Brook played inspired defense. Hofstra turned the ball over 15 times in the first half and trailed 33-17 at the break. The Pride started the second half on a sour note turning the ball over on its first possession. Stony Brook shot 52 percent from the field in the first half and repeated that number in the second. Nick Carter, in his much-anticipated matchup with Antoine Agudio, scored 12 in the first half. Carter finished the game with 14 on 5-for-9 shooting, while Agudio had 24. But he shot 7-for-21 from the field.

Hofstra made a valiant comeback, scoring 57 points in the second half. But Pecora wasn't buying that. "I'm not proud," he said when asked if he was pleased with the comeback. "I'm not proud when we lose."

His frustration was evident in the post-game press conference as he talked about making changes with his bench. "I may have to change the rotation," he said. "I may have to shorten the bench."

So what does this mean for Stony Brook? Well, it's a two-game winning streak and the third win in their last four. A 3-7 record is certainly nothing to write home about, but after starting the season 0-6, coach Steve Pikiell has to be pleased. His team led by as many as 20 in the first half and 22 in the second. It was a nail-biter in the end, but a win is a win for Stony Brook, especially when you consider the Pride has dominated this series for a long time.

To be perfectly honest, this is the best I've seen Stony Brook play in a long time. The Seawolves kept the pressure on offense and defense. Carter was aggressive, Mitchell Beauford (15 points) had a big second half and Ricky Lucas finished with 19 points on 6-for-6 shooting. It doesn't get much better than that. It was an especially big win for Beauford and Lucas, who both celebrated birthdays on Wednesday.

"Just the history, that comes with Hofstra, just the prestige," Beauford said. "It's was one of my best wins since I've been here."

The last win against Hofstra (1-5) was during the 2003-04 season. The Seawolves edged the Pride, 70-69, at the very same arena.

PIkeill had nothing but good words to say about the win. "This team's been resilient, we practice hard every day and guys get after it," he said. "I kind of like the way they're together. And I'm hoping we can continue to play this way."

That's one obstacle out of the way. Let's see if the Seawolves can keep it going.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Two Walt Whitman products -- Hofstra's Antoine Agudio and SBU's Nick Carter -- will be getting together when the Long Island rivals clash at the Mack Sports Complex tonight. It will mark the first time since their high school days the two Huntington Station natives squared off on the basketball court.

I wrote a story on the duo that appeared in Sunday's editions.

Should be interesting to see if the two end up guarding each other at any point during the game. If that happens, I'm sure there will be some chatter between them years from now. Something to the effect of, "Yo Antoine remember when you were the leading scorer in the nation going into our game against you guys and I locked you up?"

Then Antoine could come back and say something like, "Remember when I swatted your shot into the stands?"

Nothing like a little trash talk between friends decades later is there?

The matchup: Stony Brook (2-7) at Hofstra (1-4)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Mack Sports Complex
TV/Radio: WRHU (88.7 FM); WLIT (107.1 FM)
Key players: Hofstra – Antoine Agudio, Sr., G (27.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg); Charles Jenkins, Fr., G (12.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg); Dane Johnson, Jr., F/C (5.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Stony Brook – Ricky Lucas, Sr., G (12.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.2 apg); Mitchell Beauford, Sr., G (10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg); Michael Tyree, Jr., G (8.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg)
All-time series: Hofstra leads 13-6
Current streaks: Hofstra lost 3; Stony Brook won 1
Last time out: Hofstra lost at Fordham 73-71; Stony Brook beat NJIT 62-53
The skinny on Stony Brook: It's been a roller-coaster of a season for SBU. Mostly, it's been a struggle for the Seawolves, who might've turned things around after starting the season with an 0-6 mark. The Seawolves have won two of their last three games, holding their opponents to 35.4 percent shooting in each outing. They've held three opponents under 40 percent shooting. After starting nearly every game a season ago, sophomore guard Eddie Castellanos made his return to the starting lineup against NJIT and should get the starting nod again. Junior guard Nick Carter, a Walt Whitman product, had one of his best games against NJIT, scoring eight points and going 2-for-2 from downtown in 26 minutes against NJIT.
The skinny on Hofstra: Nothing but heartbreaks for Hofstra lately. The Pride's last four games have all been in doubt in the final seconds of regulation. Two have gone to overtime (Manhattan, UNC Wilmington), one was decided by two points (Fordham) and another was decided by three points (St.Francis). Antoine Agudio is pretty much doing it by himself and hasn't received much help. Charles Jenkins is the only other player averaging double figures. Taking good care of the ball has also been a problem for the Pride and it's one of the main reasons Hofstra is riding a three-game losing skid. With most of the Pride's games coming down to the final few possessions, it's imperative Tom Pecora and company correct it immediately.
Outlook: Forget Long Island supremacy. With the way these two teams have been playing, this is the battle for mediocrity. A Stony Brook win could spur the Seawolves in the right direction and give them consecutive wins for the first time in this young season. Hofstra has to win this one just for a simple confidence booster if nothing else. A loss to Stony Brook would shatter any shred of confidence the Pride has and up its losing streak to four. Hofstra has had a stranglehold on the rivalry, winning the last three matchups by at least 15 points, and needs to continue that trend. Bottom line: With the way both teams have looked, who knows who will emerge victorious? But, as we've seemingly said for the last two games, the Pride must in this game or it could turn out to be a really long season in Hempstead.

RODERICK BOONE

BY MARCUS HENRY

Times have been tough for Emanuel Neto, whose mother died last Saturday after a long battle with kidney failure. But the 6-9 senior center has managed to channel the negative emotions into positive reinforcement. It worked on Monday night as Stony Brook picked up its second win of the season against NJIT. Neto could've missed the game. But he knew his mother would've wanted him to play and he knew his team needed him.

Coach Steve Pikiell left the decision up to his senior captain. Neto chose to play and it was a decision that paid off in a big way for the Seawolves. He didn't have a monster game on paper, but his emotion carried the team. "I didn't get the 20 rebounds coach wanted me to get," he said. "But I helped my boys get a win."

He made the biggest play late in the game. NJIT was poised for a comeback after it cut a 15-point deficit to four, 55-51, with 3:30 remaining. But Neto stepped in and took a charge, which negated a basket made by NJIT. The Seawolves ended the game on a 7-2 run for a 62-53 win. His emotion and that charge far outweighed the six points and two rebounds he had.

"He's our emotional leader," Mitch Beauford said. "We need him."

Neto credited his team and his coaching staff for helping him through a tough time. "The boys have been there for me. And that's really what's holding me together," Neto said.

One of the most popular athletes on campus, Neto is often seen at other sporting events, including soccer games and swimming meets. The rest of the athletic department returned the favor by attending the memorial service and Monday's game.

"When I go out to the swimming events it's usually just me and the family members. I just have to crazy, yelling and making up for the whole school. And I have a lot of soccer players in my family," Neto said.

I knew [the other teams] would come out for me. I'm there for them and they are there for me."

BY STEVEN MARCUS

This felt like a feel good story, sure to have a happy ending. The coming holidays only added to the luster. Emanuel Neto's mom would climb aboard a plane in Angola a sickly woman and come to America, to the great medical facility at Stony Brook, and emerge with a transplanted kidney and new lease on life.

Her son wanted to show his mom his life, his America. Manu, as everyone called him, had been in this country for four years but never grew used to or tired of what we take for granted. His coaches said he was thankful for a slice of pizza and a pair of sneakers. He is a throw-your-arms around type of kid because he exudes the genuine enthusiasm that we'd like to see at all levels of sports. He’s not a great player, but is a great leader. That’s why SBU named him captain.

There was this plan that his mom would see him play on Senior Day. She would have recovered by that time and for the first time in his college career, she would see him play in person. That vision was shared by athletic director Jim Fiore even as he feverishly tried to work on a fundraiser to get her here for the transplant.

She died Saturday at 52 and all the plans, all the hopes, all the dreams, were gone. Coach Steve Pikiell said his captain was devastated. So was everyone else who got caught up in the story.

By MARCUS HENRY

St. John's suffered a minor setback in its 64-62 loss at Hartford on Friday. Three players scored in double figures, including Monique McLean with 17 points and 11 rebounds. But that isn't the most pressing matter for the Red Storm, who had their winning streak stopped at four.

Big news hit the Red Storm campus when Mary Louis standout Amanda Burakoski gave them a verbal commitment. The 6-foot junior averaged over 20 points per game last year and helped lead the Hilltoppers to the New York State Federation Class A title last season. Coach Kim Barnes Arico is setting a strong recruiting base and clearly has an eye for talent. Check out freshman guard Sky Lindsay and junior guard Monique McLean.

Lindsay has great potential and McLean is likely on her way to All-Big East honors.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Stony Brook freshman Kirsten Jeter may turn about a real gem. The former Elmont standout who played under the late Gregg Petrocelli had a career-high 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting and five rebounds in the Seawolves upset win over Hofstra. She's a freshman, so of course there were some growing pains as she turned the ball over seven times. But that performance could be the springboard she needs. Stony Brook (3-4) is at Yale tonight in a non-league affair.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Yes, it was another tough loss for Stony Brook at Lehigh, but there is reason for hope. Ricky Lucas seems to have found his stroke. He scored 19 against Dartmouth and 21 against Lehigh. Emanuel Neto grabbed 11 rebounds. Like Hofstra, Stony Brook has been a bit too reliant on Lucas. If he doesn't score, Stony Brook doesn't win. That can't be the case if the Seawolves plan on making any noise when their America East schedule begins. Someone else has to step up. Mitch Beaufoed and Michael Tyree, who's shown some potential, are logical candidates. Nick Carter and Demetrius Young have also shown some ability to score.

Whatever happens, one of the aforementioned needs to start supporting Lucas on a regular basis. It would be nice if Neto, who has a great tough, could get some looks, too. Next up for the Seawolves is a home game against NJIT on Monday. Stony Brook narrowly escaped with a win at NJIT season. It won't be any easier this year, but the Seawolves should have the upper hand.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Hofstra has to find a way to get the job done. The losing streak is at three and counting after last night's 73-71 loss at Fordham.

Here's the two biggest problems the Pride is facing.

First and foremost, is it has these lapses and droughts that have come back to haunt them in each game. Every single one of its three consecutive losses have come down to making a key possession here and another there, and getting a big defensive stop. How many times does it have to happen until the players understand the repercussions?

As much as it’s a cliché, and most of us scribes hate clichéd coach speak, Hofstra has to play a complete game and not just play for a stretch and let its foot off the accelerator at any point.

"I'm getting tired of saying this but we are going to be OK," coach Tom Pecora said. "It's just a matter when we learn how to play 40 minutes as a young team."

Secondly, someone -- anyone -- must step up and be a consistent sidekick for Antoine Agudio. He's shown he can fill it up as well as anybody, just as he did when he tossed in a career-high 36 points against Fordham. But he can't do it by himself. The Pride need at least two other players each game to score in double figures in order to win and it's just not happening right about now. When it will happen and who it will be (Charles Jenkins, Nat Lester, Dane Johnson are the most logical candidates at this point) is anyone's guess. It needs to start immediately if the Pride wants to have any kind of meaningful season and not get into the "wait until next year" mantra made famous by longtime suffering Chicago Cubs fans.

Hofstra is digging itself in a hole so large and deep that the players will need to wear headgear with those mining lights on it pretty soon. We all know come March if the Pride can get on a serious roll and somehow miraculously roll through the CAA tournament this will all be forgotten. But seriously, who really thinks that is going to be the case? That's why it is very important for Hofstra to get this thing turned around and it must happen against Stony Brook in the battle for Long Island supremacy (or is it mediocrity?) next Wednesday.

No excuses.

The matchup: Hofstra (1-3) at Fordham (3-4)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Rose Hill Gym
TV/Radio: WRHU (88.7 FM)
Key players: Hofstra – Antoine Agudio, Sr., G (25.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg); Charles Jenkins, Fr., G (12.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 apg); Dane Johnson, Jr., F/C (6.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg); Fordham – Bryant Dunston, Sr., F (14.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Marcus Stout (14.4 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 rpg); Brenton Butler, Soph, G (10.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
All-time series: Fordham leads 13-6
Current streaks: Hofstra lost 2; Fordham lost 1
Last time out: Hofstra lost to UNC Wilmington 87-83 in OT
The skinny on Fordham: The Rams are coming off a 72-66 home loss to Robert Morris and are winless in two tries at cozy Rose Hill so far. Overall, they have lost four of their last five, the lone victory coming against Manhattan, which coincidentally is the team the Pride beat for its sole victory. Four of the Rams' starters are seniors and they have a great inside-outside tandem with beefy 6-foot-8 forward Bryant Dunston and sleek shooting guard Marcus Stout. Dunston has reached in double figures in six of the first seven games and had a 15-point, seven-rebound, five-block performance against Robert Morris. Throw in senior Sebastian Greene, who recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and career-high 11 rebounds vs. Robert Morris, and it's no hard to see why Fordham was picked to finish fourth in the 14-team Atlantic 10.
Tom Pecora’s keys/thoughts: "We've got to start winning the battle on the backboards. I think that is big for us. We haven't done that. When you look at the games, we are a few rebounds away from probably being 3-1 instead of 1-3. We really need to rebound the basketball and limit their second shot opportunities. Wilmington scored 16 points on second-shot opportunities. And we need to shoot free throws better."
Outlook: This is going to be a stiff test for the Pride given the Rams' high level of experience. Most of the players know each other's games extremely well since they've been playing together for so long. Hofstra needs to play with a sense of desperation but still stay even-keeled in what should be a charged atmosphere. The students are right on top of the court and can be intimidating in the high-school type gym. Bottom line: This will be a hard one for the Pride to emerge victorious. But should it find a way to keep the Rams winless at home, it would be a huge confidence booster and could be the type of win to get the team feeling good about itself because at this point moral victories aren't going to cut it.

RODERICK BOONE

BY MARCUS HENRY

After getting its first win of the season against Dartmouth on Saturday, would be too much to ask for the Seawolves (1-6) to win their second straight? No, it wouldn't. Stony Brook travels to Lehigh on Wednesday. Lehigh (3-5), after winning two of its first three games, has dropped four of its last five, including two straight to Quinnipiac and Central Connecticut State.

Lehigh's loss to Quinnipiac (92-88 2OT) was understandable, it's 65-55 loss to Central Connecticut State wasn't. The Blue Devils were coming off consecutive losses to Lafayette and La Salle. That tells me that the Seawolves have every reason to think they can win their second straight. To be perfectly honest, I'm expecting a Seawolves win. Lehigh has had trouble scoring for much of the season. Although the Mountain Hawks are a good three-point shooting team (.404), they have been awful overall (.428).

This isn't to say the game will be a route, because the Seawolves have had issues on offense themselves. But there's no reason why they can't pick up another win. Ricky Lucas is fresh off a 19-point game. Emanuel Neto is back in the starting lineup and had 10 points and six boards against Dartmouth. Mitch Beauford has been the hottest player on the squad. He scored 20 against Kentucky and 15 against Dartmouth.

Making predictions has gotten me into trouble (see my high school football championship record, it isn't good). But I am going out on a limb here. Stony Brook 62, Lehigh 55.

BY MARCUS HENRY

One thing is evident about the 2007-2008 St. John's women's team; they can score. And they can do it in bunches. The halftime score of the Storm's matchup against UMass last night was 51-38, in favor of St. John's. Monique McLean had 18 and freshman sensation Sky Lindsay had 14. Mind you Kia Wright scored just two points on 1-for-2 shooting. The game ended in a route as the Red Storm took care of the Minutemen with relative ease, 84-68. McLean finished with 22 and Lindsay had 16.

With most of the other metro area teams struggling, there is no denying the Red Storm women might have the best shot at an NCAA bid. The Hofstra men and women's teams had two wins between them through Monday. The Stony Brook men and women had four wins between them through Monday. The St. John's men are 4-1, but they haven't played anyone of significance. The Iona, Manhattan and Fordham men and women's teams are nothing to write home about.

Now 6-1, the Red Storm have a chance to head into Big East play with 10 or 11 wins. The Storm's next four games feature matchups against Hartford, Maine, Louisiana Monroe and UAB or Delaware State. If the Storm can get through that stretch of winnable games, they'll host Baylor on December 22 in a game that could draw national eyes. After that it's another home game against Morgan State. Following that the Red Storm head to Rutgers for their Big East opener.

For the Red Storm to have a shot in that game, Wright must be close to 100 percent. If she is, it could be 2005-2006 all over again for the Red Storm. And that means 20-plus wins and an NCAA Tournament bid.

BY STEVEN MARCUS

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra. No matter the sport, the interest on both sides is significant.

Women's basketball is no exception and Tuesday night, for only the third time in Division I, the LI rivals get together. Host Hofstra has won the first two meetings, 92-65, in the 2005-2006 WNIT and then 82-67 last season. No easy choice here; the teams are in rebuilding mode. ``I think both teams are struggling a little bit,'' SBU coach Michele Cherry said. ``We both lost a lot of our offense from a year ago. I think these are two teams still trying to figure out our identities.'' Hofstra is 2-3; SBU 2-4.

It would appear SBU has more to gain if it can win. Amerca East beating a CAA opponent would suggest improvement in Cherry's first year. ``As far as a program marker, I don't know if it is or it isn't,'' she said. ``It would be a big win for us if we can get this game. Right now any game is a marker for us because we are so young.''

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

The Matchup: St. John's (4-0) vs. Miami (6-0)

Time/Place: 4 p.m. Sunday Dec. 2 at the BankUnited Center

Coach: Frank Haith (Fourth season)

Top Players: Anthony King Sr. C (11.5 points, 9.7 rebounds), James Dews, So. G (11 points), Brian Ashbury Jr. F (10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds.), Jack McClinton Jr. G (14.3 points, missed last two games with a sprained thumb)

Key Win: Beat Providence 64-58 on Nov. 18

On the Hurricanes: Miami's perfect start has them ranked in the Top 30 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. In its latest win over Alabama State it had five players score in double figures. King had 14 points and 12 rebounds and has scored 10 or more points in five straight games. Miami is off to its best start since 14 straight games in 2001-2002. The Hurricanes are averaging 76.7 points a game on 44.2 percent shooting and hold opponents to 61.3 points.

The Series: Sunday's game is the 29th meeting between the schools and first since Miami moves to the ACC. Miami won the last meeting 70-64 in 2004 at Carnesecca Arena.

St. John's Road Woes: The Red Storm has just four road victories in coach Norm Roberts tenure. The last came on Feb. 4, 2007 in a 73-64 win over Cincinnati. Also, before a win over South Florida on Jan. 14 2006, St. John's had not won a road game since a victory at Stony Brook on Nov. 29 2003. Sunday's game is the Red Storm's first game away from home this season.

BY RODERICK BOONE

It’s of no consolation at the moment, but you can tell they are getting close. If you throw out the first game against Holy Cross in which no one other than Antoine Agudio did anything, Hofstra’s role players and beginning to emerge.

Against Manhattan, it was Charles Jenkins who stepped to the forefront. He had another solid game against UNC Wilmington with 16 points and four rebounds, although he did make one crucial mistake with time running out in the final minute when he took his eye off the ball as Nathaniel Lester made an outlet pass to him with Hofstra down by one.

“I thought our young players played fairly well,” Hofstra coach Tom Pecora said. “Charles Jenkins is going to win a lot of basketball games for us. That was the first thing I told him when that play happened. And we’ve put it behind us. It’s all part of the growing. We will be laughing about it four years. I have all the confidence in the world in him.”

Junior forward/center Dane Johnson is giving the Pride an inside presence it hasn’t had in years. Following up on his 17-point, nine-rebound breakout game against St. Francis last time out, he was a force inside again with 11 rebounds and four blocks against the Seahawks.

Saturday, it was Nathaniel Lester’s turn. He had 17 points and five rebounds, and hit the big three with less than a second left to force overtime.

“I thought Nat Lester showed why he got all the accolades in high school,” Pecora said. “He had a very good game and he has to work on becoming a better defender and rebounder as all young players do.”

It seems as if Hofstra has all the parts and the talent to make a run. Lester thinks it’s only a matter of time before everyone puts these individual efforts together collectively.

“Our coach knows pretty much what we all can do,” Lester said. “It’s just up to us to bring it all at one time for us to be a successful team."

BY RODERICK BOONE

Hofstra was in position to earn a big win over UNC Wilmington Saturday. The Pride looked like it was going to find a way to beat the Seahawks, but faltered down the stretch of overtime and lost 87-83 at Mack Sports Complex. To read all about it, you can check it out right here.

Finishing seems to be this team’s biggest problem. With the exception of its one win, which coincidentally came in overtime against Manhattan, the Pride hasn’t found out how to close out games. Even with its horrendous start against Holy Cross, Hofstra cut a big lead down to 10 but never made enough plays to get any closer.

Then last Wednesday at St. Francis (N.Y.), Hofstra watched the Terriers take control in the second half and the Pride never caught up. It was more of the same against the Seahawks. Sure, Hofstra made things extremely interesting by sending it into overtime on a big three by freshman Nathaniel Lester with one-tenth of a second left.

But just getting it to overtime wasn’t good enough because Hofstra had more than its fare share of chances to put the Seahawks away and never did. There’s that old adage of letting a team hang around and that’s exactly what happened.

UNC Wilmington kept firing in shots and Hofstra never got any big defensive stops. And in overtime it was more of the same. The result was another crushing loss in a season that could be filled with more than its fare share of them if Hofstra can’t somehow turn it around quickly.

Actually, the Pride was somewhat lucky the Seahawks didn’t elect to foul when they were nursing a three-point lead with 4.9 seconds left. I spoke with UNC Wilmington coach Benny Moss and asked him about what, like every other coach in that situation, was contemplating. He didn’t blink. There was no way he was about to foul, figuring if the player hit the first free throw and missed the second, there’s always the possibility Hofstra could have banged in a three and won the game.

“If you foul, you are bringing losing into the equation,” he said.

Speaking of losing, Hofstra needs to get this latest defeat out of its system quickly. Next up is a date at Fordham in the Boogie Down on Wednesday and the Rams are a formidable foe.

BY MARCUS HENRY

It was another strong effort by the St. John's women's team in their 76-69 win over Boston University. Kia Wright had her most productive game of the season, scoring 13 points in 17 minutes. Monique McLean had another strong game with 21 points and five rebounds. What was most impressive about the win was the play of star freshman Sky Lindsay. Lindsay scored 13 on 5-for-12 shooting.

If Wright gets close to 100 percent and Lindsay continues to improve, the Red Storm (5-1) could be on their way to another 20-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Yes, I know that is looking too far down the road, but this team has depth, a strong perimeter presence and solid rebounders.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Ricky Lucas found his way with 19 points and three other players scored in double figures for Stony Brook in a 70-34 beating of Dartmouth. It might only be Dartmouth, but the Seawolves (1-6) had to get a win. Another encouraging aspect of the game was Emanuel Neto getting into the starting lineup and scoring 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting.

The Seawolves have two very winnable games against Lehigh and NJIT before their game at Hofstra on December 12. Coach Steve Pikiell certainly doesn't want his team looking two of three games down the line, but picking up two more wins before the Hofstra tilt certainly isn't out of the question.

BY JOE GERGEN

Of all the positions D.J. Kennedy is capable of playing--and he occupied all five on the court at different stages of his high-school career---the last one he expected to fill at St. John's was the one reserved for Anthony Mason Jr. That's because Mason was the returning player around whom coach Norm Roberts hoped to build the 2007-08 edition of the Red Storm.

But a high ankle sprain derailed the start of the season for Mason, who promptly reinjured his ankle after returning to the rotation in game four. In the continued absence of the 6-7 forward, the presence of Kennedy--a 6-6 freshman from Pittsburgh--is of major importance to the Johnnies. He will start his fifth consecutive game for the team on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 2, in Miami.

While 6-8 rebounding machine Justin Burrell carries most of expectations for St. John's seven-man freshman class, Kennedy's versatility may be the most positive development in the team's 4-0 start, albeit against lesser competition. He has filled up the scoresheet in every game to the point that he currently is second in minutes, second in rebounds, second in steals, tied for second in assists and third in scoring.

"I try to do a little bit of everything," he said before practice on Friday. "I enjoy doing it all."
Roberts and the fans have enjoyed watching him do it through the first four games, all at Carnesecca Arena. "He can get a rebound, go the length of the court and score," the coach said. "Or he can go the length of the court, pull up and pass." So far, the left-handed Kennedy has done it all.

St. John's may need a major contribution on the boards from Kennedy if it is to succeed against Miami, an Atlantic Coast Conference team which is off to a 6-0 start that includes victories over Virginia Commonwealth and Big East member Providence. "Their big guys all go to the glass," Roberts said. "It's going to be a great test for us on national television (FoxSports Network) to see where we're at."

The Red Storm was only 2-7 on the road last season and 4-27 in Roberts' tenure so a victory could establish a positive mindset for a young and inexperienced team. The freshmen certainly appear to be looking forward to the experience, and not just because of the warm weather that awaits them.

"I think there's a lot of pressure at home," said Kennedy, who led Schenley High to the Pennsylvania state title last spring. "No one expects you to win on the road."

The matchup: UNC Wilmington (4-2, 0-0 CAA) at Hofstra (1-2, 0-0 CAA)
When: 4 p.m. today
Where: Mack Sports Complex