St. John’s Dominates in Rebounding Against Bucknell
St. John’s showcased their strength on the boards Thursday night, emphasizing a more physical approach that manager Rick Pitino seeks to instill in his team, which he describes as “finesse.” This was evident in their 97-49 loss to Bucknell at Carnesecca Arena.
The Red Storm out-rebounded their opponents by 22, scored 44 points in the paint, recorded seven blocks, and created over 40 deflections. It was an impressive display of dominance, at least in those areas.
Dillon Mitchell highlighted the team’s effort with 11 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. He said, “For me, it starts at the defensive end. That’s what I pride myself on, moving other guys, trying to get deflections, trying to get steals. It’s really about the little things to get everyone moving, especially on defense.”
The guards also stepped up; Ojiya Sellers, Joeson Sanon, and Ian Jackson collectively grabbed 14 rebounds. This will be critical as they prepare to face No. 16 Iowa State at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
Mitchell pointed out the challenge ahead: “That’s one of the biggest things because the next two games, Iowa State and Baylor, are both Big 12 teams. They’re tough, they’re physical. The big teams will battle down there, and the guards need to get in and help with rebounds, just like they did tonight.”
He added, “It was good to watch. We know what it’s like to play a physical team in Las Vegas. We really need to keep that mindset and understand what we have to do.”
In the early games of the season, Bryce Hopkins had only made one three-pointer out of eight attempts. However, he found his rhythm Thursday, going 3-for-4 from deep.
Pitino commented on Hopkins’ performance, noting, “It was very important. He missed a few wide-open shots in the first half. Sometimes, you know, players hesitate to open up.”
Back in the 2022-23 season—before injuring his ACL—Hopkins had a solid 36.4% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, with about 2.3 attempts per game. The team will really benefit from his ability to knock down threes, especially if he becomes a key player at small forward moving forward.
