There has not been an official basketball game inside Madison Square Garden yet this season but the St. John’s basketball team got to test the rims inside the World’s Most Famous Arena on Monday night during a controlled intrasquad scrimmage.
It was the first time that this version of the Johnnies got to play inside The Mecca, something that the players and head coach Rick Pitino are hoping will be a positive for the team after its slow start last season and unfamiliarity with each other and the arena.
The practice marked the first real date on the calendar for the Red Storm as the sprint to the beginning of the regular season comes into focus with the team’s media day next Tuesday followed by its first exhibition game on Thursday.
Results and statistics are tough to truly decipher in the preseason but it’s clear that Pitino has this team further along in the development process than last year’s team at this point.
Nevertheless, there were a handful of impactful takeaways from the near two hours St. John’s spent on the court Monday evening.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Jaiden Glover after his commitment to St. John’s and the last few weeks have only created more buzz around the freshman.
Rick Pitino said that he didn’t envision that big of a role for the New Jersey standout a month ago but his continued development and performance in practice has paved the way for potentially significant playing time.
Glover had a game-high 19 points in the 32-minute scrimmage, making 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point range. At times, he looked like the best player on the floor.
“He shoots well, has a good body, takes contact when he goes to the rim,” Pitino explained.
While his offensive game is smooth, Pitino stated that he has to continue to learn how to move without the basketball and his defense needs improvement, as is the case with most rookies.
