The St. John’s Red Storm hosted the Texas Longhorns in their final exhibition game of the season, and the team should be very pleased with how they performed.
Coming off a four-overtime win against Rutgers, St. John’s made it a mission to get out to a good start in this one, and they certainly did. The Red Storm jumped the Longhorns early and never looked back.
This is a Texas team that is seen as one of the best in the country going into the season. However, on Sunday, it was St. John’s who got the best of them. Despite the size of the Longhorns, the Red Storm played some excellent help defense, and they were able to get out into transition for some easy buckets.
Prior to the game, Pitino talked about some of his concerns with St. John’s readiness for the matchup. However, his team answered the call in a big way, and while this was just an exhibition, it was a statement by the program.
In the win, there were a number of players who performed well. However, Ian Jackson was one of the first players to rightfully receive some praise.
Following the win, Rick Pitino started off his press conference talking about just how good Ian Jackson was against Texas.
“Did all the right things defensively. Didn't force the offense, Pitino said to St. John’s On SI. He just looked like a complete player at every phase of the game.”
Jackson Will Be Key
As one of the veterans on the team and a captain now, Jackson is going to be key for the Red Storm this season. The junior guard was coming off a year in which he didn’t live up to his expectations and struggled a bit as the primary ball-handler.
Now, with the addition of Quinn Ellis, Jackson is playing off the ball, and that is where he is at his best. In the win over the Longhorns, Jackson helped set the pace by getting out in transition and wreaking havoc. Getting easy baskets in transition is a good way to build momentum, and he was part of that attack.
Overall, it certainly was one of the best games for Jackson; he totaled 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 32 minutes of work. It was certainly an impressive all-around performance for Jackson and he deserved the praise.
St. John’s goes to a different level when he is playing well, and that was the case on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Storm will be back in action on November 2nd when they host Monmouth University to kick off regular season play.
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