Nahiem Alleyne was missed amid St. John’s huge spring overhaul, considerably forgotten following the numerous backcourt additions of Jordan Dingle and Simeon Wilcher.
Contemplate Saturday afternoon a reminder: The southpaw guard could be a very important piece for the Johnnies this yr.
With Dingle lacking the sport due to a sprained left shoulder and Wilcher getting used extra on the ball, Alleyne was one of many stars of St. John’s 89-78 double-overtime exhibition victory over Rutgers at Carnesecca Area.
“Nahiem is [our] finest defensive participant within the backcourt,” coach Rick Pitino mentioned. “I feel everyone overlooks him, however we don’t as a result of he’s our greatest defensive participant in addition to having the ability to make pictures.”
Alleyne scored a game-high 19 factors, posted a team-best plus-13 ranking in 34 productive minutes and compelled the second further session with a 3-pointer simply earlier than the buzzer.
He additionally iced the sport with a 3-pointer that pushed the result in 9 with 50 seconds left within the second additional time.
It was a robust end after a shaky taking pictures begin for Alleyne, who was a part of Connecticut’s nationwide championship workforce final yr.
He wasn’t involved after gamers had been added at his place. Alleyne has confirmed he can excel at this degree — he spent the primary three years of his profession at Virginia Tech — and is aware of he’ll get a possibility to show himself underneath Pitino.
“Coach simply says to play my sport. He is aware of what I can do, three-level scorer, defend a number of positions,” Alleyne mentioned. “You make your personal position on this workforce, you outline your self. It’s not like Coach says, ‘All proper, you’re going to be strictly a Three level shooter or simply play protection.’ No, it’s important to go get it. I really feel like all of us are doing an incredible job day-after-day of attempting to outline ourselves.”
Dingle, the second-leading scorer within the nation final season, was held out of the exhibition sport after hurting his shoulder in apply.
Pitino mentioned the damage just isn’t critical, and anticipated him again at apply this week.
St. John’s hosted four-star wing Jaiden Glover of The Patrick College (N.J.), a verbal commit within the 2024 class, together with a pair of 2025 prospects: four-star guard Jaylen Harrell of CATS Academy (Mass.) and three-star wing London Jemison of St. Thomas Extra (Conn.) on unofficial visits on Saturday.
All proceeds from the occasion went to the Dick Vitale Pediatric Most cancers Analysis Fund on the V Basis.