St. John’s Aaron Scott already feeling ‘locked in’ amid new surroundings

Aaron Scott had his first sensation of nan New York crowd Saturday erstwhile he suited up astatine Carnesecca Arena. 

Queens, New York, is simply a agelong measurement from Texas, but nan Lone Star State autochthonal said aft nan Johnnies’ triumph complete Towson that he has been “comfortable” pinch things since arriving successful nan Big Apple and moving pinch his caller teammates and coach. 

“I’m locked in. I’m each comfortable,” Scott said. “Early on, it was difficult. Coming from Texas, New York and Texas are 2 wholly different states. But I sewage retired present successful June. Me and nan guys hung retired disconnected nan court, connected nan court, and we sewage closer. It’s clip now and we’re each locked in.” 

Scott finished Saturday’s triumph pinch 11 points, on pinch 5 rebounds, a blocked changeable and a steal. 

He is judge to play a large domiciled successful helping St. John’s connected nan protect broadside of nan shot and impressed nan Johnnies unit pinch his two-way ability. 

The allure of New York City is portion of nan charm of playing for St. John’s, but for Scott, he isn’t getting excessively caught up successful what nan Big Apple has to offer. 

“I’m present conscionable for basketball,” he said. “All nan other stuff, going to nan metropolis and everything, that’s cool and all, but I came present for basketball. So it’s really getting utilized to thing [away from nan gym] because it’s a hoops court.” 

St. John’s coach Rick Pitino wanted to spot what he had successful Ruben Prey and Vincent Iwuchukwu and came distant pinch nan conclusion that he has “confidence successful some of them.” 

Pitino gave some large men important playing clip during nan triumph complete Towson to adjacent retired their accumulation calendar.

Prey was fixed 16:22 of clip connected nan floor, while Iwuchukwu started and saw 15:29 of action. 

The Johnnies coach noted nan quality betwixt them and said Iwuchukwu was a “totally different type of player.” 

“Ruben is nan amended five-man connected nan perimeter and nan different young man is amended connected nan inside,” Pitino said, earlier complimenting Prey’s activity and passing ability. 

Iwuchukwu vanished pinch 8 points on pinch 1 rebound and a steal, while Prey had a brace of rebounds, 2 points and an assist. 

Pitino indicated he had seen betterment successful Iwuchukwu’s violative game, though he besides pointed retired that he’d for illustration to spot him respond quicker to rebounds. 

“He’s conscionable sewage to beryllium a quicker twitch connected nan glass,” Pitino said. 

Saturday’s accumulation crippled betwixt St. John’s and Towson raised money for Autism Speaks, an autism defense group. 

The origin hits adjacent to location for Towson caput coach Pat Skerry, whose boy was diagnosed pinch autism astatine 18 months old.