We’re ten days until the the season. I repeat, TEN days until the season. It is only fitting we continue this series with no. 10 for the Red Storm, Marcellus Earlington. A fan favorite by the student-section and an loyal supporter of our account, we can’t wait for our guy to hit the hardwood in a week and a half.
2019 Season in Review
Marcellus impressed during his sophomore season, to say the least. Playing in all 32 games of the year, Earlington shot nearly 50% from the field. Earlington had become a solid player off the bench by averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds per game.
His best game last year came on the road against Creighton, where he dropped 25 and recorded 10 boards. Notably, his performance in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarter-final was superb. St. John’s fans will recall that night well; it was last night before Covid, and the night in which Georgetown channeled their inner Atlanta Falcons. Cellus sparked a 23-0 run for the Johnnies to close out and win the game, including scoring ten consecutive points to finish with 17. His dagger three in the waning minutes of the contest sent the Garden into a frenzy. We pray somehow, someway, we can experience that live crowd noise again at MSG. That shit was awesome.
What To Expect This Season
I think it’s safe to say that Earlington will be crucial to the Johnnies success this season. The junior will be a leader on and off the court and will see significant minutes. I’d expect to see Earlington start, but St. John’s has the advantage of shuffling the starting lineups game by game. We project that Coach Anderson will platoon him both in the starting lineup and off the bench depending on the matchups. SJU has the luxury to be able to chose to roll with him small-ball lineup and a big lineup wherever they see fit, as Earlington’s play style is flexible for both systems.
A solid body who can play down low and still shoot the three, defenders better get their shit together and be on their A-game. If they don’t, Marcellus will feast. He’s the perfect glue guy for a team who wants to win in the number two basketball conference in the country.
I feel like we can beat anybody in the country.
Marcellus Earlington, March 2020
Cellus is strong enough to out muscle you down low, athletic enough to keep defenders sharp on their toes, and has enough range to hit the shot if you give him too much space. His football background gives him an advantage in this sense. In a nutshell, he’s a matchup nightmare for bigs.
Earlington is going to be instrumental in facilitating some offense after the departure of LJ Figueroa to Oregon. His productivity and numbers will definitely go up due to this. To say he’s in for a big season would be straight facts.
We look forward to seeing what Earlington will bring to the table this year for SJU. Be sure to keep your eye on him.
Barstool St. John's 