It had become common for opposing coaches or players to refer to Posh Alexander as the guy who either cannot — or would not — shoot from the perimeter.
It wasn’t necessarily meant as an insult — it was a description in the heat of a game — and there was some merit behind it. In Alexander’s first 11 college games, he attempted one or fewer 3-point attempts eight times.
“By them saying that, it’s motivating me to shoot the ball,” the freshman from Brooklyn said on Saturday. “I know I can shoot it.”
Lately, Alexander is changing that narrative. The 6-foot lead guard is taking — and making — jumpers, and he’s keying St. John’s recent uptick in play. That trend continued Saturday afternoon, in a 96-78 rout of Utah Valley of the Western Athletic Conference at Carnesecca Arena. Alexander sank a pair of 3-pointers and set a career-high with 20 points — the third time he has reached double figures in the last four games — in the Johnnies’ final non-conference game of the season.
“It’s just confidence,” said Alexander, the Big East leader in steals. “Back then, when I first got here, I was just getting used to the team, seeing what I could do. I wasn’t really thinking about shooting the ball.”
“I’m a guy that likes to attack the rim, finish through contact and make plays. By me making shots, it’s crazy how I see the floor open up for us.”
In his past four games, Alexander is doing a little bit of everything. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals. After deferring to older teammates so much of the season, he’s attacking and playing aggressively. He fueled Monday’s upset of No. 23 Connecticut and helped snap St. John’s (9-7) out of an early funk against Utah Valley, scoring eight points in an 18-6 run to close the half that turned a tight game into a lopsided victory.
“I felt like we were playing kind of nonchalant,” he said. “We weren’t playing like how we played against UConn. So I felt like if I pick it up, then everyone else would pick it up.”
There were other positives. Isaih Moore had his best game since serving a one-game suspension, notching 13 points and six rebounds. Josh Roberts continued to provide a presence in the paint, collecting seven rebounds and blocking four shots. Julian Champagnie remained the team’s consistent leading scorer, scoring 19 points. Vince Cole had his best offensive performance (15 points) in a month.
But Alexander was the biggest bright spot. It’s not a coincidence as his game has begun to take off, St. John’s has started to play its best basketball of the year as well.
“He’s starting to figure out,” coach Mike Anderson said.
Junior guard Greg Williams Jr. (back) didn’t dress. He played just six minutes in Monday’s win over UConn. Anderson said his status for Wednesday’s game at DePaul is uncertain.
