While St. John’s got blown out by Marquette Wednesday night, Bryan Trimble Jr. had the best game of his young career so far.
St. John’s had their four-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Marquette Wednesday night, 85-73. Despite getting blown out in the second half and Shamorie Ponds being held to under 20 points (19), there was one bright spot from the Red Storm that could help them in the future.
Bryan Trimble Jr. tied Ponds with a team-high 19 points, had five rebounds, an assist, and a block. Out of the seven made field goals by the freshman, five of them were from beyond the arc. In fact, it was Trimble Jr. and Ponds who made nine of the team’s 11 trifectas.
Since St. John’s has started mainly playing only six players, it has been Trimble Jr. that has received the most playing time off the bench. Normally, you will find him taking shots from downtown as 69 of his 81 field goal attempts have been from three-point range (34.8 percent made).
Due to Bashir Ahmed getting into early foul trouble, Trimble Jr. had to play 32 minutes, which was a season-high. Without his performance in the first half, the Red Storm get blown out a lot sooner than they did. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop Marquette from making eight of their 13 threes in the second half without Markus Howard in the lineup.
As St. John’s heads in the 2018-19 season, Trimble’s value could be used more on a team with a deeper bench because he can come in and hit a couple of threes to spark the team. That might be the case next year when the Red Storm bring in freshman guard Greg Williams and transfer Mikey Dixon.
Over these final three games of the regular season and the Big East Tournament, the St. John’s coaching staff has the opportunity to see how Trimble Jr. finishes the year and to find out what his role is for next season. Of course, he will be buried on the depth chart should Ponds and Justin Simon return to Queens.
The downside in Trimble’s game is that once he gets the ball, he usually is going to shoot it rather than attack the basket or pass. He has not had more than one assist in a game since January 17 when St. John’s lost at Xavier.
If Trimble Jr. can add more to his game than just the three-point shot, he has the chance to be one of the Red Storm’s most improved players next year. Right now, he is in a good role for a team that needs someone to contribute off the bench. But, as more players come in next year, he can be most utilized by the coaching staff to his strengths.
So, while you are watching the final few games of the Red Storm’s season, it is about development as much as winning as they push for a possible berth in the NIT. With most of the team likely to come back, it’s who stands out now that could impact next season. Maybe Trimble Jr’s 19 points Wednesday night was the start of something in the guard’s young career.
