Theo Edema was pressed into action Sunday against one of the best centers in the country, and the freshman performed better than anyone could have expected.
With starting big man Ruben Prey in foul trouble, Edema logged 12 minutes. He shined, notching four points, seven rebounds (four offensive), a block and a steal in St. John’s 84-74 win over Texas in the Red Storm’s exhibition finale.
The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Edema held his own against 7-foot Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis.
“He was big down the stretch, he wouldn’t let them get back in the game with offensive rebounds,” coach Rick Pitino said.
A four-star prospect, Edema committed to St. John’s in May, picking the Johnnies over Maryland, BYU and Stanford. He was supposed to be a high school senior this year but reclassified to attend college early. Edema could become a key part of the second unit.
“He played amazing. I’m a big fan of his game,” Tounde Yessoufou said. “His energy. You can tell he affects the game in many different types of ways. He got some good blocks, he was a dog on defense. That’s something we really, really need.”
Quinn Ellis ended three preseason games with three turnovers in 116 minutes.
He also has 22 assists. Pitino heaped praise on his point guard after he tallied four points, seven assists, three rebounds and no turnovers in 34 minutes against Texas.
“Quinn dominated the game without scoring and Ian [Jackson] benefits so much. That’s a terrific backcourt. I thought Quinn dominated the game today, got the ball moving and got everyone involved in the game,” Pitino said. “On this basketball team, Quinn is so key, because everyone wants to score, and Quinn doesn’t really care about that.
“He cares about winning, he cares about doing the right things, he cares about playing good defense. He’s really a great point guard to have with this basketball team.”
