JOE RAHON AND EMMETT NAAR Point-guard tandem sets tone for Gaels’ offense
SALT LAKE CITY — A good indicator of success in the NCAA Tournament is whether a team has a good experienced point guard.
But given that there’s only one basketball, starting two on one team doesn’t sound like a great idea. St. Mary’s Joe Rahon and Emmett Naar not only make it work, but they also make it work well enough that the Gaels hope to begin a tourney run starting Thursday.
“We both like to get our teammates involved and we’re comfortable on and off the ball,” Rahon said. “There’s never been a head-butting contest of who gets to bring the ball up the court or who’s coming off this many pick-and-rolls versus that many. It’s been pretty nice and easy.”
The duo will need to take care of the ball in the firstround matchup against a pressing VCU defense. Naar is averaging 5.8 assists to Rahon’s 5.7, and the Gaels are third in the NCAA in assists-to-turnover ratio at 1.6-to-1.
“Two smart point guards,” St. Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said. “They’re coaches on the floor. It helps a lot. I don’t really have to discuss much with them during the game. They’re pretty much running the show out there.”
Bennett said it’s similar to the backcourt of Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova that led the Gaels to the Sweet 16 in 2010.
“The same kind of guys, high IQ guys,” Bennett said. “They just take care of the ball and get us in things offensively. I think it’s probably the biggest key to why we’re successful offensively.”
Rahon, who transferred from Boston College and is a senior, has enjoyed his two years playing with Naar, a junior who has sacrificed some of his shooting due to the emergence of center Jock Landale.
“At this point we kind of know how each other is feeling, where we’re going to be, where the pass is going to go,” Rahon said. “We’ll talk about how we’re trying to attack teams, what we think is best based on the film we watch and the personnel they have. A lot of it is a feel on court you develop over time.”
VCU hopes Rahon and Naar feel rushed Thursday.
“They’re a really disciplined and very patient offense,” Rams guard Jonathan Williams said. “So we just try to speed them up, take them out of their normal game and make them play faster than they want to play.”
VCU forces 14.7 turnovers a game and is 33rd in the nation in steal percentage (10.8).
“They’re quick,” Bennett said. “They get after you and they get steals. A lot of teams have good athletes, these guys are good rebounders. They go after the ball. …
“They make it hard. There are no easy passes.”