St. John’s fans are upset. Their beloved Johnnies got their hopes up by playing terrific basketball for a month, only to lose games to two of the Big East’s worst teams — Butler and DePaul — that has likely ruined their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Disappointment is understandable. Frustration is expected. But all the optimism from the stretch shouldn’t be tossed out of the window, either. As St. John’s prepared to play at No. 8 Villanova on Tuesday night, this is the best the faithful should feel about the program in a long time.
Here are four reasons:
The Point Guard
Posh Alexander fits coach Mike Anderson’s uptempo system like a glove. His energy never stops. He’s a better shooter than advertised and an unselfish player who will develop into a leader, the kind of player who will draw recruits and transfers to this program. He’s a virtual lock to be awarded Big East Freshman of the Year. The 6-foot Alexander may also be the league’s defensive player of the year. The last player to win both awards in the same season? Allen Iverson of Georgetown in 1995. Considering there was no offseason program and a limited non-conference schedule due to COVID-19, Alexander has already lapped expectations.
The Coach
Anderson has brought stability, an identity and accountability — qualities that were previously lacking — to this program. He has overachieved in his first two seasons, his teams getting better as the year goes on. Simply, he’s the best coach St. John’s has employed in over two decades, since Fran Fraschilla patrolled the sidelines. Last year’s team looked capable of making a big run in the Big East Tournament before the virus canceled play. This group was picked to finish ninth in the Big East and should far surpass that prediction. His teams grind and rarely, if ever, lose on effort. This will be his 19th straight season with a winning record. That doesn’t happen by accident. St. John’s is still in position to finish with a winning record in the league for the first time since 2015.
The Local Recruiting
Sure, St. John’s hasn’t landed any big-time recruits, on paper, yet. No top-100 players have picked the program. But, the roster has four city guys, including the Big East’s leading scorer (Julian Champagnie), the best freshman (Alexander) and two other key players, senior Rasheem Dunn and freshman Dylan Addae-Wusu. The Red Storm is adding two more locals, Long Island Lutheran duo Drissa Traore and Rafael Pinzon. High school and AAU coaches have been impressed by Anderson and his staff’s talent development and no-nonsense approach.
The Roster
Champagnie has emerged as one of the top players in the Big East, a shot-making sophomore forward and strong defender. He’s likely to test the NBA draft waters, but smart money says the 6-8 Brooklyn native will return to St. John’s. Alexander and Addae-Wusu will be even better with a full summer of workouts. Junior college transfers Vince Cole and Isaih Moore have made strides and fill important roles as a space-creating shooter and finisher, respectively. Junior guard Greg Williams Jr. was one of the Red Storm’s best players before lower-back inflammation torpedoed his season. There is a lot of upside.