“St. John’s brought a 4-0 record and a No. 22 national ranking to the Bahamas last week for three games in four days. The Red Storm went 1-2 in those contests — which could be viewed as a measuring stick — and wound up out of the AP Top 25 when Monday’s rankings were released.
The Red Storm lost their first game to No. 13 Baylor in the worst and most painful way. After giving away an 18-point first-half lead and allowing the Bears to extend the game into a second overtime, Zuby Ejiofor missed two free throws with 4.1 seconds left and Baylor’s Jeremy Roach nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 99-98 win.
There were a few things that deserved scrutiny. Baylor coach Scott Drew asked for a review of something before Ejiofor’s free throws, a delay that Rick Pitino compared with “being iced.” And then there was the matter of the clock not starting right away after Ejiofor missed his second free throw.
That said, it was no surprise when St. John’s appeared in the “also receiving votes” section of Monday’s rankings. The Red Storm received a total of 10 points, leaving them in 38th place, a point behind Georgia.
1. Have the results of the trip changed expectations?
Even though the loss to Baylor came on a buzzer-beater in double overtime, it was still the first blemish on St. John’s resume. Bouncing back from a gut-punch loss with a resounding win over Virginia indicated the team has a strong constitution. But no one knows how the loss to a Georgia team in a very strong SEC will affect St. John’s.
If the Bulldogs end up at the bottom of the conference, there could be a toll from a mistake-laden, poorly executed three-point loss. A year ago, losses to Michigan and Boston College — both of which ended up having poor seasons — took a toll on the Red Storm when they were evaluated by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
2. Where is Kadary Richmond?
Richmond was a first-team All-Big East selection for Seton Hall last season because he excelled at scoring, assisting and rebounding. He became a national story by transferring to a conference rival and is supposed to be St. John’s best player, but no one has seen that guy through seven games.
In the loss to Baylor, he shot 4-for-11 and had 14 points, seven assists and three turnovers. Against Georgia, he shot 1-for-8 with two assists and three turnovers.
Pitino has made veiled suggestions that he is not in shape yet for grueling games. He needs to get there for St. John’s to win.
3. St. John’s fan base is highly underrated
Despite an almost steady decline for 25 years — the Steve Lavin seasons being the exception — there still is a vibrant St. John’s fan base. These people spent their hard-earned bucks to turn out in the Bahamas, and their resounding support of Ejiofor was evident. The junior led the Red Storm with 22 points and eight rebounds against Georgia, going 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.”
The Red Storm lost their first game to No. 13 Baylor in the worst and most painful way. After giving away an 18-point first-half lead and allowing the Bears to extend the game into a second overtime, Zuby Ejiofor missed two free throws with 4.1 seconds left and Baylor’s Jeremy Roach nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 99-98 win.
There were a few things that deserved scrutiny. Baylor coach Scott Drew asked for a review of something before Ejiofor’s free throws, a delay that Rick Pitino compared with “being iced.” And then there was the matter of the clock not starting right away after Ejiofor missed his second free throw.
That said, it was no surprise when St. John’s appeared in the “also receiving votes” section of Monday’s rankings. The Red Storm received a total of 10 points, leaving them in 38th place, a point behind Georgia.
1. Have the results of the trip changed expectations?
Even though the loss to Baylor came on a buzzer-beater in double overtime, it was still the first blemish on St. John’s resume. Bouncing back from a gut-punch loss with a resounding win over Virginia indicated the team has a strong constitution. But no one knows how the loss to a Georgia team in a very strong SEC will affect St. John’s.
If the Bulldogs end up at the bottom of the conference, there could be a toll from a mistake-laden, poorly executed three-point loss. A year ago, losses to Michigan and Boston College — both of which ended up having poor seasons — took a toll on the Red Storm when they were evaluated by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
2. Where is Kadary Richmond?
Richmond was a first-team All-Big East selection for Seton Hall last season because he excelled at scoring, assisting and rebounding. He became a national story by transferring to a conference rival and is supposed to be St. John’s best player, but no one has seen that guy through seven games.
In the loss to Baylor, he shot 4-for-11 and had 14 points, seven assists and three turnovers. Against Georgia, he shot 1-for-8 with two assists and three turnovers.
Pitino has made veiled suggestions that he is not in shape yet for grueling games. He needs to get there for St. John’s to win.
3. St. John’s fan base is highly underrated
Despite an almost steady decline for 25 years — the Steve Lavin seasons being the exception — there still is a vibrant St. John’s fan base. These people spent their hard-earned bucks to turn out in the Bahamas, and their resounding support of Ejiofor was evident. The junior led the Red Storm with 22 points and eight rebounds against Georgia, going 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.”
