Although this season's final chapter at the Big East Tournament has yet to be written it seemed like a good time, with the regular season ending yesterday, to look back at what has transpired over the course of the season. Like many years the season started with some hope. New talented transfers Andre Curbelo and David Jones along with incoming freshman A.J. Storr, Kolby King and Mohamed Keita all were coming in to add to some already experienced and accomplished returnees, gave some cause for optimism. Additionally, having the opportunity to play a summertime schedule in the D.R. gave more of an opportunity to blend that talent to become cohesive.
The Regular season began on November 7th at home with a 25 point victory against Merrimack. Over the first 12 games there were some positives and some red flags. On the plus side there were eleven victories out of those first 12 games and some positive moments. The play of center Joel Soriano seemed to have quantum leaped as he was consistently putting up double doubles and gave SJU a low post presence that they had not had in years. St. John's won the Empire Classic at the Barclay's Center, first beating Temple (one of only two teams to defeat number one ranked Houston this season) and then taking down our longtime rival the Syracuse Orange in the final. Andre Curbelo was chosen as the tourney MVP. He scored a career-high 23 points, dished six assists and made four steals against the Orange in a thrilling overtime final game victory. Additionally, after playing an absolutely terrible first half, St. John's blew out Big Ten opponent Nebraska in the second half 50 to 23 at Carnesecca Arena and won by 20 points. On December 7th St. John's played an undermanned DePaul team in their first Big East Conference game and won by 19.
On the negative side within games there was regularly massive inconsistency, erratic three point shooting, lackadaisical defense and stagnant half-court offensive execution. On December 4th their first road game against Iowa State, SJU started the game by going down 17 to 2 over the first nine plus minutes of the game. They never recovered from that poor start and the deficit did not dip below nine points for the rest of the game as they lost by eleven 71 to 60. Although it was their only loss at that time, it was concerning because Iowa State was also the only team SJU had faced to that point, who was considered a high level opponent. Also the terrible start in that game was indicative of the droughts that this team would experience throughout the year.
All of that said, there was some real anticipation coming in to a December 21st matchup at Villanova. Things started well enough with SJU going up 29 to 20 before the inevitable drought happened and Villanova went on an 18 to 2 run and never looked back on their way to a fifteen point 78 to 63 victory. Over the next three games SJU continued to underwhelm. They played poorly early on and could not overcome that in a five point home loss to Xavier, played arguably their worst game of the year getting blown out by 22 at Seton Hall in a largely non-competitive effort and displayed porous defense with an eleven point defeat at home against Marquette. They were very competitive on the road against Providence in a three point loss (their fifth on a row). By this time the team, with a 1 and 5 conference record, would need a significant turnaround to have a meaningful year. They started well by beating a weak Butler team at home by 16 on January 10th. Then on January 15th they shockingly took over a game at then #6 ranked UConn in the second half to coast to an impressive eleven point win. Hopes had been slightly revived and on January 20th they met Villanova again, this time at home at MSG, in a game that would define their season. Up 46 to 42 with just under seven minutes to play St. John's offense went into stagnation mode yet again and made just one dunk and one free throw the rest of the way. Villanova closed out the game on a 15 to 3 run to end the game and kill the slight bit of optimism for SJU that they created by playing well in three straight games. They followed up that crushing loss by getting blown out on the road, giving up 104 points, in a 28 point loss at Creighton. Then they played poorly, but won an exciting game against hapless Georgetown. Freshman A.J. Storr hit a clutch game winning three point shot, with four seconds left (off of a great feed from Curbelo), to give SJU the 75 to 73 victory over the Hoyas. SJU then lost the next three starting with another disappointing effort against Seton Hall at home losing by 12. That game's lowlight was Andre Curbelo losing his emotional control, by committing two technical fouls and getting tossed with the game tied at 46 with 13:35 remaining. Although SJU scored the next seven points after Curbelo got thrown out, the Hall closed out the game on a 38 to 19 run. They followed that game with a bad 25 point loss at Xavier and in another humiliating moment turned a 66 to 61 lead on the road against a bad Butler team into a 68 to 66 defeat by going scoreless over the last 3 minutes and 49 seconds. They did this despite numerous efforts by Butler to hand them the game. At this point of the season SJU was 4 and 10 in conference and the cries for a coaching change had become almost deafening among the fanbase.
Over the last six games of the regular season SJU went 3 and 3, with a good win against Providence at the Garden and a respectable two point road loss at league champion, sixth ranked, Marquette. Mixed in there was a bizarre double OT victory at DePaul highlighted by a massive late game collapse by the Blue Demons and a remarkable game tying three by Dylan Adae-Wusu at the end of regulation time. In addition, there was a ten point loss at Carnesecca Arena against Creighton, a nine point loss against UConn at the Garden and a nine point victory on the road against last placed Georgetown.
That brings us to today. While we are not the worst team in the Big East (that would be Georgetown) but we have been clearly closer to the bottom than we are to the top. The team has suffered from disciplinary suspensions of Curbelo and Pinzon, a season ending injury to Montez Mathis and a general lack of on court chemistry, overall cohesiveness, defensive lapses and offensive droughts. There have been positives too, the team shows scrappiness at times, Storr has had a very promising Freshman season for the most part and Soriano's high level of play will garner him some well deserved all Big East honors. Others, most notably Omar Stanley seemed to have improved over the course of the season. The future for the Coaches is cloudy at best, with many assuming there will be a change.
Hopefully the Big East tournament will be a positive one for us. It would be nice to beat Butler and from there play well against Marquette and hopefully beyond. Despite the disappointing results I like many of the players and hope for nothing but the best for all of them. Regardless of who coaches the team in the future, I would be happy to see any of them return.
The Regular season began on November 7th at home with a 25 point victory against Merrimack. Over the first 12 games there were some positives and some red flags. On the plus side there were eleven victories out of those first 12 games and some positive moments. The play of center Joel Soriano seemed to have quantum leaped as he was consistently putting up double doubles and gave SJU a low post presence that they had not had in years. St. John's won the Empire Classic at the Barclay's Center, first beating Temple (one of only two teams to defeat number one ranked Houston this season) and then taking down our longtime rival the Syracuse Orange in the final. Andre Curbelo was chosen as the tourney MVP. He scored a career-high 23 points, dished six assists and made four steals against the Orange in a thrilling overtime final game victory. Additionally, after playing an absolutely terrible first half, St. John's blew out Big Ten opponent Nebraska in the second half 50 to 23 at Carnesecca Arena and won by 20 points. On December 7th St. John's played an undermanned DePaul team in their first Big East Conference game and won by 19.
On the negative side within games there was regularly massive inconsistency, erratic three point shooting, lackadaisical defense and stagnant half-court offensive execution. On December 4th their first road game against Iowa State, SJU started the game by going down 17 to 2 over the first nine plus minutes of the game. They never recovered from that poor start and the deficit did not dip below nine points for the rest of the game as they lost by eleven 71 to 60. Although it was their only loss at that time, it was concerning because Iowa State was also the only team SJU had faced to that point, who was considered a high level opponent. Also the terrible start in that game was indicative of the droughts that this team would experience throughout the year.
All of that said, there was some real anticipation coming in to a December 21st matchup at Villanova. Things started well enough with SJU going up 29 to 20 before the inevitable drought happened and Villanova went on an 18 to 2 run and never looked back on their way to a fifteen point 78 to 63 victory. Over the next three games SJU continued to underwhelm. They played poorly early on and could not overcome that in a five point home loss to Xavier, played arguably their worst game of the year getting blown out by 22 at Seton Hall in a largely non-competitive effort and displayed porous defense with an eleven point defeat at home against Marquette. They were very competitive on the road against Providence in a three point loss (their fifth on a row). By this time the team, with a 1 and 5 conference record, would need a significant turnaround to have a meaningful year. They started well by beating a weak Butler team at home by 16 on January 10th. Then on January 15th they shockingly took over a game at then #6 ranked UConn in the second half to coast to an impressive eleven point win. Hopes had been slightly revived and on January 20th they met Villanova again, this time at home at MSG, in a game that would define their season. Up 46 to 42 with just under seven minutes to play St. John's offense went into stagnation mode yet again and made just one dunk and one free throw the rest of the way. Villanova closed out the game on a 15 to 3 run to end the game and kill the slight bit of optimism for SJU that they created by playing well in three straight games. They followed up that crushing loss by getting blown out on the road, giving up 104 points, in a 28 point loss at Creighton. Then they played poorly, but won an exciting game against hapless Georgetown. Freshman A.J. Storr hit a clutch game winning three point shot, with four seconds left (off of a great feed from Curbelo), to give SJU the 75 to 73 victory over the Hoyas. SJU then lost the next three starting with another disappointing effort against Seton Hall at home losing by 12. That game's lowlight was Andre Curbelo losing his emotional control, by committing two technical fouls and getting tossed with the game tied at 46 with 13:35 remaining. Although SJU scored the next seven points after Curbelo got thrown out, the Hall closed out the game on a 38 to 19 run. They followed that game with a bad 25 point loss at Xavier and in another humiliating moment turned a 66 to 61 lead on the road against a bad Butler team into a 68 to 66 defeat by going scoreless over the last 3 minutes and 49 seconds. They did this despite numerous efforts by Butler to hand them the game. At this point of the season SJU was 4 and 10 in conference and the cries for a coaching change had become almost deafening among the fanbase.
Over the last six games of the regular season SJU went 3 and 3, with a good win against Providence at the Garden and a respectable two point road loss at league champion, sixth ranked, Marquette. Mixed in there was a bizarre double OT victory at DePaul highlighted by a massive late game collapse by the Blue Demons and a remarkable game tying three by Dylan Adae-Wusu at the end of regulation time. In addition, there was a ten point loss at Carnesecca Arena against Creighton, a nine point loss against UConn at the Garden and a nine point victory on the road against last placed Georgetown.
That brings us to today. While we are not the worst team in the Big East (that would be Georgetown) but we have been clearly closer to the bottom than we are to the top. The team has suffered from disciplinary suspensions of Curbelo and Pinzon, a season ending injury to Montez Mathis and a general lack of on court chemistry, overall cohesiveness, defensive lapses and offensive droughts. There have been positives too, the team shows scrappiness at times, Storr has had a very promising Freshman season for the most part and Soriano's high level of play will garner him some well deserved all Big East honors. Others, most notably Omar Stanley seemed to have improved over the course of the season. The future for the Coaches is cloudy at best, with many assuming there will be a change.
Hopefully the Big East tournament will be a positive one for us. It would be nice to beat Butler and from there play well against Marquette and hopefully beyond. Despite the disappointing results I like many of the players and hope for nothing but the best for all of them. Regardless of who coaches the team in the future, I would be happy to see any of them return.
Last edited:
