The epitaph for the 2018/2019 St. John's season can not be written yet. There is still one very important chapter left to play out before that is done. However barring a good run in the NCAA tournament (assuming we get in), this season has come up short of my expectations. For the most talented group of the Mullin Era to improve by only one game in conference play from the 2016/2017 team is very disappointing. The fact that this team could not avoid the Wednesday play in game does not measure the type of improvement hoped for at the start of the season. Teams like Seton Hall and Xavier, that were supposed to be in rebuilding mode this season after losing signifcant talent, are moving on to the conference Semis. Those teams were picked to finish behind us in conference play (see below) but finished above us in the conference standings.
One can only wonder what will happen next year when we will need to retool after losing significant talent like Ponds (biggest non-four year scorer in school history), Heron and Clark. Hopefully Simon will return, along with L.J. and that some of the new talent and lesser returning players will step up their games. That said it is hard at this point to feel like we will be moving into the upper echelon of the conference standings next year.
Hopefully we will avoid the NCAA play in game (not the real tournament IMO) and ultimately advance to the round of thirty-two or beyond, but without that on their resume this team has not achieved enough IMO to be characterized as really successful this year.
2018-19 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Villanova 8
2. Marquette (1)
3. Providence
4. St. John’s
5. Butler (1)
6. Xavier
7. Georgetown
8. Seton Hall
9. Creighton
10. DePaul
One can only wonder what will happen next year when we will need to retool after losing significant talent like Ponds (biggest non-four year scorer in school history), Heron and Clark. Hopefully Simon will return, along with L.J. and that some of the new talent and lesser returning players will step up their games. That said it is hard at this point to feel like we will be moving into the upper echelon of the conference standings next year.
Hopefully we will avoid the NCAA play in game (not the real tournament IMO) and ultimately advance to the round of thirty-two or beyond, but without that on their resume this team has not achieved enough IMO to be characterized as really successful this year.
2018-19 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Villanova 8
2. Marquette (1)
3. Providence
4. St. John’s
5. Butler (1)
6. Xavier
7. Georgetown
8. Seton Hall
9. Creighton
10. DePaul
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