Why St. John's will make the NCAA Tournament
LoVett quickly shows what all the hype was about, taking off immediately as one of the Big East’s best lead guards. Junior college transfer Bashir Ahmed is everything Durand Johnson wasn’t — a factor at both ends of the floor on the wing — and Ponds is impressive playing off LoVett. Federico Mussini is lethal off the bench, Yakwe and Sima build on strong freshmen seasons to form a potent 1-2 punch in the paint and Mullin learns a lot from his first year of coaching.
Why St. John’s won’t make the NCAA Tournament
It takes time for the new pieces to jell with the returning ones, and though the roster has been significantly upgraded, development doesn’t happen overnight. For all the potential this team possesses, there is no substitute for lack of Division I experience, and three starters — LoVett, Ponds and Ahmed — have none of it.
Prediction - Eighth place, no postseason
The win total will double, from eight to 16, and there will be a few memorable victories that get their desperate fan base dreaming of the possibilities, but consistency will elude the inexperienced Johnnies. For every strong performance, frustration will soon follow. Nevertheless, the roller-coaster season will show the potential of this young, developing group that will improve with a season under its belt.
http://nypost.com/2016/11/11/talent-infusion-means-higher-expectations-for-st-johns/
LoVett quickly shows what all the hype was about, taking off immediately as one of the Big East’s best lead guards. Junior college transfer Bashir Ahmed is everything Durand Johnson wasn’t — a factor at both ends of the floor on the wing — and Ponds is impressive playing off LoVett. Federico Mussini is lethal off the bench, Yakwe and Sima build on strong freshmen seasons to form a potent 1-2 punch in the paint and Mullin learns a lot from his first year of coaching.
Why St. John’s won’t make the NCAA Tournament
It takes time for the new pieces to jell with the returning ones, and though the roster has been significantly upgraded, development doesn’t happen overnight. For all the potential this team possesses, there is no substitute for lack of Division I experience, and three starters — LoVett, Ponds and Ahmed — have none of it.
Prediction - Eighth place, no postseason
The win total will double, from eight to 16, and there will be a few memorable victories that get their desperate fan base dreaming of the possibilities, but consistency will elude the inexperienced Johnnies. For every strong performance, frustration will soon follow. Nevertheless, the roller-coaster season will show the potential of this young, developing group that will improve with a season under its belt.
http://nypost.com/2016/11/11/talent-infusion-means-higher-expectations-for-st-johns/
