{"id":364207,"date":"2021-11-09T02:44:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T23:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/"},"modified":"2021-11-09T02:44:04","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T23:44:04","slug":"st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"#St. John&#8217;s season preview, prediction, games to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2554da749bc\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2554da749bc\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/#3_Key_Questions\" >3 Key Questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/#X_factor\" >X factor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/#Games_to_Watch\" >Games to Watch<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/#Anonymous_Coachs_Take\" >Anonymous Coach\u2019s Take<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/#Prediction\" >Prediction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#St. John&#8217;s season preview, prediction, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s to watch<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Next year may have finally arrived.<\/p>\n<p>After more than two decades of mostly irrelevant basketball, underperformance and recruiting misfires, poor coaching hires and questionable decision-making \u2014 always thinking next year could be the year \u2014 St. John\u2019s has the pieces to matter again.<\/p>\n<p>It returns the reigning Big East leading scorer (Julian Champagnie), last season\u2019s conference freshman of the year and co-defensive player of the year (Posh Alexander), and a head coach (Mike Anderson) who has never had a losing season. It upgraded the roster with five experienced transfers who better fit the program\u2019s up-tempo, pressing style.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson\u2019s first two seasons have been successful, consecutive winning seasons that surpassed low expectations. Last year\u2019s team finished with a winning league record for the first time in six seasons and flirted with the NCAA Tournament. But now there is pressure to win from a starved fan base in what is expected to be Champagnie\u2019s final year on campus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou want to be playing in March and on into March,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cYou want to win conference championships. That\u2019s the [next] step. That\u2019s what I came here for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Picked by the league\u2019s coaches to finish fourth in the Big East, St. John\u2019s last won an NCAA Tournament game in 2000. It has reached the Big Dance just four times since, going one-and-done each time. This could finally be the year the Johnnies break through. It all starts Tuesday against Mississippi Valley State.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why St. John\u2019s will make the NCAA Tournament<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It has two of the top seven or so players in the Big East in Champagnie and Alexander. Most nights, St. John\u2019s will have the best player on the floor, if not the top two. On paper, it is a tournament team, possessing depth, experience, size and athleticism recent teams have lacked. Anything less than making the tournament would be a major dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why St. John\u2019s will miss the NCAA Tournament<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The new pieces don\u2019t mesh. Champagnie and Alexander fail to progress as expected. The soft non-conference schedule bites the Johnnies, who are unable to knock off Indiana or Kansas and lack the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 of other bubble teams that tested themselves more frequently prior to conference play.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"816\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9175.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1000\" alt=\"St. John's\" class=\"wp-image-20076296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9175.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9175.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><figcaption>Montez Mathis<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Robert Sabo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Key_Questions\"><\/span>3 Key Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Who emerges as a third scorer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are many options among the transfers, from forwards Aaron Wheeler (Purdue) and Joel Soriano (Fordham) to guards Montez Mathis (Rutgers), Stef Smith (Vermont) and Tareq Coburn (Hofstra) \u2014 as three scored in double figures in their previous stops. Another possibility is Dylan Addae-Wusu, a pleasant surprise as a freshman contributor. The best bet could be Coburn, the Hofstra grad who and averaged 15.1 points last year and whom Champagnie said is the team\u2019s most potent outside shooter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does Posh take a leap forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There were two St. John\u2019s teams last year \u2014 the one that thrived when Alexander was aggressive and attacked, and the one that floundered when he was passive. It was 11-2 in games Alexander scored in double figures and 3-9 when he didn\u2019t. Surrounded by more shooters, the sophomore should have extra room to maneuver, and could improve upon his strong freshman season, especially if his jump shot becomes more consistent after he shot a shade under 30 percent from deep a year ago.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who will be Alexander\u2019s caddy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are two obvious options: Smith and freshman Rafael Pinzon, a three-star recruit from Long Island Lutheran who has impressed during the preseason. Addae-Wusu did handle the point on occasion last year, so he could see time there as well. Anderson likely would prefer Pinzon to earn the job, so Smith and Addae-Wusu can play off the ball, their more natural positions.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"X_factor\"><\/span>X factor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Joel Soriano<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Soriano is the most important newcomer, and by a wide margin. The 6-foot-11 Yonkers native who averaged a near double-double for Fordham last season has the potential to fill a gaping hole \u2014 a quality big man \u2014 that has persisted across several seasons and spanning multiple coaching staffs. He can score in the post and be a force on the glass, two areas of need, and there is optimism Soriano is ready for the Johnnies\u2019 frenetic pace after losing 25 pounds since arriving on campus in June.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Games_to_Watch\"><\/span>Games to Watch<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>St. John\u2019s at Indiana (Nov. 17)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Red Storm makes its third ever <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> to Bloomington for its first big test of the season. Soriano will be tasked with limiting Indiana preseason Associated Press All-American and double-double machine Trayce Jackson-Davis, a stiff challenge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>St. John\u2019s vs. Kansas (Dec. 3)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The first college basketball game at the brand new UBS Arena at Belmont will be a golden opportunity for St. John\u2019s to make a bold statement. Beat Final Four contender Kansas, ranked third entering the season, and the Johnnies could have a number next to their name for the first time in the Anderson era.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9011.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"SJU\" class=\"wp-image-20076361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9011.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9011.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_9011.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>St. John\u2019s coach Mike Anderson<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Robert Sabo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>St. John\u2019s at Seton Hall (Dec. 20)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The rivals met three times last year, including their first encounter in the Big East Tournament since 2002, won by Seton Hall. The Pirates took two of the matchups, extending their recent control of the rivalry. But for the first time in years, St. John\u2019s may have higher expectations \u2014 and the better team. In an added twist, Seton Hall landed three-star guard Jaquan Sanders on Friday. The Queens native originally committed to St. John\u2019s, before flipping his decision.<\/p>\n<p><strong>St. John\u2019s vs. Villanova (Feb. 8)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This kicks off a massive three-game stretch, as St. John\u2019s faces three of the league\u2019s best teams \u2014 Villanova, Connecticut and Xavier \u2014 across eight days that could swing its season. First up are the Wildcats, the perennial Big East favorite the Johnnies upset a year ago at home. Can they do it again?<\/p>\n<p><strong>St. John\u2019s vs. Connecticut (Feb. 13)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What a way to start Super Bowl Sunday \u2014 with the first St. John\u2019s-UConn matchup at the Garden in nine years. The two teams played only once last year, a Johnnies road victory, due to the Huskies going into a COVID-19 pause. It feels right that the first game between the two rivals in the city will happen at a full MSG.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anonymous_Coachs_Take\"><\/span>Anonymous Coach\u2019s Take<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIf they can shoot the ball better than they did last year, I think that\u2019s the only question mark I have with them. Obviously, Posh is going to be better, Champagnie is going to be better. I like the big kid they added, Soriano. He\u2019s going to give them a presence, which they didn\u2019t have last year. \u2026 Mathis fits their system really well because of how athletic he is, the way he defends. He gives them a little more physicality. The kid Smith can really shoot it. Coburn is good. I\u2019d be starting him if I was them. \u2026 I think they\u2019re going to be tough. If they can consistently shoot the ball, then they can be a second weekend team.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prediction\"><\/span>Prediction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>23-12, Fourth place in Big East, No. 8 seed in NCAA Tournament, Second-round exit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Expect a slow start, losses to Indiana and Kansas, and even some struggles against low-major non-conference foes. There are so many new pieces, so much unfamiliarity with how Anderson wants to play. But there is also a lot of talent on this roster, pieces that fit. By February, as Coburn emerges as a consistent third scorer behind Champagnie and Alexander, St. John\u2019s will be formidable, reeling off consecutive wins at the Garden over Villanova and Connecticut. The Johnnies go dancing and win a game in the tournament for the first time since 2000 behind a monster performance from Champagnie, who is drafted early in the second round a few months later.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/11\/08\/st-johns-season-preview-prediction-games-to-watch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#St. John&#8217;s season preview, prediction, games to watch&#8221; Next year may have finally arrived. After more than two decades of mostly irrelevant basketball, underperformance and recruiting misfires, poor coaching hires and questionable decision-making \u2014 always thinking next year could be the year \u2014 St. John\u2019s has the pieces to matter again. It returns the reigning&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":364208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/DSC_8974.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[118618,80994,81251,77572,81860,72027],"class_list":["post-364207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-8-21","tag-college-basketball-preview","tag-julian-champagnie","tag-mike-anderson","tag-posh-alexander","tag-st-johns-red-storm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}