VILLANOVA, Pa. — There are signs of progress, signs of possibility, hints of promise in March.
The Charleston Classic ended with a win over Utah. In the Big East, they had home wins over Butler and Xavier. They lost to 4th place University of Connecticut.
These performances helped offset disastrous losses to Michigan and Boston College and a frustrating setback against Dayton. They gave this hungry St. John's fan base a reason to start believing in this group.
Rick Pitino's Johnny's will be able to convince them, starting Saturday afternoon against Villanova at Finneran Pavilion outside Philadelphia. They can convey statements to those who have doubts. Sends a warning signal to the Big East.
St. John's is scheduled to play eight games over the next month. Six of those will be Quad 1 opportunities. Three of them will play at Madison Square Garden against top-ranked teams Marquette, University Con and Providence. Two of those games will be at Creighton Hall and Seton Hall, where St. John's rarely wins. It's definitely a gauntlet.
Villanova could be without star guard Justin Moore (right knee sprain) Saturday. Providence just lost junior star forward Bryce Hopkins for the season to a torn ACL. But St. John's (10-4, 2-1) is dealing with injury issues of its own.
Both talented winger RJ Lewis (shin splints) and starting power forward Chris Ledlum (ankle sprain) are questionable for Saturday, sources told the Post.
Neither player was able to practice Friday, with Lewis only participating on a limited basis. Lewis missed three weeks with an injury but returned for the final three games. Pitino said Ledrum missed last Saturday's win over Hofstra, but returned in the win over Butler and had 13 points and 11 rebounds despite playing only 70 percent.
While the absence of either player is obviously significant, Danis Jenkins has been the best point guard we've seen all year, dishing out 40 assists and only eight turnovers over the past six games. Joel Soriano is one of the best centers in the country, a double-double machine averaging 17.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, and reserve guard Nahiem Alleyne has emerged as an integral part of this team.
St. John's defense has taken a big leap recently, going from 127th in efficiency to 63rd in five games. It's starting to look like a team that received top-25 consideration before the season.
But now we could actually find out what this group consists of. There are no soft landing spots. High-quality opponents come one after another. Challenges piled up. All seven teams competing in these eight games are ranked in the NET top 80, with five of them in the top 30.
“I'm ready,” Soriano said. “I like the way we've been practicing and the way we've played games. I feel like we're pretty prepared. I like the way UConn handled the game. I feel like we should have won that game. , the details could have been done differently.
“Really, I have no doubt that this section will be fine. More than anything, I feel like it's going to go well.'' [most people] Honestly, expect it. ”
There is a lot of history working against St. John's. The last time they beat Villanova was in 1993 at the intramural arena, the only time they beat Seton Hall at the Prudential Center was in 2014 when the arena was deserted due to a snowstorm, and they have one win at Newark Arena. He has a record of 11 losses. Not since the 2010-11 season have they started a Big East season above .500 through five games. Of the teams they have played during this daunting stretch, they have lost a total of eight games in a row against Marquette and Creighton.
Now, Pitino wasn't coaching those teams. Until this winter, Soriano and Drissa Traore were the only Johnnys. Players aren't as hurt as fans.
“I'm very excited, happy to go to Philadelphia, happy to go to Nebraska, happy to go to Jersey,” Soriano said. “This is Big East basketball. This is what you prepare for all summer.”
Still, questions remain. A question without an answer. Although it's still early, St. John's University is on her NCAA Tournament bubble, according to most Bracketology predictions. They have one win in Quad 1 against Utah, but they have wins in Quad 2 against Butler, Xavier and North Texas. He has strong metrics, ranking 45th on NET and 42nd on KenPom.com.
He has shown significant improvement in recent weeks, giving reason to believe the Johnnys are ready to not only play against the best teams in the league, but beat them. Starting Saturday, this attractive St. John's season will reach a critical point.
By the end of this period, against UW on Feb. 3, St. John's will know more about where they stand. If it's a March Candidate or a Pretender. Elements near the top of the Big East, or teams trying to survive this minefield of a conference.
We're going to learn a lot about Rick Pitino's first team in Queens in the coming weeks.
