Time for St. John’s fans to do part after getting what they wanted

There have been similar fair criticisms for years.

St. John's wasn't ready for Big East play. He wasn't properly coached. There was no discipline.

As those areas improve, the crowds will likely follow. There was no return on financial investment.

Until now, it has been difficult to discuss these points.

It's clear St. John's was prepared for Big East play this year, as evidenced by its 3-1 league record, its best start since the 2010-11 season under coach Steve Lavin. It is well-coached. With a Hall of Famer like Rick Pitino, that will happen. He is disciplined and gets better with each match.

Next it's the fans' turn. You begged the school to hire Pitino. We've been waiting for years for a team like this, one that is balanced, poised, and capable of not only making it to the NCAA Tournament, but also doing some damage. He feels it's not a matter of if, but when, he will return to the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Why not join forces and show up at the Garden Against Providence on Wednesday night? Why not fill the building, come back in 10 days for No. 11 Marquette, and then come again on January 24th when Villanova comes to town?

Early attendance numbers for the Providence game aren't great. Currently, approximately 10,000 tickets have been issued. This is not enough. It's not even close to that.

Pitino avoided criticism from fans, pointing out that he had been largely irrelevant for the past 20 years. He has said many times that St. John's needs to rebrand. We have to win and win big. That way, the fans will come back. He's right. He also lost a lot. The last time Johnny's won a tournament was in 2000, and the last time they advanced to the main tournament was in 2015.

Still, let's take a look back at Chris Mullin's final two seasons as coach from 2017-19. In 10 games at the Garden, St. John's drew an average of 15,718 fans. Overall this product is immeasurably better. A former star player who never gave his all as a coach, led a dominant team, and stood on the sidelines, now a coaching legend desperate for one last big win in his hometown. Was it really a better draw than the actual March candidate to command?

I know it's not a cheap ticket, but admission costs about $35 on the secondary market. It wasn't cheap at the time either. If you're a student, it's only $15, but there's also a special offer where non-students can take you for $15. St. John's Red Zone Student Organization is distributing long-sleeve T-shirts and providing bus transportation to students for the game. The athletic department and New York City-based Local Hoops, in collaboration with CLC, one of the nation's leading collegiate licensing companies, will launch a special merchandise collection at the Garden's Fan Shop. Schools are playing their part.

This is not about enthusiasts. They went during the off-season and are obviously attending games now. Season tickets have actually gone up in price significantly this year, with St. John's selling out five games at Carnesecca Arena. But the Dec. 16 game against Fordham at the Garden drew just 12,720, and crowds for nonconference games against Boston College at Barclays Center (6,072) and Hofstra at UBS Arena (7,486) were poor. Ta.

Pitino has forgiven his fan base so far. I don't. You've been waiting for a coach like this. A team like this. There may be a season like this. The Johnnys are led by local star Joel Soriano, the affable center from Yonkers, who is having one of the best seasons in the nation. Experienced, fun, and playing defense at a high level, he improved from 127th to 53rd in efficiency after a Dec. 10 loss to Boston College.

I'm not saying this game or future games should be sold out. No one has yet claimed more than 19,000 seats in the garden. But St. John's won on Villanova's campus for the first time since 1993, despite missing starting power forward Chris Ledlum due to injury. They are tied for first place in the Big East with a four-way tie. Crowding similar to the Marin era is more than reasonable.

This time last year, St. John's was going to have another poor season with no postseason, so if I told you that it would be in this position the second week of January, you would pinch yourself. . Well, it's true. Rick Pitono coaches the Johnny's. He has a team that is second to none in the league. So go ahead and do your part. Show up and be loud.

What on earth are you waiting for?