No, Joel Soriano said with a smile, saying this was something he never imagined when he transferred to St. John’s in the spring of 2021.
To call his three-year career at St. John’s a roller coaster would be an understatement.
There were also high prices. There were also low prices.
There were coaching changes and a roster rework.
Soriano is a constant presence in Queens.
“As you’re saying right now, it’s starting to hurt me a little bit. It’s been a long three years,” the affable center said of his final season as a Johnny’s player on Saturday against Georgetown at the Garden. He spoke before a home game.
He added: There were many ups and downs, many adversities, many trials and tribulations. But I feel like I’ve grown as a man here, both on and off the court. I met so many amazing people and made friendships that will last a lifetime. I will cherish the love and compassion for this university for the rest of my life. St. John’s will always be in my heart. ”
Soriano experienced a Senior Day celebration last year, but the circumstances were obviously much different.
The team was running out of strings, coach Mike Anderson was retiring, and he still had one year of eligibility left if he chose to use it.
This time, St. John’s University (18-12, 10-9) is firmly in the NCAA Tournament roster, and Soriano won’t be around next season. This is it for him.
“I’m definitely going to be a little more emotional because I know this is my last time.” [regular-season] We’re here to play,” said the Yonkers native, who will be joined by his mother, Maria, for the pregame ceremony. “I want to cherish that moment.”
He has a chance to make a big splash to help the Johnnies return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
They have won four straight and are on the right side of the bubble by most projections. A win against Georgetown would give St. John’s the most wins in the league (11 wins) since going 12-6 in the 2010-11 season.
“So for me it would be a dream come true,” he said. “As a Division I college basketball player, that’s your dream. It’s your goal every season to make it to the NCAA Tournament. This is a first for me, and it’s a dream come true to make it to the tournament in my last season. I just want to get there.”
This season was full of ups and downs, reflecting his career at St. John’s.
With the push of coach Rick Pitino, Soriano is back in the best shape of his life.
He was the best player at St. John’s until he hit a slump in mid-January.
As the team struggled, Soriano did not start in the February 13 loss to Providence.
His performances have improved recently, but he’s still not at the level he was before his struggles. He is averaging 10.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over his past five games entering Saturday.
“That gave me a little bit of motivation,” Soriano said of coming off the bench against Providence. “It woke me up a little bit. I took it as motivation to get better.”
When last season ended in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, Soriano said he would only return if Anderson was still the coach.
That changed with the appointment of Pitino, who made retaining Soriano his top priority. Of that group, only Drissa Traore remained.
Soriano had a whole new teammate. It was like starting over from my final year of university. But he’s glad he stayed. A trip to March Madness will be just around the corner.
“It’s going to mean not just me, it’s going to mean the world. I think it’s going to mean the world to the fans,” Soriano said. “That’s what they’ve been waiting for. This is going to be a start for the program. Once we get there, that’s going to be the standard that this program has to live up to after we’re done.” Sho.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do when we first got here and what we’ve been trying to do to set the standard here and make St. John’s a powerhouse again.”
