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St. John’s Basketball: What to expect from the Red Storm in 2018-19

By Nick Bello

PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Chris Mullin of the St. John's Red Storm reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grand Canyon Antelopes at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 5, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Chris Mullin of the St. John's Red Storm reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grand Canyon Antelopes at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 5, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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What should be expected from St. John’s Basketball this upcoming season? Here are four things, in particular, to look out for.

Keeping the four factors to consider for the St. John’s Red Storm in mind, now it’s time to look at what to expect this season. This upcoming season should be a fun one as Chris Mullin is equipped with a lot of talent that could set the Big East on fire. With a lot of new faces, Mullin’s coaching strategy may change a little for the better as he begins to settle in with a team that is entirely his. So here is what fans should expect to see this upcoming season.

The same fast-paced offense

Although Mullin will probably adjust his coaching strategy to accommodate the skill sets of the newly acquired players, Mullin’s fast-paced offense is something that will definitely not change at all. Last season, the Red Storm were very successful at getting out on the fast break which created a lot of electric highlight reel plays. This same strategy would work perfectly with this new team especially with the addition of Mikey Dixon and possibly Mustapha Heron. Heron’s size will make him a threat on the fast break since many defenders probably won’t take a charge as Heron, who is 6’5 and weighs 215 pounds, come barreling at them. Dixon is quick and shifty allowing him to get down the court with ease to either score or set up a teammate with a dunk. Also, let’s not forget about Shamorie Ponds who made his living on fast break opportunities last season.

Half court sets

The Red Storm struggled last season in half-court sets and looked very disorganized since they only had a few set plays. This is definitely something that is subject to change this season as Mullin now has a lot of young talent that can master set plays in half court situations. Sure the Red Storm will like to push the ball when they can but if they can’t find an open look right away then they will probably reset and run a play to get an open look. Last season we saw that they like to use a guard like Ponds and a big to run a little two-man game that worked pretty frequently which is something that will probably be taken into consideration.

More substitutions

Since Mullin and his coaching staff have brought in a lot more players, this year’s roster is not lacking depth like last season. Mullin and his staff will probably look to use a lot of subs to give the starters a lot of rest to prevent any possible breakdowns later on in the season. This will also give a lot of the young guys valuable playing experience that they can learn from down the road. However, this all depends on injuries, which as we saw last year, can be deadly to a team. More depth should prevent injuries as it allows for a lot of rest.

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Full/Half Court Press

Earlier last season the Red Storm liked to press a lot which would lead to steals that turned into easy points. Since the Red Storm lack a major shot-blocking presence like Tariq Owens this season, full and half court presses may be their go to this season. Pressing a team leads to a lot of fast and easy points which is something that Mullin and his teams in the past have relied on.