Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Best and worst-case scenarios for each team in 2018-19

By Brian Foley

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Naji Marshall #13 of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars during semifinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Naji Marshall #13 of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars during semifinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 7: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John’s Red Storm attempts. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 7: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John’s Red Storm attempts. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

St. John’s Red Storm

Last year: 16-17 (4-14)
Key Departures: C Tariq Owens

Best Case

Shamorie Ponds’ 3-point percentage surges towards his freshman year numbers and he develops into a national star with NBA potential. Backcourt mate Justin Simon continues to stuff the stat sheet en route to his first Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron earns his waiver, giving the Johnnies the best trio in the conference. Ponds, Simon, and Heron all earn all-Big East honors, Marvin Clark II joins the threesome to form an elite small ball lineup, Chris Mullin takes a step forward as an in-game coach, and St. John’s earns a quality seed in the NCAA tournament.

More. What will St. John's do if Heron can't play?. light

Worst Case

St. John’s has won 12 Big East games in the last three years, and attempting to accelerate the rebuild flops once again. Heron never becomes eligible this season, leaving the Red Storm with a similar roster to last season’s disappointment, only without the block-maven Owens.

Ponds turns out to be the classic “good stats, bad team guy,” with another sky-high usage rate that boosts his raw numbers but torpedoes his efficiency. Mullin proves once and for all that he can’t cut it on the sidelines in the Big East, and the freshmen struggle to acclimate themselves, leaving St. John’s with another non-existent bench. The team stumbles to another bottom-tier finish in the conference, Ponds leaves for the pro ranks, Mullin is let go, and the once-proud program is forced to hit the reset button again.

Expected Big East range: 3-8

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