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NCAA Basketball: 2018 Legends Classic preview and predictions

By Drew Dinnhaupt

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 7: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John's Red Storm dribbles the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 7: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John's Red Storm dribbles the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Quinton Rose #13, Shizz Alston Jr. #3, Josh Brown #1, and Obi Enechionyia #0 of the Temple Owls huddle against the Villanova Wildcats at the Liacouras Center on December 13, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Quinton Rose #13, Shizz Alston Jr. #3, Josh Brown #1, and Obi Enechionyia #0 of the Temple Owls huddle against the Villanova Wildcats at the Liacouras Center on December 13, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Favorites and Under-the-Radar Teams

While no official game lines have been released yet, St. John’s should expect to be the clear favorite to win the championship game. Many consider this season to be the year the Red Storm finally break out and finish high in the Big East. With Chris Mullin at the helm, St. John’s is a very promising program down the road.

The Johnnies are the team with the most to lose in the Legends Classic. With high expectations from an anxious fanbase, the Red Storm can’t afford to fall to a mid-major program before conference play. St. John’s received a mere two votes in the Week 2 AP Poll; one loss in the Legends Classic will easily drop the Red Storm from the Top 25 conversation.

Cal is the most likely team to leave Brooklyn with a pair of losses. The Golden Bears might be the worst team in a rather weak Pac-12 and isn’t capable of competing with some of the better mid-major programs similar to the likes of VCU and Temple.

VCU and Temple aren’t teams that many expect to land in the Top 25 conversation at any point this season, but a win over St. John’s and a Legends Classic title could do so. But is that within their reach?

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