Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Butler, DePaul remain undefeated

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 20: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball while being guarded by Brendan Bailey #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first half at the Fiserv Forum on February 20, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 20: The St. John’s mascot performs. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

478. . . Previous: 10th. St. John's Red Storm. 10. player

St. John’s remains in the last spot of these rankings after splitting their two games during this past week. While competing in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, the Red Storm dropped their opening contest to Arizona State before responding with a double-digit victory over UMass on the following day. To this point in the season, St. John’s has shown signs of promise despite essentially performing at expectations. They entered the year at No. 97 in the preseason KenPom rankings and currently sit at No. 92.

With that said, though, this is a team that should continue to improve over the next several months. Head coach Mike Anderson has implemented his system in a hurry (get it) while pushing the Red Storm to play at a quicker pace. Their offensive possessions through seven games are lasting an average of 14.2 seconds (8th-fastest nationally) as they can be very dangerous in transition and on the offensive glass.

As was expected heading into the campaign, seasoned stars Mustapha Heron and LJ Figueroa are leading the way. They are combining to average 29.9 points per game as one of the best duos in the Big East. Additionally, freshman forward Julian Champagnie (11.3p/7.4r) has been quite impressive right away. The addition of Rasheem Dunn is adding some offensive firepower to the team and that is vital considering their struggles to score (219th in eFG%).

St. John’s upcoming schedule features a pair of tune-up games against Wagner and Saint Peter’s. Both of those opponents are currently ranked outside of the KenPom top-330 and should not pose major threats for the Red Storm.

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