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St. John’s Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Red Storm

By Benjamin Zacher

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: A general view during the game between the St. John's Red Storm and the Creighton Bluejays at Carnesecca Arena on March 01, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: A general view during the game between the St. John's Red Storm and the Creighton Bluejays at Carnesecca Arena on March 01, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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St. John's Basketball
St. John’s Basketball (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Season Outlook

Let me say this first: this is a St. John’s team that should not be any worse this season than they were last year.  This will also not be Mike Anderson’s first season with a losing record.

This is an incredibly deep Red Storm team with solid and reliable post play.  If Cole and the incoming freshmen can provide quality contributions off the bench in the backcourt, then this is a St. John’s team with the manpower needed to turn some heads in the Big East.

The Big East is capable of sending multiple teams to the NCAA tournament this season, with a few on the bubble already.  ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s most recent bracket (Oct. 7) currently projects five Big East teams: Villanova and Creighton are locks, while UConn, Seton Hall, and Providence are all on the bubble.  Marquette is among those in the first four out.

If the Johnnies are able to figure out their road woes, this team has real potential of being on the bubble.  They will have to pull off more upsets than they did last season, but with their depth, that is decidedly not out of the question.  Likewise, if they can up their conference win total from five to eight or nine, they will be in fairly good shape.

If it is any consolation, this is a team that probably would have received an NIT bid last season, especially if the season had played out normally and the Johnnies knocked off Creighton in the Big East Tournament.  And, if St. John’s cannot make the NCAA tournament again this season, they should almost be guaranteed an NIT berth.

Mike Anderson is too good of a coach to not succeed at St. John’s, and I think he is itching to prove himself after his unexpected dismissal at Arkansas.  His first season was better than Chris Mullin’s first three years – and, with nearly everyone back, they should surpass last year’s 17-win total.

In addition, Toro and Dunn are the only seniors on this St. John’s team.  If the Johnnies can pull off a successful season and some postseason victories, this could realistically be an upper-half Big East squad in 2021-22.

But for the 2020-21 season, St. John’s has the potential to make some noise.  They triumphed over better teams last season, and they are arguably in a better position this season to overcome even more of the top programs in the Big East.

Next. Preseason Big East power rankings for 2020-21. dark

With an established starting five and sixth man of the bench, the Johnnies already have a competitive core group.  But if the newcomers can assimilate quickly, then one thing is for certain: New York City’s basketball team is back.