St. John’s Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Red Storm
![NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 11: Posh Alexander #0 of the St. John's Red Storm dribbles the ball against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center on December 11, 2020 in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 11: Posh Alexander #0 of the St. John's Red Storm dribbles the ball against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center on December 11, 2020 in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/bdff5e5c52355fb9d33744d2064dbeb510819441ea72a9e1d3e86b67d6e7fcb5.jpg)
Bench
In both of Mike Anderson’s seasons with St. John’s, one thing has been certain: there has been no lack of depth, nor has Anderson shied away from utilizing a multitude of varying players. In 2019-20, nine different players saw over 14 minutes a game – and all nine started at some point throughout the season. Last year, 10 Johnnies eclipsed the nine-minute mark – and nine of those 10 started.
With such a substantial turnover in the roster between 2020-21 and 2021-22, there may not be as much of an opportunity for that – at least, on the surface. In particular, three players – all newcomers – stand out among those who will realistically see playing time from the start, but there is no question that Anderson will experiment with his 15-man roster.
All three are incoming transfers, and the first, Aaron Wheeler, is the only one from a fellow conference school. A redshirt junior from Purdue, Wheeler – at 6-9 – was a significant contributor off the bench for a Boilermaker squad that surpassed expectations and earned a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
With marks of 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, Wheeler will supply key minutes as a reserve behind Julian Champagnie, and – should he improve his numbers steadily – will be a solid replacement for Marcellus Earlington, who opted to transfer to San Diego in the offseason.
The other two newcomers – Stef Smith and Tareq Coburn – were both mid-major stars at their respective colleges. A four-year player for Vermont, Smith is coming off an America East All-Conference Second Team campaign, having ranked second in scoring for the Catamounts at 13.6 points.
Additionally, Smith has built a career structured around being an offensive power, currently sitting at 24th on the school’s career points list (1,211) and eighth in three-pointers made (198), and he should supply a deadly boost off the bench. The 6-2 guard is no stranger to the Johnnies, having poured in 17 points in a two-point road win over St. John’s in 2019-20.
https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1195836209282633728
Coburn, meanwhile, was also a three-point specialist at his previous stop with Hofstra. Seeing action in three seasons for the Pride, Coburn ranks 10th in program history in three-pointers made (170), and was a do-it-all guard last year, averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 boards, 0.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks.
Also like Smith, Coburn has also showcased his talent against high-major institutions, logging a difference-making 10 points in a 10-point win at UCLA in 2019, as well as scoring a career-high 28 points against Rick Pitino’s Iona squad this past season. Smith was primarily a shooting guard, whereas Coburn saw time at small forward – and both should be among the first backcourt talents off the bench for the Johnnies, particularly in supporting roles for Montez Mathis and Dylan Addae-Wusu.
Tareq Coburn with some nifty moves down low for #Hofstra! #RoarWithPride pic.twitter.com/LFUanIBjNP
— Hofstra Men's Basketball (@HofstraMBB) March 7, 2021
How Anderson will flesh out his remaining depth will be one of the more intriguing challenges facing St. John’s ahead of the 2021-22 season – but there are options available. Artemios Gavalas should see more minutes after seeing limited action last year, former Texas Tech commit Esahia Nyiwe should be making his debut as a Red Storm, and a trio of three-star recruits – Rafael Pinzon, Drissa Traore, and O’mar Stanley – are all viable options to receive playing time.
While Anderson’s choices are obviously more limited – which is understandable, considering the Johnnies, in 2020-21, returned 62.2% of the minutes and 59.2% of the scoring from the 2019-20 roster – there will almost certainly be experimentation from the Red Storm’s opening tip against Mississippi Valley State in early November. Last year’s season-opener saw 10 different St. John’s players suit up – and it would not be surprising to see that many again this year.