St. John’s Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Red Storm

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.

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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.

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.