Big East Basketball power rankings: Villanova drops lower, St. John’s rises

6. St. John’s Red Storm – 13-6 (3-5)

When I last made a Big East Basketball power ranking, the Red Storm looked to be close to the DePaul/slightly above Georgetown group. Andre Curbelo was “absent” for a game, while Posh Alexander was being benched. Things could’ve easily gone downhill for them but to the team’s credit, they’ve rebounded as of late.

After two high-scoring and competitive losses to both Marquette and Providence, St. John’s got the 77-61 home win over Butler. Joel Soriano had a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Curbelo and Rafael Pinzon each were in double figures off the bench. Alexander had just nine points but also got six steals in the win.

The big moment for the team this season came in its last game against UConn. The Red Storm got the early lead but was never in complete control and a comeback by the Huskies was expected. But it actually never happened, as the underdogs pulled off the shocking 85-74 win. Soriano, who was named Big East Basketball Player of the Week, had 19 points and 13 rebounds. He was one of six players in double figures, a true team effort in the upset win.

There’s still a long way to go for the team to get back into postseason contention but St. John’s finally has a big win and momentum. They look to keep it up this week in matchups against both Villanova and Creighton.