11. St. John’s (1-1)
Much of the country was no doubt surprised by the type of season St. John’s had last season, winning the Big East crown and becoming a national contender in the blink of an eye. Rick Pitino worked his magic again with this Red Storm program and that hardwork has continued into this season. St. John’s put together one of the great transfer classes in the nation and have built a rotation that can certainly contend for more than just another conference title.
The new talent was on full display on opening night as St. John’s roared to a 108-74 win over Quinnipiac. Newcomer Dillon Mitchell led with 18 points and 8 rebounds while Zuby Ejiofor added 17 points on a pair of efficient performances. Unfortunately, the weekend was a different story as the Red Storm fell 103-96 at home to a very talented Alabama squad. Ejiofor continued to showcase his worth with 27 points and 10 rebounds while Bryce Hopkins put up 19 points, but the run and gun performance saw the Crimson Tide outwork them down the stretch.
Two games into the season the new pieces are working their way into the lineup and St. John’s is averaging over 100 points per contest. They missed out on a prime opportunity against Alabama and just couldn’t get enough stops late in that game, but it’s not all bad despite the disappointment. Pitino’s squad will still be at home in the coming weeks and get a chance to right the ship, though nothing we saw this week didn’t showcase a team that can make serious noise all year.