22. St. John’s (16-5)
Performances earlier in the season showed that St. John’s had the potential to be a great team as many expected, but their defense has let them down along the way. Some erratic shooting has also limited the Red Storm, who is certainly playing second fiddle to UConn this season after winning the Big East last year. They have found their footing at the right time of the year but are they back to being a national contender?
Riding a solid winning streak, St. John’s extended that streak in their only game of the week, winning 92-70 at home against Butler. That Wednesday performance was another game from the Red Storm where the shooting showed up, making 45% of their 3-pointers against the Bulldogs. Ian Jackson scored 18 points while Dillon Mitchell added a double-double, dropping 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The Big East is far from a murderer’s row this season as a few teams have disappointed, but St. John’s has won seven straight and are 9-1 in the league. In fact, they’ve won all road games in league play, including great performances at Creighton and Villanova during this current streak. As we mentioned, the Red Storm have work ahead of them get their first shot at UConn this upcoming Friday.