12. St. John’s (3-1)
We’re not focusing on ancient history here but there were higher preseason expectations for St. John’s this season than anytime in recent memory. Rick Pitino’s work has been on full display already, with the Red Storm truly storming to that Big East championship last year. An impressive group of transfers buoy heightened expectations and even after that recent loss to Alabama there’s still plenty of reason for great things from this program.
Frankly, this wasn’t one of those weeks where we learned much about St. John’s, as the only game was a blowout win. They took care of business on Thursday night, routing Bucknell in a 97-49 victory. The defense was elite while Bryce Hopkins led with 20 points while Dillon Mitchell had a double-double off the bench, just two of the new faces this season helping to pace this success.
Nobody in New York was panicking after that tough home performance against the Crimson Tide two weeks ago. St. John’s is clearly focused on moving forward and legitimately has the talent to be a top team this season. It all depends on how these pieces come together and perform. They’ll get a chance to bounce back against stronger foes at the Players Era Festival, with guaranteed matchups against Iowa State and Baylor in the days to come.