Bracketology 2024: Analyzing bubble resumes of 6 Big East at-large contenders
By Kyle Craib
St. John’s Red Storm - 14-12 (6-9)
It’s certainly been a interesting season to say the least for Rick Pitino in his first year in Queens.
St. John’s entered the campaign with a brand new roster aside from Joel Soriano, St. John’s stalwart in the middle. Soriano’s work on the glass has helped elevate his team’s presence in the paint. The Red Storm average 36.5 rebounds per game with 12.1 on the offensive side of the floor, the fourth-best figure in the nation. They also move the ball extremely well for a team that has next to no chemistry carrying over from the previous season, dishing out 15.1 assists per contest.
In the 26 games so far, St. John’s has fallen behind the pack of tournament hopefuls within the Big East. The team’s only two Quad 1 wins over Utah (91-82) and Villanova (81-71) don’t quite jump off the page the same as their competitors. However, the team’s nine Quad 1 losses speak for themselves.
Riding a three-game losing streak and only scratching two wins over their last ten games, things have gone from bad to worse for Rick Pitino’s squad. Pitino took to the media to express his displeasure with the team, stating: “This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime". Pitino has never been one to mince words, but given his team’s position with five games to play, I can’t say I blame him.
St. John’s schedule ahead features a pair of games against Georgetown, as well as a trip to DePaul; not exactly the type of competition that could make much difference on the bracket at this stage of the season. The Red Storm will need to win-out the rest of the way, along with some luck in the Big East Tournament, for a chance to crack the field of 68.