One of the things that has slowly become overlooked in college hoops is the importance of continuity, and that is exactly what St. John’s, very quickly under Coach Anderson, has began to create.
With a returning core that molded into an impressive group down the stretch last season, coupled with a talented recruiting class, it appears that fan desired continuity could be here to stay at St. John’s.
If you look closely at the Johnnies last year, there were four or five examples where they dropped games by in and around a single possession. A lot of that could be chalked up as inexperience, youth and settling into a new system.
Now, fast forward to March. You saw how the Johnnies put top Big East seeded Creighton away at home on March 1, 2020, closed out a sure fire NCAA team in Marquette with late game defensive stops, and then came together again just days later in the Big East Tournament to finish Wednesday night vs Georgetown with a 23-0 run. That is continuity molding into experience, and I think that element of this team is both: a) being very overlooked; and b) is very exciting for Johnnie fans.
In addition to the depth that St. John’s appears to have this year, it also seems to have a very good problem – equipped with 8-9 players who are talented enough to start on this year’s team. That is not just good news for the starting line-up, but also for the ever-so-important first and second “line changes” made in each half, which are vital to keep Coach Anderson’s pressure system intact for the full 40 minutes.
Who will be the guys that will step up with thirty-seven seconds left in the game? That is what we will wait to see, but I think they have several options to look for as candidates.
As for the preseason rankings: I am with Jim Maisano. I think the Johnnies finish a lot higher than they were picked. I think a lot of the preseason selections had to do with the league and country not “yet” knowing about what St. John’s has with this roster. Key word: Yet.
This team has several players capable of allowing the Johnnies to compete with the top half of their league, and if they handle their business, punch their ticket come February and March. Anyone who watches this league knows the whole “Big East is going to have a down year” thing is too old to mention anymore, which will give the Johnnies tons of opportunities to put themselves squarely in the hunt for a bid. My prediction: they do enough to get it done and that would be a fantastic Year #2 for the Mike Anderson era.