There is a lot of anticipation and excitement surrounding the next team in the Preseason Big East Rankings: the St. John’s Red Storm. With Rick Pitino’s entrance into Jamaica, NY, fans believe that St.John’s is back in the Big East contention. This article explains the reasons for the Red Storm having the potential to get there, but that they have to prove it to be a contender.
Big East Rankings: #6- St. John’s Red Storm
Projected Starting 5
SG- Jordan Dingle
SF- RJ Luis
PF- Chris Ledlum
C- Joel Soriano
Where the Red Storm Found Success?
Offensive and Rebounding
St. John’s was a strong offensive team in conference play, from a scoring perspective. The Red Storm ranked fourth in the conference in scoring offense at 77.3 points (conference games). Furthermore, Soriano was a beast in the middle for the Red Storm that helped produce good offense from a scoring perspective. Joel averaged 15.2 points a game on over 56% shooting. The Red Storm were a good transition team as they got a lot of steals.
On the rebounding front, the Red Storm were excellent. They were first in the conference in offensive rebounding. Soriano was a big culprit of that, but St.John’s committed to offensive rebounding. The ability to offensive rebound at a high level generates second-chance points, helping the offense advance.
Why They are Ahead of Providence?
Their Talent and Potential
A big plus this offseason was the recruits and transfers Pitino added to this Red Storm team. Dingle, Jenkins, Luis, Ledlum, Simeon Wilcher, and others are talented. Their two starting guards, Jenkins and Dingle, scored 15.6 and 23.4, respectively last season. Luis is a versatile forward, Ledlum averaged 18.8 points a game and Wilcher was one of the higher-ranked guards in his recruiting class. With a coach like Pitino, there are high expectations.
Furthermore, they bring back one of the best bigs in the conference in Soriano. Their starting five and bench all possess enough talent to make a run for the Big East crown.
Why Are They Not Top 5?
Unproven In Big East Play
While Pitino and his staff did a great job recruiting, there is a problem: experience. Dingle, Luis, Ledlum, Wilcher, and Jenkins have not experienced the grind of Big East Conference play. While these players played NCAA Tournament games, or non-conference games against Big East teams, it is not the same thing. Furthermore, the Big East stacked itself this season. The question marks surrounding their transfer experience is an important one. The other teams ahead of them in this series of rankings do have the experience.
More importantly, Pitino is coming into a new situation after coaching at Iona for a few seasons. Transitioning to the Big East from the MAAC is a big one, and that is important to note. While Pitino expects to do an excellent job because of his track record, he is still a new coach with a new team.
Last word on the St. John’s Red Storm
The St. John’s Red Storm is a talented team that people are excited about. Rick Pitino’s accomplished career and talented players from the transfer portal bode well for a successful season. However, they are a new team in a conference that is one of the best in the country. Let’s see if St. John’s lives up to the hype.
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