5 questions for St. John's

Mustapha Heron's arrival into loaded St. John's lineup has Red Storm fans fixated on NCAA Tournament appearance in most pivotal season for program under Chris Mullin. (Photo by Jason Schott/Brooklyn Digest)

The corner of Union and Utopia buzzes with college basketball again Tuesday night, as St. John's, with its deepest and most talented roster since Chris Mullin was trusted to take the reins of his alma mater in 2015, tips off the 2018-19 campaign by welcoming Loyola University (Maryland) into Carnesecca Arena.

The Red Storm were among the biggest beneficiaries of a productive offseason in which junior guard Shamorie Ponds -- last year's Haggerty Award winner and the choice for Preseason Player of the Year honors in the Big East Conference -- announced his intention to return to school after testing the NBA Draft waters, then received a greater boon with the transfer of Mustapha Heron, who arrived from Auburn in order to be closer to his ailing mother before gaining approval on a hardship waiver that will allow the Connecticut native to suit up immediately for his new team. On top of the headlining duo, Justin Simon and Marvin Clark return to provide their usual understated impact on a roster that, if all the pieces fit properly, has the potential to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

A non-conference schedule stacked with favorable opportunities and winnable games awaits St. John's in the first portion of the season, and it is not inconceivable to suggest that the Red Storm may be undefeated when it arrives in Newark to contest its Big East opener against Seton Hall on December 29. However, with Thanksgiving still to come and the opening tip just hours away, we'll shift instead to tackling some of the more immediate questions that have surfaced as the dawn of a new season comes to life in Queens:

1) Can St. John's stay out of the traps that led to mental lapses last season?

The small breakdowns were a central theme to last year's 11-game losing streak to begin Big East play, minor miscues here and there that ultimately torpedoed a season that will be forever known for the cathartic upsets of Duke and Villanova in the first week of February, but also one where fans will wonder what could have been. In St. John's exhibition game this past Thursday, the Red Storm were unable to pull away from Division II Maryville University for most of the night, even trailing at one point and carrying a two-point lead into the game's final stretch before closing on a 12-0 run to make the 71-57 final score more convincing and respectable than it may have appeared.

"From our standpoint, we have a long way to go," Mullin said following Thursday's dry run for a team that is widely expected to make noise in the Big East. "It looks like a hyped-up team, not a team. We have to become more of a team."

2) On that note, how long will it take to come together?

St. John's non-conference schedule, widely panned by critics even though it allows Mullin a greater flexibility to reach the postseason -- the National Invitation Tournament, although a safety net that some members of the fan base disregard for its second-tier status, would still represent a level of progress not seen since Steve Lavin departed in 2015 -- will provide several teaching moments for both players and coaches, and everyone inside the locker room is cognizant of the need to take time to promote a winning culture and product.

"This team is definitely different, and this was our first game playing together," said Clark following the exhibition win. "We definitely gotta build up our team chemistry as far as figuring out what our best lineups are. We also have to figure out how to get Mustapha (Heron missed Thursday's game while recovering from a concussion, but as per Adam Zagoria, he should be ready to go Tuesday) back into the rotation. It's definitely a big piece of us gelling together."

3) How integral are the forwards this season?

The losses of both Tariq Owens and Bashir Ahmed have not been talked about as much as they should, as each player's defection -- Owens to Texas Tech as a graduate transfer, Ahmed to graduation and a professional career -- leaves Mullin with a front line that needs to develop behind fifth-year senior bedrock Clark, who himself needs to avoid the foul trouble that plagued him last season. South Carolina transfer Sedee Keita is expected to be a major piece to the puzzle, but he averaged less than ten minutes per game on the Gamecocks' Final Four roster in 2016-17. LJ Figueroa seems to be coming into his own on the wing, and freshmen Josh Roberts and Marcellus Earlington will have opportunities to shine while also not having to carry the lion's share of the work. It will be a guard-heavy unit for New York's College Team, but with that said, the interior is paramount to long-term success.

4) After Ponds and Heron, who carries the load?

Simon and Clark will be the primary second options behind St. John's top two, but the depth on the roster affords Mullin several opportunities to mix and match. For instance, Quinnipiac transfer Mikey Dixon -- the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 -- can fly under the radar behind the three lead guards and be a productive X-factor in the backcourt. Figueroa's exhibition debut has given hope to fans that the junior college transfer can be a vital rotation piece, and sophomore Bryan Trimble returns with a lethal outside shot complemented by a leaner look on the court. Up front, if Keita can pair with Clark to space the floor and protect the rim, the Red Storm will be a more formidable opponent inside, which will prove to be a huge difference in the heat of conference season.

5) Would the NIT be considered a bust for this roster?

It's easy to answer affirmatively, as the talent level in the program has never been higher under Mullin's eye. But in the grand scheme of things, accepting a bid into the nation's oldest postseason tournament would, as noted previously, represent a level of progress that the school has not enjoyed under the current regime. There are some sections of the fan base adamant in their desire (read: expectation) for St. John's to win two NCAA Tournament games, but before booking travel plans in March, watching a potentially special team unfold and gain its wings will result in the greater payoff.

Prediction: 21-10, 9-9 Big East