St. John’s on precipice of massive opportunity to dance entering Big East tournament

Julian Champagnie has elevated St. John’s into Big East tournament with upside and talent to make a run to conference final for first time since 2000. (Photo by Vincent Dusovic/St. John’s University Athletics)

By Anthony E. Parelli (@reportedbytheAP)

 

In many ways, it’s poetic that St. John’s first game in the Big East Tournament comes against Seton Hall.

 

It was the Pirates, led by co-Big East Player of the Year Sandro Mamukelashvili, who opened conference play back in December by manhandling the Red Storm, 77-68, in New Jersey, and the same Pirates who blew an 18-0 lead at Carnesecca Arena last Saturday, as the Johnnies stormed back to win, 81-71, securing their first winning record in conference since 2015.

 

If ever there were a barometer for St. John’s 2020-21 season, Seton Hall is it.

 

Plenty happened in the three months between those two battles with Seton Hall. St. John’s stumbled to a 1-5 start in Big East play, looking like the team that was predicted to finish ninth in the 11-team conference. Then came the six-game win streak, the road victory at UConn, the drubbing of powerhouse Villanova and the defeat of Xavier for the first time in six years.

 

For a few weeks, it seemed like maybe the Red Storm wasn't a year away, perhaps it was good enough now to not just make the NCAA Tournament, but maybe go on a prolonged run. 

 

Then, one Saturday night changed everything. 

St. John’s fell to DePaul at home and was then spanked by Villanova three days later. Tournament hopes were all but dead, freshman star Posh Alexander sprained his thumb, and the Red Storm had eight days to wonder what could’ve been.

 

But it’s funny how quickly things can change. St. John’s came back from a 16-point deficit to sweep the season series from Providence before downing Seton Hall in the season finale. It finished fourth in the Big East, secured a bye in the conference tournament, and is the dark horse pick of many to reach Saturday’s championship game, if not win it all.

 

Alexander announced Wednesday that he’ll be back for Thursday’s contest. Seton Hall is reeling, losers of its last four. Villanova, who the winner of Thursday’s 3 p.m. contest will likely face in the semifinal round, is without co-Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie, as well as standout guard Justin Moore. If St. John’s can just make it to the finals, it likely will punch its ticket to the big dance. 

 

But even if it doesn’t, even if it slips up against Seton Hall or whomever it’d face in the semifinal round, what a year it’s been for the Red Storm. St. John’s has already cleaned up at the conference awards; Mike Anderson was named Coach of the Year, sophomore standout Julian Champagnie was named co-Most Improved Player as well as being a first team all-Big East selection after leading the conference in scoring. Alexander won Freshman of the Year as well as co-Defensive Player of the Year, joining Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Allen Iverson as the only players to win both.

 

Now it’s about fighting for your postseason life, in more ways than one.

 

“Now we are in the tournament setting. It brings a lot of different circumstances. It is about surviving and advancing in that tournament,” Anderson said after last Saturday’s win. “We get a chance to play at our other home arena that we haven’t played at this year, Madison Square Garden, so it should be an exciting tournament.”

 

Emotions will no doubt be high, as are the expectations for a mostly young team without much postseason experience. There’s always the risk of a slow start, especially against a more veteran Pirate team. But if there’s one thing St. John’s has shown this season, no matter how bleak things may look, the Red Storm is never quite out of it.

 

“They have been through the wars in the games that we have played up until this point,” Anderson said. “They play for each other, they play unselfish offensively and defensively when they’re called upon.”

 

It’s been 21 years since the Red Storm has even reached the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, another potential notch to add on to this season’s belt. Thursday is just one step in this survive-and-advance portion of the season, but what an opportunity the Johnnies have given themselves.