St. John’s looking to build on strong start
BY STEPHEN LEPORE
After a win over a ranked
team to end 2018, St. John’s
men’s basketball looks poised
for an exciting 2019.
Following a 76-74 loss to Seton
Hall in Newark, N.J. that ended
the Red Storm’s undefeated
start, the Johnnies bounced
back with a dominant 89-69
victory over No. 18 Marquette to
move to 12-1 send a message that
they’d be competitive in the Big
East this season.
The Red Storm made a
statement early this season
with victories over big
conference programs —
including Cal and Georgia
Tech, the former on the way
to a win in the pre-season
Legends Classic Tournament
in Brooklyn. Prior to the loss
to Seton Hall, St. John’s had
won its previous five games by
double digit margins. If they
head into the Big East season
with the same intensity, they’ll
likely be headed for the AP Top
25 and a postseason berth.
Junior guard Shamorie
Ponds has once again led the
way for the Johnnies. The
Shamorie Ponds has helped lead St. John’s to a strong start this
season. Courtesy of St. John’s Athletics
2018 first team All-Big East
selection has averaged more
than 19 points per game,
leading the team. He’s gotten
support this season from
incoming transfer Mustapha
Heron (15.9 points per game),
sophomore L.J. Figueroa (14.6
points per game and a teamleading
6.7 rebounds per game)
and redshirt senior Marvin
Clark II (13.2 points per game).
Head coach Chris Mullin
says the crowds at Carneseca
Arena and Madison Square
Garden have been a big factor.
“They realize that it’s
been a progression and
they’ve watched it grow,” he
said following the win over
Marquette. “When you do
it that way, there’s a buy-in.
People feel connected to it. It’s
authentic and genuine. We win
and lose the same way.”
The 2019 portion of the
schedule features many tough
tests. All but one Big East team
enters the year with nine-plus
victories, with five teams —
including the Red Storm —
already winning 10 games
or more. While Marquette is
the only ranked team in the
conference, the Johnnies will
face tough tests from the likes
of Georgetown, Providence
and Villanova.
St. John’s schedule also
features a difficult trip to the
legendary Cameron Indoor
Stadium to take on the Duke
Blue Devils in a rematch of the
Red Storm’s victory at Madison
Square Garden last year.
The season concludes,
as always, with the Big East
Tournament March 13-16 at
Madison Square Garden. A
total of 21+ wins has usually
been a bellwether for a Big
East program making the
NCAA Tournament, so a
record of 9-9 in conference and
a respectable showing at MSG
in the conference tournament
could get the Red Storm into
the big dance.
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34 TIMESLEDGER, JAN. 4-10, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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