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‘Stormy’ future for St. John’s program?
‘First Four’ fl op caps off late-season collapse as Mullin looks ahead to next campaign
BY STEPHEN LEPORE
What’s next for St. John’s
basketball? Part of the answer
to that question may be how
you answer another one: what
just happened?
Is the 2019 season, which
saw the Red Storm play in the
NCAA Tournament for the
first time since 2015 and begin
undefeated through January a
success? Or is the 2019 season,
which saw the Red Storm
flop in both the Big East
Tournament and the “First
Four” a disappointment?
Given that both of these
statements are fact, you could
argue for both.
St. John’s thrilled the
city with much of its season,
as Chris Mullin’s team
returned to the Top 25 and
were breathing the same air
as some of the country’s top
programs again, led by junior
Shamorie Ponds and transfer
success Mustapha Heron.
However, they bounced out of
their conference tournament
to Marquette, a team they’d
beaten twice in the regular
season. They lost to Arizona
State -- a team that was
eventually dropped quickly
themselves in the round
of 64 by Buffalo — in the
NCAA Tournament opening
round. Neither game was
particularly close.
The Johnnies went 2-6 in
their final eight games of the
season, showing that the team
may have just run out of gas
toward the end. A “Sweet 16”
that does not feature a single
Big East team -- including
defending champion Villanova
-- suggests that a 9-9 conference
record is closer to who the Red
Storm were than their 21-13
overall mark.
That said, you can’t overdo
the negativity on a team that
did win 21 games, did provide
several exciting moments
and made local heroes out of
the likes of Ponds and Heron.
Getting back to the NCAA
Tournament is something to
shout from the rooftops for
any major conference program
that’s been away for a few
years. The who have declared
that St. John’s are “back” in
the big time aren’t wrong to
do so.
Now, as to what’s next,
it may all just depend on
whether Ponds and Heron --
who have one year of eligibility
remaining -- come back. Much
has been made over what
Ponds will do going forward,
with some suggesting he
could bolt for the NBA Draft
and Mullin suggesting that
he would understand Ponds
making whatever decision
was right for him.
“I just want him to get all
the direct, legit information
for him to make a smart
decision,” Mullin said after
the loss to Arizona State. “But
as far as me, like I said, when
a kid’s ready, I’m all in. He
needs to go, if it’s going to be
the right decision for him.”
Chris Mullin remains the head coach of St. John’s men’s basketball program even after the Red Storm
lost six of their last eight games and got an early boot from the NCAA Tournament.
If Ponds and the rest of
the team return, then you
can focus on building the
team around him and Heron
for one more big run in the
Big East and potentially the
NCAA Tournament. If Ponds
should bolt for the NBA, it
may be another rebuild for the
Red Storm after one of their
most positive seasons in
recent memory.
Photo courtesy of Red Storm Sports
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