St. John’s season of high expectations will begin with a lofty number next to its name.
For the first time since the 1991-92 season, the Johnnies will begin the year ranked in the top-10 of the Associated Press poll.
In Monday’s preseason poll, Rick Pitino’s program was slotted in at five, its highest ranking ever before the season. The Red Storm was last ranked in the preseason prior to the 1999-2000 campaign — and their previous preseason ranking high was No. 7, ahead of the 1984-85 Final Four season.
They are one of three Big East teams ranked, behind Connecticut (four) and ahead of Creighton (23). Three non-conference opponents, Kentucky (nine), Alabama (15) and Iowa State (16), are also ranked. St. John’s also faces seventh-ranked Michigan in an exhibition at the Garden on Oct. 25, part of a 13-game slate at MSG, the most games St. John’s has ever played at the arena’s current location.
This only adds to the excitement around St. John’s, which is coming off Big East regular-season and postseason titles, and its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2000.
Pitino had a big offseason, bringing in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country, according to 247Sports.com. That haul included Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati), Oziyah Sellers (Stanford), Bryce Hopkins (Providence) and Joson Sanon (Arizona State).
That group, along with star returner Zuby Ejiofor, will face an elite non-conference schedule that is by far the most difficult of the Pitino era. They will have a bull’s-eye on their back, following last year’s big season, the major names that were added to the roster and now the preseason ranking.
“I think ESPN had us five. AP [will] have us whatever the number may be,” Pitino said last week after an open practice at the Garden. “I don’t think it’s really important because you’re going to find out with Michigan and Alabama [on Nov. 8 at MSG] if we’re for real. … We could do what St John’s has done in past years and open up 10-0 and you would have no clue whether we’re [great]. But you’re going to find out with Michigan and Alabama.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
