As expected, year one of the St. John’s basketball rebuild was rough. The Red Storm finished dead last in the Big East, winning just one conference game. Chris Mullin adds some needed talent this season that, combined with their young returning players, could have St. John’s poised to be a sleeper team.
ST. JOHN’S RED STORM
Last Season: 10th, 1-17 in Big East, 8-24 overall
Predicted Big East Finish: 8th
Projected Depth Chart
C: Yankuba Sima (So)/Amar Alibegovic (Jr)
PF: Kassoum Yakwe (So)/Darien Williams (Jr)/Tariq Owens (So)
SF: Bashir Ahmed (Jr)/Richard Freudenberg (Fr)
SG: Shamorie Ponds (Fr)/Malik Ellison (So)
PG: Marcus LoVett (Fr)/Federico Mussini (So)
Gone: SF-Durand Johnson, SG-Ron Mvouika, SG-Felix Balamou, F-Christian Jones (transfer-UNLV)
St. John’s Basketball Strengths:
Sophomore Yankuba Sima and Kassoum Yakwe provided the Red Storm with the best shot blocking duo in the Big East. While raw offensively, Sima and Yakwe cause nightmares for their opponents thanks to that rim protecting ability. The Red Storm add even more length inside with 6-11 Tennessee transfer, Tariq Owens and JUCO transfer Darien Williams who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
St. John’s Basketball Question Marks:
St. John’s has a young roster especially in the backcourt where they could end up starting a pair of freshmen. Marcus LoVett didn’t play a game last season as he was ruled a partial qualifier and therefore ineligible by the NCAA. He and true freshman Shamorie Ponds are quick, scoring guards who will definitely upgrade the guard play for the Red Storm. Sophomores Malik Ellison and Federico Mussini are the other options for Mullin.
Player to Watch:
Sima’s freshman season was hindered by a broken hand which somewhat limited his effectiveness. His size, length, and athleticism are intimidating for opposing teams and if he can show improvement with his low post game and free throw shooting, could be poised for a breakout sophomore campaign.
X-Factor:
A JUCO All-American, Bashir Ahmed was of the top scorers in all of junior college basketball a season ago. His versatility on the wing is a welcomed addition and he figures to replace Red Storm leading scorer, Durand Johnson. Ahmed is capable of knocking down shots from the perimeter but also use his strength and athleticism to be explosive at the rim.
Looking Ahead to 2017-18:
With no seniors on the roster, the future is looking bright for the Red Storm. Mullin added a pair of transfers who will sit out this season in Arizona point guard, Justin Simon and Michigan State forward Marvin Clark. St. John’s also has a verbal commitment from Top 100 seven-footer, Zach Brown.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/18 at Minnesota
11/23 vs. Michigan State (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/24 vs. Baylor/VCU (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/25 vs. Old Dominion/Louisville/Wichita State/LSU (Battle 4 Atlantis)
12/2 at Tulane
12/18 vs. Penn State
12/21 at Syracuse
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.