Big East ShootAround

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/shootaround/bigeast

6. Can the New York area be relevant again? It's been a long time since someone in the city's footprint has been a player in the league. Heck, until everyone was invited to the Big East tournament last season, those area teams often struggled just to make it to MSG. But an influx of transfers and some returning talent is giving the locals reason to hope. Seton Hall brings in three transfers -- Jeff Robinson from Memphis, Keon Lawrence from Missouri and Herb Pope from New Mexico State -- who will contribute immediately; a healthy Anthony Mason Jr. should help right St. John's fortunes and Rutgers, while suffering a setback with the dismissal of Corey Chandler, brings back high-scoring Mike Rosario.


10 key players

• Anthony Mason Jr., St. John's: He missed all but three games last season with a foot injury, tabling the Red Storm's hopes of dramatic improvement when he went down. Now the Johnnies are hoping the return of Mason, who was granted a fifth year by the NCAA, is the first of many good things to come.

10 nonconference games we can't wait to see

• St. John's vs. Siena, Nov. 27 (Philly Hoop Group Classic): Ordinarily a MAAC team pitted against a Big East team wouldn't turn many heads. But Siena isn't your typical MAAC team, and the Johnnies haven't been your traditional Big East power. While the rest of New York languished, the Saints moved alongside Syracuse as the best teams in the state. Loaded again this year, Siena will offer a stern test for a Red Storm team hoping this is the season it is relevant again.

2009-10 predictions
By Jay Bilas
ESPN

13. St. John's: I really like how hard St. John's plays, but the Johnnies have lacked consistency and could not score last year. The Red Storm put a lot of pressure on its defense, and its defense didn't respond. With Paris Horne, D.J. Kennedy and Anthony Mason, Jr. back, Norm Roberts has some building blocks. The Johnnies need some confidence that they can really compete in the rough Big East, and we should know by Christmas. If St. John's can show well at Duke and beat Siena, Temple and Georgia, the team can take some momentum and carry into Big East play.

It's pretty upsetting that no one mentions our recruits.

dont be upset. the school has to make some noise for them to care

I don't mind coming into the season off the radar. I think we can make a jump this season and being underestimated will only help and fuel motivation.

I don't mind coming into the season off the radar. I think we can make a jump this season and being underestimated will only help and fuel motivation.

Off the radar is our specialty.

I am actually going to be optimistic this year. Right now we are not in a position where we can get the big stars or as one Gaucho player I talked to, make St Johns attractive to recurits but I think this is the year with our current class settliing into posistion and having a veteran on the team like Mase and brining in 2 people who can develop into better stars than what we had in the past, I think this is going to be an interesting year. All we need is one good year and we are back on the map. Villanova can do it and they are not a state school or football school and Georgetown did it a couple of years ago, its not over for us, there is hope in this conference for a school like us to do well. We are not going to win any preseason polls but I know one thing, at worst, we are going to be a 500 team this year

We finally have a decently stocked roster, so it's all on Norm if we don't show significant improvement. If he pulls that nonsensical substitution crap or slows the pace despite not having any offensive playbook, he needs to be fired by Christmas. I'd actually lower the boom on Christmas morning if he screws this up.

If the team looks better with Stith than Boothe, don't be a stubborn dope and leave Boothe in.