http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2009/11/13/2009-11-13_st_johns_red_storm_on_horizon.htmlFor St. John's, the question of quantity has been answered. The question of quality remains.
Sixth-year coach Norm Roberts spent much of last season talking about building a foundation. He has nine players who accounted for 97.2% of the Red Storm's scoring and 95.1% of its rebounding. To that he has added four more scholarship players, including a highly touted junior college transfer and a former Daily News All-City player to form an army of athletes, most of whom can play multiple positions.
"We could have four guards on the floor at a time, we could play a big lineup," Roberts said. "We have a lot of versatility and a depth of talent so we won't get a dropoff when we make a substitution."
The Red Storm should be better than last season, when they finished 16-18, 6-12 in the Big East, and accepted a call to the College Basketball Invitational - an upstart third national tournament.
But how much better will they be?
Let's not forget the backdrop: at the end of last season St. John's AD Chris Monasch said in a WFAN interview, "I expect us to make the NCAA Tournament next season."
"So do I - I expect it, too," Roberts said. "That's what we're here to play for."
"There's a movement to get to the NCAA Tournament," second-year guard Quincy Roberts said. "We're tired of listening to people saying, 'St. John's? Nah.' It hurts. You hear it enough, it drives you."
While the new Red Storm army may have nights when seven players go 20 minutes each, the starting five is unlikely to change. Malik Boothe is the point guard, leading scorers Paris Horne (14.6 ppg) and D.J. Kennedy (13.0 ppg) are the wings and 6-8 Justin Burrell and 6-8 Sean Evans play up front.
The Johnnies will have to wait for Anthony Mason Jr., who averaged 14 points last season. The 6-7 senior forward has aggravated a hamstring and won't be back until mid-December. Another forward, Rob Thomas, has a groin injury and also will begin the season on the shelf.
"Some of us are going to be giving up minutes, but it comes down to winning games," Evans said. "Playing 30-40 minutes won't help us because you might not be playing your best at the end of it."
"Finishing plays, holding down turnovers and scoring the basketball all suffered because guys had to play more than they should," Norm Roberts said. "People can be fresh now without a substitution reducing talent on the floor."
Bronx-product Dwight Hardy was the leading scorer and 3-point shooter at Indian Hills JC in Iowa and twice was an all-region choice. Hardy can fill in on the wing, as can Omari Lawrence, who was All-City two years ago at St. Raymond's High, junior college transfer Justin Brownlee and Quincy Roberts. Malik Stith and Dele Coker come off the bench to play point guard and center, respectively.
"If you went on what people say, you'd have thought St. John's was a bad team," Stith said. "It wasn't when we got here and it isn't now. They had a bad season last year."