St. John’s men’s basketball just got slotted second in the Big East preseason poll, and it feels like the league’s coaches are collectively calling their shot: no three-peat is happening. Despite dominating the conference for two straight years, racking up 36 wins in 40 regular-season games and snatching both the regular-season and tournament titles back-to-back, the Johnnies only managed to pull in two first-place votes. Seriously, only two.
The Big East Coaches Have Spoken, And It’s Not What You’d Expect
So, who did the coaches pick to break St. John’s historic run? That would be the UConn Huskies, who hauled in a commanding eight first-place votes. It’s a clear signal that the rest of the Big East sees a changing of the guard, even with St. John’s coming off its most successful two-year stretch in program history. Villanova landed in third place, with Marquette trailing them at fourth. Funny enough, Marquette still got one first-place vote, and guess who cast it? None other than Rick Pitino himself, who apparently called the Golden Eagles the Big East favorite way back in July. Rounding out the rest of the poll, in order, were Providence, Xavier, Creighton, DePaul, Seton Hall, Georgetown, and Butler.
UConn’s Loaded Squad vs. St. John’s Eligibility Drama
You gotta ask why the coaches are so down on a Red Storm three-peat, right? Well, a big part of it is UConn. Dan Hurley’s crew is bringing back their entire starting backcourt with Silas Demary, Jr., who was even named the Big East preseason player of the year, and Braylon Mullins. Plus, they’ve got some serious new talent with potential breakout transfers Nik Khamenia from Duke and Najai Hines from Seton Hall, not to mention top-tier freshmen Colben Landrew and Junior County. That’s a stacked roster!
Meanwhile, Pitino and the Johnnies are sweating it out, waiting on eligibility rulings for Quinn Ellis, Keyshawn Hall, Babacar Sane, and Reed Bailey. This isn’t just small potatoes, either. Ellis and Hall are penciled in as nightly starters, and Sane is looking like a potential sixth-man of the year candidate. If those three become eligible, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they all played their way onto the end-of-season All-Big East teams. That’s how crucial these guys are.
Can the Johnnies Overcome the Doubts?
As it stands today, St. John’s is looking at a starting five featuring preseason first-team selections Ian Jackson and Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou. Ruben Prey is also stepping into his first season as a starter. The talent is there, no doubt, but that dark cloud of eligibility hangs heavy. If Pitino gets the green light on Ellis, Hall, and Sane, this St. John’s team suddenly looks like a whole different beast, one that could absolutely prove those Big East coaches wrong. Without them, it’s an uphill battle to keep that winning streak alive. Everyone’s watching to see how this eligibility saga plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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