St. Johns Red Storm
Overall Rank: #27
Conference Rank: #1 Big East
St. John's Team Page
At the top of a dramatically different Big East Conference this year is a basketball team that returns what should be a full starting five. Barring injuries, that is one less worry for the Red Storm to worry about. Although St. Johns finished only five games above .500 a year ago, its Big East record was much better. The number of starters back should give second-year coach Joe Tartamella some good foundations to build on for the upcoming season, and a revamped Big East should also help.
2012-13 Record: 18-13, 11-5
2012-13 Postseason: NCAA (lost to Dayton in first round, 96-90)
Coach: Joe Tartamella
Coach Record: 18-13 at St. John’s, 18-13 overall
Strengths:
Paced in part by Amber Thompson’s strong shot-swatting abilities, its 5.8 blocked shots per game helped St Johns finish among the top Division I programs in the country (seventh overall). A strong, experienced group that took good care of the basketball enabled the Red Storm to have one of the fewest turnovers per game amounts (13.9) in the country. The Red Storm ranked 31st overall in that category. Games at home were also winners for the Red Storm most of the time, as evidenced by the team’s 10-4 record.
Weaknesses:
Away from its New York confines, the Red Storm didn’t quite live up to its home billing. St Johns went 6-5 overall on the road. Games played on neutral sites weren’t much better (2-4). Part of that might be attributable to the team’s 3-point shooting per game (3.0), which placed the Red Storm right near the bottom rung in all of Division I. Perimeter shooting hasn’t been a strength of St Johns, and with a few more long shots the team may have done better in key games.
Final Projection:
A redone Big East Conference still includes stronger teams like Marquette and Villanova, but for now St Johns should overcome those schools and finish at the top of the conference if all goes well. There is enough talent returning to the roster, plus the addition of some quality recruits, to give the Red Storm a fighting chance at 20 victories, a tournament championship and another NCAA berth. Tartamella should also have a better time in his second season as the newness of the coach has worn off.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Eugenia McPherson, Senior, Guard, 8.4 points and 1.5 assists per game
Briana Brown, Senior, Guard, 34.6 percent 3-point shooting
Amber Thompson, Junior, Forward, 6.5 rebounds, 32 blocked shots
Aliyyah Handford, Sophomore, Guard, 49 assists, 49 steals last season
Keylantra Langley, Senior, Guard, 38.5 percent 3-point shooting
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 61.6 (173rd in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 56.9 (64, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 39.9 (114, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.1 (83, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.0 (319, 13)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: n/a
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.4 (154, 7)
Rebound Margin: 1.1 (138, 9)
Assists Per Game: 12.0 (222, 12)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.9 (31, 2)
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