We are officially two weeks away from the first round of the NCAA Tournament. At the high major level, this is when a single game can put in you in the field, or on the outside looking in. With the bubble picture shaping up, there is one team that should strike fear into any team in the tournament: the St. John's Red Storm.
From: Jason Szenes (New York Post)
A Hectic Offseason
When Rick Pitino returned to high level college basketball, people wondered if he could turn the Johnnies into a tournament team in his first year. In a single offseason, Pitino overhauled the roster. The only key returner was Joel Soriano. Everyone else hit the portal. Pitino brought in 11 new faces, including 9 transfers. There were a lot of pieces to fit together in one offseason, but if anyone could do it, it would be Rick Pitino.
The early part of the season was a feeling out process. St. John's picked up wins against Dayton and Utah, but lost to Michigan and Boston College. It was clear this would take some time. After a tough loss on the road against UConn, St. John's rattled off four straight wins to get to 12-4. Then came another cold stretch, where the Johnnies lost 8 of their next ten games. It all culminated in a loss at home to Seton Hall, where they gave away a 19 point lead. Something needed to change, and it did.
From: Vincent Carchettia (USA TODAY Sports)
Get Them Going
Following their devastating loss to Seton Hall, Rick Pitino came into the postgame press conference HOT. He called his players soft, weak, slow, and unable to listen. He called out his team's inability to guard without fouling, and his team's inability to get to the free throw line themselves. In the moment, it looked like it was a speech from a coach who had given up on the season. St. John's was dead in the water, on the outside looking in on the tournament.
Turns out, it was simply Pitino being Pitino. He knew this team had something in them. Pitino was trying to wake up his roster to turn it around in the dying moments of the season. And it worked. St. John's is currently on a four game win streak, including a comfortable win against Creighton. His team galvanized around him, and it made them closer than ever.
This Bubble Isn't Going To Burst
With just one game remaining in the regular season, St. John's is projected as one of the last teams in. Luckily for them, that last game is against Georgetown. According to every bracketologist out there, a win against Georgetown puts them in the field for good. If that is not enough, they likely get a third go around Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament. Could you imagine that game with tournament implications on the line? I would pick St. John's in a win-and-in scenario ten times out of ten.
St. John's has had a season full of peaks and valleys in Rick Pitino's first year. There have been hot stretches, losing streaks, bad losses, and big wins. After everything that has gone on, the Johnnies control their destiny to get to the tournament. Come selection Sunday, if your favorite team gets paired against St. John's, be worried. This team is scorching hot, and Rick Pitino is built for March. They are elite offensively, and dynamite in the backcourt. If St. John's gets into the dance, sit back and watch the Rick Pitino masterclass, because it's coming.
If you enjoyed this article and want to read more of our college basketball content, click here. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn so you never miss a post.