Sports Illustrated’s quantitative preview is out. Combined with the KenPom preseason ratings, we get a better sense of what the quantitatively-minded writers think about the Big East as a conference and about St. John’s in particular.
Given last year’s results, of course, and the lack of a Kentucky-like team of one-and-dones coming, St. John’s is expected to make incremental progress - but from a “start-up” team, incremental progress equals “not being blown out”. Consider that last year’s team had only two Big East losses where the final score was within two possessions (at Marquette in January and against Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden).