St. John’s began the season 10-2, with their only two losses coming to a solid Missouri team, and to then-#3 Arizona State. That solid start to the season put them on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament as league play began — Joe Lunardi had them “in” as an 11 seed — despite the lack of a true marquee win (their best wins, according to KenPom, are against UCF and Nebraska).
The Big East offers a ton of chances for those wins. Unfortunately for the Johnnies, they’re 0-2 in the league. And though it’s only January 3, they come into tonight’s game with the Bluejays desperate for a win after losing to both Providence and Seton Hall to open Big East play.