Roberts: St. John's has chance for very good season
After five seasons of treading water in the deep end of the Big East standings with only one winning record, St. John's coach Norm Roberts says his program finally has the depth of talent "to make that jump" to the upper echelon and a possible NCAA Tournament bid.
The return of senior forward Anthony Mason Jr., who was a medical redshirt last year after playing only three games before undergoing foot surgery, still is problematical. A preseason hamstring injury might keep him on the sideline until the Holiday Festival in mid-December.
But the combination of five returning starters from last season's 16-18 squad plus dynamic freshman swingman Omari Lawrence and junior college transfers Dwight Hardy and Justin Brownlee has the embattled Roberts believing this team might surprise. When Mason returns, Roberts said, he might go with a 10-man rotation that can pressure at both ends of the floor.
"We're not young anymore," Roberts said Tuesday. "Our guys have been through the wars now. We have a lot more guys to fill roles. In the past, we would go to the bench, and it would hurt us. But our newcomers are extremely competitive."
Lawrence is a swingman out of St. Raymond's in the Bronx by way of South Kent (Conn.) Prep, who chose the Red Storm over conference rivals UConn and Louisville, as well as Memphis and Clemson. He's a playmaker who also can score. Shooting guard Hardy and 6-7 power forward Brownlee can score and play tough defense. Freshman point guard Malik Stith adds depth.
At the same time, Roberts hopes that experience brings success for his core group of veterans. Last season, the 16-team Big East placed seven teams in the NCAA field, so a finish in the top half of the conference and a Big East Tournament win might be enough for St. John's to earn an NCAA bid for the first time since 2001-02.
"That's our goal," Roberts said. "If you can be in the top eight, you can be in the postseason, the NCAA Tournament. This year, we're healthy enough, deep enough and versatile enough to make that jump . . . I think we have a chance to have a very good season."
Playing time might be at a premium, so it's important to see positive early results, starting with the opener against LIU Nov. 13 at Carnesecca Arena. But junior forward D.J. Kennedy said the vets welcome new blood and the chance to improve.
"This is the most talent and depth we've ever had," Kennedy said. "This year, I finally feel confident that St. John's can get back to where it once was."
Notes & quotes: Women's coach Kim Barnes Arico also is hoping to make a major improvement from last season's 19-15 record (4-12 Big East) after adding the 11th-ranked recruiting class in the nation to a group that includes last season's Big East freshman of the year Da'Shena Stevens. Barnes Arico has five top-100 recruits, including No. 7 overall Shenneika Smith and former North Babylon guard Eugeneia McPherson, a member of Newsday's All-Long Island team.
