Johnnies face tough run as regular season winds down

St. John's sits at 15-9 (7-5 in the Big East) entering tonight's game at No. 12 Louisville. Right now, the Red Storm are the perfect example of what the bubble looks like for the NCAA Tournament come March. If they want to change that, they'll need to prove they belong.

Must-win games include opponents such as South Florida and Providence, as well as either Pittsburgh or Marquette. If St. John's beats all four, it likely will need one more win in the Big East tournament to boost its case. If the Red Storm win just three or fewer of their remaining six games, the March 5 matchup at Notre Dame (a team they defeated earlier this season) becomes vital.

While the ninth seed wouldn't necessarily be favorable, the Red Storm could move up a few places in the standings and be in position to face a lower-tier team, such as Providence or DePaul, to pad their record.