5 Questions the St. John’s Red Storm Must Answer In Conference Play

By Matt Johnson

5 Questions the St. John’s Red Storm Must Answer In Conference Play

St. John's Red Storm — St. John’s got off to a blistering start early this season, winning 11 of its first 12 games to a gain a spot in the top 25 rankings. Unfortunately, St. John’s has cooled off considerably in Big East action, losing four of its first five conference games to currently stand at 12-5 overall. Can St. John's bounce back? Here are five questions the Red Storm must answer in league play to become a factor come March.

5. Can St. John’s hold up defensively?

St. John's Red Storm

5. Can St. John’s hold up defensively?

St. John's Red Storm — The Red Storm had a strong start to the season defensively, only surrendering 70 points twice in their opening 12 games. However, St. John’s has come back to earth on the defensive end in conference action as opponents have scored at least 70 points in each of the Red Storm’s first five league games. St. John’s will need to improve in that area to make a run in the Big East.

4. Who will step up on the defensive boards?

St. John's Red Storm

4. Who will step up on the defensive boards?

St. John's Red Storm — St. John’s isn’t a great rebounding team as the Red Storm get out-rebounded by more than two boards per game on average. More importantly, coach Steve Lavin’s team surrenders almost 13 offensive boards per contest. St. John’s must rebound better on the defensive end if it wants to make a serious case for an NCAA tournament bid.

3. Can the Red Storm improve their outside shooting?

St. John's Red Storm

3. Can the Red Storm improve their outside shooting?

St. John's Red Storm — Scoring hasn’t been a problem for the Red Storm so far in 2014-15 as St. John’s averages 71.7 points per game. However, 3-point shooting has proven to be an issue so far as the Red Storm connect on just 32.3 percent of their shots from distance as a team. The Red Storm will need better accuracy from 3-point range as the conference season moves on.

2. Can Rysheed Jordan become a full-fledged star?

Rysheed Jordan

2. Can Rysheed Jordan become a full-fledged star?

Rysheed Jordan — Considered one of the better underclassmen in the Big East, Jordan is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game. If the 6-foot-4 sophomore can continue to pick up his play and become a strong complement to seniors D'Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene, St. John’s will become tougher as the year goes on.

1. Is St. John’s a contender for an NCAA tournament bid?

Steve Lavin

1. Is St. John’s a contender for an NCAA tournament bid?

Steve Lavin — Heading into the conference slate, St. John’s was humming along at 11-1 overall. Since league play began, the Red Storm have struggled to find their footing in dropping four of their first five contests. St. John’s will need to rebound from a frustrating start to Big East play if it wants to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011.

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St. John's Red Storm

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