STORM CLEARING
St. John’s sees open road to AdvoCare Invitational title
Two years ago, St. John’s entered the Maui Invitational knowing the results would not be favorable. Last year, in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Red Storm had higher hopes, but realistic expectations: Merely competing was their goal.
This year, however, Chris Mullin’s more experienced and more talented team can think big as it begins a holiday tournament on Thanksgiving Day in Orlando, Fla., against Oregon State. A title in the AdvoCare Invitational isn’t unrealistic.
“We’re coming with that mindset,” sophomore guard Justin Simon said. “We got some heat coming in, [at] 4-0.”
Mullin repeatedly has players this year is “winning time,” according to Simon. Thus far, the Johnnies have shown signs they are ready to do just that. They are 4-0 for the first time since Steve Lavin’s final season, 2014-15, when the program reached the NCAA Tournament.
“Everything we do, going back two years, has always been geared towards winning,” Mullin said. “I’m not here recreationally. I swim for recreation.”
Transfers Simon and Marvin Clark II have been as advertised, two-way impact players and immediate leaders. Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett have picked up where they left off as dynamic high-scoring freshmen, this year averaging a combined 32.3 points per game. Bashir Ahmed has shown more consistency at both ends of the floor. Coming off the bench, Tariq Owens remains the team’s X-factor, a human eraser on defense and a high-level finisher around the rim on offense.
Yet there is still plenty of room for growth. Mullin doesn’t believe his team has found its rhythm at the offensive end, shooting 44 percent from the field. Simon, averaging 10.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists, thinks he has more to offer.
“I feel like I’ve shown glimpses of how good I can be, but I feel like I can be a lot better,” the Arizona transfer said. “I just feel that I haven’t really put 40 minutes of my game together yet.”
The St. John’s defense has stood out the most thus far, a major improvement upon Mullin’s first two seasons. All four opponents have scored 61 points or fewer, a year after the Red Storm held the opposition to that figure just three times all season. The opposition is shooting just 34 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range.
“I think it’s trust, it’s really about the help side,” Mullin said. “Individually, we’ve gotten a little better controlling the ball, not letting [teams] get into the mid- dle. And then I think it’s just getting our guys getting off their man [to help].”
Of course, the Red Storm’s first four opponents are mostly inferior to what they will see in Orlando (though Nebraska, which St. John’s routed by 23, is in the field). They potentially could face three highmajor opponents, starting with Oregon State on Thursday afternoon. But the Johnnies’ side of the bracket isn’t quite as formidable now that Michael Porter Jr., Mis- souri’s likely one-and-done freshman top-five draft pick, is probably out for the season after back surgery. A Sunday night showdown for the championship against No. 23 West Virginia seems possible.
“We look at it as a big week to perform at a high level in front of the whole country,” Simon said. “It’s going to be a nationally televised tournament. A lot of great teams in this event. We like our chances.”