Storm eye win as lead-in to Big East slate

By this point of the past two years, virtually all suspense had been stripped from St. John’s season. The non-conference slate had let us know how the Big East schedule likely would unfold.

In 2015, the Red Storm closed their non-conference schedule with three straight losses — including setbacks to Incarnate Word and NJIT — foreshadowing a season in which they earned just one more win. In Chris Mullin’s second year as coach, the team started 6-7, and ended non-conference play with back-to-back losses — most disturbingly to LIU Brooklyn — before remaining under .500 for the majority of the rest of the season.

This year, the end of non-confer- ence play marks the beginning of all that can be.

“You saw what we had coming back those years. There’s no comparison to where we are now, but that journey led us to here,” Mullin said. “How we handled that was important. That’s probably the main thing.

“We have a better team. With the additions of Justin [Simon] and Marvin [Clark], we’re a very different team, and the guys we had last year, that experience is invaluable. The only way to get that is to go through those losses. Some of the games we lost last year, we won this year. Part of that is better players and part of it is experience. … When you’re getting your head beat in, you don’t forget that. That’s fresh in my mind still.”

With one game remaining before the Big East calls, St, John’s (9-2) heads to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Wednesday to face Saint Joseph’s (5-5) in the Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase, hoping to improve its 3-2 record away from home.

The Red Storm, winners of four of their past five, are as close to Mullin’s vision of the program as they have been since he arrived.

The team’s defensive focus has been the biggest reason for the breakthrough.

After ranking 268th in the nation in opposing field-goal percentage (.461) last season, St. John’s is ninth (.368) in the country this season, while also ranking ninth in turnovers forced (19.4), sixth in blocks (6.5) and 15th in points allowed (61.9).

“I always thought we could be [that good defensively], with our athleticism and length and speed,” Mullin said. “Statistically, we’re really, really good and the main thing is maintain that. I think it’s pretty impressive.”

Marcus LoVett (knee) will miss a fifth straight game, and his status for the Big East-opener against Providence on Dec. 28 remains uncertain.