College ball is kicking off, and it's time to find new angles on the old storylines. St. John's features prominently in one kind of storyline... the ones that a coach and a team just don't want to be involved with.
Here are 3 articles on how St. John's is the cause of the wrinkled nose when you walk by a sewer grate:
1. City Scene Needs St. John's to Bounce Back. The Daily News points out that each of the New York area teams are picked, at best, in the middle of the pack with the exception of Columbia University, which received a first place vote in the Ivy League (really?!). And no NYC team saw a post season tournament game (except for conference tourneys, of course)last year. The Big East teams bring up the rear, with hope from a rising Rutgers squad.
What I find interesting here is that the Daily News finds a way to shine a harsh light on St. John's. There is no reason the other teams can't make the postseason in their own conference; St. John's has little to do with them, except for boosting the psychic energy of the city.
If Hofstra won a game in the tourney, the city would get some attention; if Manhattan was a mid-major killer, the city would get some attention. Not as much as if St. John's was rolling, of course; but that won't necessarily help the smaller area programs. So putting it on St. John's (especially by Tom Pecora, who almost sounds like he's making a pitch of some kind...?) to resurrect local basketball is an interested, and pointed, way of illuminating the recent failure with the Red Storm.
This blog wonders if this will be part of a year-long effort to actually follow (and be critical of) St. John's basketball. And pummel the administration into action if the Red Storm fall short of respectability again. I am sure new Newsday blogger Tim Fiorvanti will be joining the scrutiny party.
2. Dana O'Neil goes to the Whack St. John's well 3 times in her Hot/ Not column, all on the "NOT" side:
- NY/ NJ Hoops (and how top talent isn't staying home but is going to other schools);
- BCS Bottom feeders (more on them next week from this site, keep an eye out) like Auburn, St. John's, Penn State, and Colorado;
- and coaches on the hot seat (thankfully and intelligently naming Alabama's Mark Gottfried along with Roberts, Northwestern's Bill Carmody, and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton).
She also comments on Chicago's dismal hoops right now (they are dismal) and how no one can hit shots at a good clip from the charity stripe.
3. Rivals.com ranks all 343 college basketball teams, and has St. John's at 104, surprisingly over a few other high-majors. I do think they're a little off, and overrate Georgia juuuust a smidge.