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Lindy's projects Storm to finish 6th in the Big East, yet make NCAA's

St. John's will open the Big East schedule on the road at Xavier.

By Quinn Rochford
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Lavin warned St. John's fans his Red Storm would be projected to finish in the lower half of the Big East. We can now add Lindy's, the respected magazine publisher, to the list.

In their annual Big East preview, the college basketball scribes at Lindy's have projected the Johnnies to end up closing the year in the sixth position of the league standings. Though the Storm's unbounded talent is accounted for, it is claimed that the team will still be too young and inconsistent to be a top contender.

Lindy's does still place a high value on the conference, saying that St. John's will make the NCAA Tournament despite finishing in the lower half of the standings.

After watching Steve Lavin stockpile talent for four years now, St. John's fans can't be blamed for being impatient about finally seeing results. -Tom Luicci, Lindy's

"After watching Steve Lavin stockpile talent for four years now, St. John's fans can't be blamed for being impatient about finally seeing results," mentions Tom Luicci of Lindy's. "This is entirely his roster. And it's brimming with potential and expectations."

The preview says that Johnnies freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan could be the difference, as he could be one of the better playmakers and passers in the conference.

Lindy's predicts Chris Obekpa, the nation's second top shotblocker in 2012-13, to be the Big East's top defender this season, along with D`Angelo Harrison as the most entertaining. The scribes also tabbed Harrison and JaKarr Sampson as serious contenders for second and third teams all-conference respectively.

The Lindy's projections are consistent with some other publications, including Sporting News, who picked the Red Storm to finish seventh in the Big East. Others have been much more optimistic about the Johnnies' chances.

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