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St. John’s basketball: Mike Anderson gives refreshing answer on goals

By Kevin Connelly

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Mike Anderson of the St. John's basketball team reacts against the St. Peter's Peacocks at Carnesecca Arena on December 03, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Mike Anderson of the St. John's basketball team reacts against the St. Peter's Peacocks at Carnesecca Arena on December 03, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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St. John’s basketball head coach Mike Anderson gave some refreshing answers when he was asked about his goals for the upcoming season.

Mike Anderson is a winner and even at a program like St. John’s he only has one goal in mind; win a National Championship.

The head coach who will be entering his second year with the Red Storm had a virtual interview with the Big East’s John Fanta and the two discussed what was a promising first season for the Johnnies under the former Arkansas head coach.

Very bluntly, Fanta asked Anderson if the NCAA Tournament was the expectation for the Johnnies next season and the St. John’s head coach took it a step further.

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Mike Anderson said that every year his goal is to win a championship and in order to win a National Championship, you have to be in the tournament.

St. John’s has never won a National Championship in the storied history of the program and only made two Final Fours (1952 and 1985), with its lone Championship Game appearance coming in  1952.

However, they have one of the best coaching in college basketball at the helm in Anderson who is on a list with Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Gonzaga’s Mark Few never to have a losing season as a head coach.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams was also on that list but an uncharacteristic and jaw-dropping 14-19 season (6-14 ACC) bounced Williams from his counterparts.

Mike Anderson was also close from dropping off that list but the Red Storm railed for a strong end to the season and looked poised to make a run into the postseason after beating Georgetown in the First Round of the Big East Tournament and leading No. 1 seed Creighton at halftime, before the game was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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St. John’s finished with a 17-15 record (5-13 Big East) in its  first year under Anderson and will be losing two of its key players in senior Mustapha Heron and junior LJ Figueroa entering next season.

Figueroa recently announced that he will be transferring to Oregon for his senior year.

The answer that Anderson provided to Fanta is refreshing and frankly should be the public answer that every coach in America would give to that question, but sadly it’s not.

Programs like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, and select others always have a championship-or-bust type of mentality and while it’s certainly not championship-or-bust for St. John’s, it’s nice to know that the man behind the wheel of the program is gunning to cut down the nets every single season.