St. John’s basketball praises depth as spotlight shines on dynamic duo

St. John’s basketball praises its depth as the focus shifts to its two best players. 

There is no secret who will have the ball in their hands at the end of St. John’s basketball games this season, Julian Champagnie or Posh Alexander.

Champagnie was named as an unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big East First Team as the junior is coming off of a season in which he led the conference in scoring and was named as the Most Improved Player in the league.

Alexander, who was named to the Preseason All-Big East Second Team, became the first player in the Big East since Allen Iverson to be named as the conference’s Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

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After an offseason in which only three players will return from the 2020-21 squad, (Champagnie, Alexander, and Dylan Addae-Wusu) head coach Mike Anderson praised his team’s depth at Big East Media Day on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

“We will not be a one, two man team,” Anderson said.

“It’s not going to be just Julian [Champagnie] or Posh [Alexander]…it’s going to be guys like Stef [Smith], Aaron Wheeler, and all the depth on the team.”

St. John’s brings in eight new players this season, five coming via the transfer portal and three incoming freshman. That does not include Esahia Nyiwe who joined the team midway through last season but was ineligible to play in games due to transfer rules.

St. John’s basketball still has to find a way to mesh on the court

Due to the fact that there are so many new faces in Queens this season, it will take time for the Johnnies to mesh together on the court and their head coach acknowledges that.

“We have a lot of question marks…but I’m starting to find those answers,” Anderson said.

The third-year head coach at St. John’s raved about Rutgers transfer Montez Mathis and Hofstra transfer Tareq Coburn as both should be key cogs in the Red Storm’s rotation this season.

“We will be playing our best basketball in January, February, March, just like how you are supposed to be,” Anderson confidently said.

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Another answer that Anderson might have already found is freshman O’mar Stanley, who he compared to a freshman year Dylan Addae-Wusu, as the youngster is physical, a willing rebounder, and tenacious on both ends of the floor.

“I like them,” Anderson said while grinning when speaking about his freshmen class.

Mike Anderson is not sure who will be in the starting lineup alongside Julian Champagnie and Posh Alexander on November 9 against Mississippi Valley State but he is sure that St. John’s will not be a two-man show this season.