There were high hopes for the St. John’s basketball team entering the Player Era Championship in Las Vegas and the Red Storm fell short of those goals by leaving Sin City 1-2.
Its lone victory came in blowout fashion against Baylor while its losses against No. 15 Iowa State and No. 21 Auburn featured many of the same flaws that saw second half leads evaporate.
However, through its three games, the Johnnies learned a lot about itself and what it needs to fix going forward as December basketball approaches and the opportunities to land significant non-conference victories become less frequent.
Rebounding Remains a Major Issue
It was highlighted during the preseason and in its early season loss against Alabama, but defensive rebounding is still a big problem for St. John’s.
In Las Vegas, its three opponents combined to average 18.3 offensive rebounds per game and 18.6 second chance points. Against Baylor – the lone win of the tournament for the Johnnies – it surrendered 26 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points, which could have been worse if the Bears shot better than 12-for-29 on layups.
Allowing an offensive rebound during the second half against Auburn led to a 4-point play which helped flip the game in favor of the Tigers.
If St. John’s wants to clean up its defensive woes, limiting teams to one shot per possession would be a major step in the right direction.
Oziyah Sellers Shows Worth
The one major positive to come out of Las Vegas for the Red Storm was the performances that Oziyah Sellers was able to put together in its first two games.
Against Iowa State he nearly single-handedly won the game for St. John’s, hitting back-to-back triples that turned a five-point deficit into a one-point lead. Sellers went for 20 points in the loss, hitting 5-of-6 3-pointers.
Against Baylor, he was equally as impressive with 22 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Allowing him to play shooting guard and hunt his shot opened things up on offense for St. John’s and it’s something that must continue going forward.
Unfortunately, he was just 1-for-7 from the field against Auburn with three of his 3-pointers -- all which were good looks -- rimming out early in the first half.
Sellers was limited in the second half due to foul trouble and had to play point guard when he was on the floor for a majority of the second half because of Dylan Darling’s hamstring injury, which limits his ability to try and get shots off.
St. John’s needs Oziyah Sellers to be on the floor because his shooting capabilities make its offense one of the best in the country.
Preseason Hype Faltering Out
The hype for the start of the season had been unlike anything seen before at St. John’s.
A preseason No. 5 team in the country, the favorites in the Big East, and a roster that some were calling the most talented in the sport.
Well, the team has already lost three times in just seven games and the deficiencies are clear. Air has come out of the balloon and there is panic and frustration among its fans.
The good news is that it’s only December and there is plenty of time to correct things, but time is running out to land signature victories against a tough non-conference schedule with the struggles of other Big East teams being well documented.
St. John’s could find themselves on the outside looking in of the AP Top 25 Poll on Monday after its two losses in Las Vegas and that might not be the worst thing in the world.
Reset and refocus before league play begins, although its game on Saturday night (8:00 p.m. ET, Peacock) against Ole Miss (5-2) feels like an early December “must win” game.