Players St. John's basketball should be wary of entering Big East Tournament
A handful of players could case the Red Storm nightmares at Madison Square Garden
Rick Pitino has the St. John's basketball team clicking on all cylinders entering the Big East Tournament and the Johnnies are hoping that carries over to an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Red Storm have won five games in a row since Pitino's infamous press conference after blowing a 19-point lead against Seton Hall and are right in the mix for a spot in the field of 68 teams.
It looked like any hopes at a postseason berth were going to depend on winning the conference tournament for the Johnnies, but now many believe a win on Thursday in the quarterfinals against Seton Hall will secure a spot for the program's first trip to March Madness since 2019.
However, there are several players in the league that could cause the St. John's coaching staff headaches this week in midtown Manhattan.
We'll take a look at the five players St. John's probably does not want to see at the Big East Tournament.
5. Devin Carter (Providence Friars)
Seeing Devin Carter might not be that bad of a thing for St. John's because it would mean the Johnnies have reached the Big East Tournament Championship for the first time since 2000.
The Red Storm have not even made the semifinals of the event since the same year.
However, Carter can be a matchup nightmare for any team he faces and is one of the favorites to win the Big East Player of the Year, averaging 19.6 points per game.
In his first meeting against St. John's this season inside The Garden, Carter went for a season-high 31 points, 13 rebounds, and four steals on 11-of-19 shooting from the field. The Friar junior guard did everything possible to try and complete Providence's comeback, which fell just two points short.
Devin Carter was nowhere as dominant when the squads met in mid-February in Rhode Island with 14 points and 11 rebounds on just 3-of-7 shooting, but he picked his spots and was able to get to the free throw line, while setting up his teammates.
Seeing Devin Carter, as well as some others on the list, will be a welcome sight for St. John's because it means it will be playing on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but Carter in a championship game could be a very tough player to slow down.