Sitting in a hotel in suburban Maryland, preparing for another day with the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens, I’m reminded that the start of a season really doesn’t matter. Nor do the depths a team hits. The Ravens lost to the Texans by 30 and to a Charlie Batch-led Steelers team less than two months ago, but it doesn’t matter. Neither does the St. John’s home-loss to UNC-Asheville. The Red Storm have officially righted that wrong.
1. St. John’s (Last week: 3)
Record: 12-7, 4-3 in Big East
Up next: Sunday (Noon) vs. Seton Hall
Three straight wins, including Wednesday’s rematch with Rutgers at the RAC, has put St. John’s in a tie for fourth place in the Big East. With home games coming up against Seton Hall and DePaul, the Red Storm could be in prime position for a once unlikely at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
2. Stony Brook (1)
Record: 14-5, 5-1 in America East
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Maine
If the Seawolves were going to lose a conference game, it was going to come at perennial-league contender Vermont, following a six hour-plus bus ride. But Stony Brook rebounded with a road win at UMBC and are back in control of the America East after Albany and Vermont both suffered upset losses this week.
3. Rutgers (2)
Record: 12-6, 3-4 in Big East
Up next: Sunday (2 p.m.) at UConn
It’s only getting harder. After losses against Notre Dame and St. John’s, the Scarlet Knights now must play road games at UConn and Cincinnati, only to return home to Louisville and Georgetown. The Big Ten wouldn’t have been any better this season.
4. Iona (4)
Record: 12-7, 6-2 in MAAC
Up next: Friday (7 p.m.) vs. St. Peter’s
After six straight wins, the Gaels finally got cold and lost to Rider, 67-62, after shooting 33.9 percent from the field. Iona will remain in the top tier of the MAAC, being far too talented to slip too much, but they need to figure out how to win when the shots aren’t falling.
5. Seton Hall (5)
Record: 13-6, 2-4 in Big East
Up next: Sunday (Noon) at St. John’s
The good news is the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak and are getting healthier, with the return of Brian Olvier. The bad news is there are no more games left against last-place South Florida.
6. Columbia (7)
Record: 9-6, 1-0 in Ivy League
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) vs. Cornell
Coach Kyle Smith said that a win in the first Ivy League game of the season would be a rush. It’s a win that can take much of the pressure off of a conference season with no conference tournament. With a 67-58 win at Cornell, Columbia has to be confident they can improve to 2-0 coming back to Levien Gymnasium.
7. LIU Brooklyn (8)
Record: 9-10, 4-3 in NEC
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) at Bryant
Here is the Blackbirds season: Four straight losses, followed by five wins, followed by six straight losses, followed by four wins. And somehow, it all makes sense. After a tough non-conference schedule, LIU found its rhythm before losing Julian Boyd for the season. Now, the Blackbirds seem to have learned how to play without him, coming away with a huge 78-68 win over St. Francis in the Battle of Brooklyn on Thursday.
8. Wagner (6)
Record: 10-8, 4-3 in NEC
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) at St. Francis (Pa.)
Since an usual 86-point outburst against LIU, the Seahawks have reverted to their offensive deficiencies, scoring below 60 and losing in three of their past four games. Last year’s leading-scorer Latif Rivers has scored in single-digits in three of the past four games.
9. St. Francis Brooklyn (10)
Record: 8-10, 4-3 in NEC
Up next: Saturday (3:30 p.m.) at Central Connecticut State
Jalen Cannon was a one-man wrecking crew, with 21 points and 10 rebounds against LIU, but the other four starters combined for 11 points. Five of the Terriers’ next seven games come on the road and the potential for a home game in the NEC Tournament will likely be determined then.
10. Fordham (9)
Record: 5-14, 1-3 in Atlantic-10
Up next: Saturday (1 p.m.) vs. Rhode Island
Jersey City native Dan Hurley returns to the area on Saturday, going up against a Rams team which just lost by 45 at Dayton. With the teams tied for second to last in the conference, Fordham can get a jump on their goal to make the A-10 Tournament with a win
11. Manhattan (11)
Record: 5-13, 3-5 in MAAC
Up next: Friday (7 p.m.) vs. Loyola (Md.)
The Jaspers have lost four of five, but have competed well, nearly pulling upsets at Canisius and Niagara. Taking down the Greyhounds will be a tough task, but is certainly doable with the team’s defensive consistency.
12. NJIT (13)
Record: 9-10, 2-0 in Great West
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. Texas-Pan American
The Highlanders will battle for first in the Great West Conference in their matchup with the Broncs and it may be worth the price of admission. NJIT has played two triple overtime games in the past two weeks.
13. Monmouth (16)
Record: 8-12, 3-4 in NEC
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) at Sacred Heart
The Hawks fly their way out of the basement with wins over St. Francis and Fairleigh Dickinson. And just like that, Monmouth looks like a team that could make the conference tournament.
14. St. Peter’s (12)
Record: 6-12, 1-7 in MAAC
Up next: Friday (7 p.m.) at Iona
Nothing to see here. Six straight losses, six straight games scoring under 60. Keep it moving folks.
15. Hofstra (15)
Record: 5-14, 2-4 in CAA
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. North Carolina-Wilmington
The undermanned Pride are playing their hearts out, but they’re really lacking offensive firepower. After three straight losses, Hofstra’s thin bench is becoming a bigger problem.
16. Fairleigh Dickinson (14)
Record: 7-13, 2-5 in NEC
Up next: Saturday (Noon) at Quinnipiac
Well, that was fast. Four straight losses have erased the winning record in conference and brought flashbacks to last season’s misery. More troubling is the back-to-back 19-point losses to St. Francis and Monmouth. A conference tournament appearance is starting to look slim.
howard.kussoy@nypost.com
