The second season of St. John’s coach Norm Roberts’ key third season begins tonight.
The Red Storm are in Year 3 of the Roberts Era and it’s time for results. It was Roberts himself who said that he would have his best team in year 3 and here we are.
There’s no question that the 2006-07 St. John’s basketball team is better and deeper than in recent years. And there is no question that Roberts and his staff are better positioned to land one of the top prep players in the metropolitan area.
Yet it is also a fact that St. John’s (9-4), which hosts DePaul (10-5) tonight in the Garden in the Big East opener for both teams, has continued to perform in an inconsistent and, at times, underachieving fashion. Roberts himself acknowledges this.
“I hoped we would be playing a little bit better than we are right now, but I do know that things can turn on the dime,” Roberts said yesterday. “They can turn quickly with confidence and execution.
“What we need to do is just move on to the next game. It is 0-0 for everyone right now. It’s a whole new season for everyone. So we have to focus in on this season because the early season schedule is over with.”
Yes, the early-season schedules for St. John’s and DePaul are over and the results don’t favor the Red Storm. They had their seven-game win streak snapped 63-51 by Hofstra in the finals of the Holiday Festival.
The Red Storm didn’t beat any teams of note. DePaul, meanwhile, is riding a five-game win streak and has taken 6 of 7, including wins over Kansas, Cal and URI.
Led by Sammy Mejia of The Bronx, the Blue Demons are scoring points and building confidence. They edged St. John’s 52-48 in the Garden last season in the only meeting between the teams. St. John’s, which along with DePaul didn’t make the Big East Tournament last season, needs this win to begin the “second season.”
“I think we are deeper than we were a year ago in every aspect,” said Roberts. “It is just going to be one of those years when we just have to bring it when we get out there.”
DePAUL at ST. JOHN’S Tonight 7:30 – MSG
ESPN (1050)
