Despite a slight resurgence under Steve Lavin, the St. John’s basketball program has been lackluster throughout the 21st century. St. John’s and the fanbase have been looking for solutions, and many felt the hiring of the program’s greatest modern player would be the ticket. So this season brought about optimism - which has come crashing down even before Big East play, due to a pair of losses at the hands of Delaware State and LIU Brooklyn.
Red Storm supporters and general fans around college basketball have been increasingly critical of Chris Mullin, and St. John’s basketball in general.