Coming into Atlantis, many fans had low expectations for St. John’s, especially after dropping a winnable game at Minnesota.
St. John’s did a fantastic job playing a discrete role, surprisingly giving a superior Michigan State all they could handle for 35 minutes.
Contests like the one against Michigan State show how much improvement has been made in one year. In last season’s Maui Invitational opener the Johnnies lost to Vanderbilt by a 92-55 score.
Regardless, sitting at that cusp of competitiveness and consistent success is very frustrating for any program. St. John’s sits in basketball purgatory, waiting to turn experience and close losses into narrow victories.