Everyone’s thinking it so I’m going to say it: This is a big week for the St John’s men’s basketball programme.
The Johnnies are having their best season in years, guided by Rick Pitino, who guided multiple teams to the NCAA Championship (and then encountered a fair amount of scandals). It’s also the same Rick Pitino who excoriated his players last year, dolling out some harsh words to college students in a public atmosphere.
But now, St John’s are ranked 12th in the nation. They are 19-3 overall and 10-1 in the Big East, sitting alone at the top of the conference.
But are they as good as their ranking suggests? Yes, they’re 14-0 at home and have won the last eight games in a row, but lost the only game they played against a Top 25 opponent (a 99-98 nail-biter to Baylor).
That’s what makes this week so important. They play not just one Top 25 team, but two.
First at home against Marquette (11) on Tuesday, and then agaisnt UConn (19) in Storrs, Connecticut, on Friday night. One win against either of those teams (ideally Marquette), and the Johnnies secure their position as a tournament contender. Lose both, and it’s back to reality.
It also begins the business end of conference play. They’ll still have to play Marquette and UConn again, plus another game against Creighton.
So it’s a big week. And it begins tonight.
Fitzie’s track of the day: This Must Be The Place, by Sure Sure
And now for your links:
BBC: “‘An unbelievably sought-after player’ - who is Spurs signing Tel?”
The Athletic ($$): “Is Djed Spence making himself undroppable at Tottenham?”
Dan KP: “Heung-min Son issues rallying call as Spurs get confidence boost ahead of decisive 10 days”
Alasdair Gold: “Ange Postecoglou’s key Mathys Tel chat and the crucial Tottenham change made behind the scenes”