After a blow-out loss to Notre Dame, Thursday night, the Red Storm’s tournament hopes are now in the palms of the selection committee.
Sunday night the committee will rank the final field of 65 teams for the Big Dance. The 32 teams that win their conference earn an automatic invite, while the rest of the country’s programs will have their eyes glued to ESPN.
The 33 remaining at-large bids will be handed out due to merit, and St. John’s hopes to be included.
The Red Storm suffered an embarrassing 83-63 loss to Notre Dame in the second round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. A victory in the game would have all but sealed a tournament bid for the Johnies, but now some question still remains.
The team finished the season with an overall record of 20-11, but went only 9-7 in the Big East. With twenty wins, a 59.24 Rating Percentage Index (RPI), and key wins over Wake Forrest, Miami, Connecticut and Notre Dame an at-large bid for St. John’s looks promising.
But the committee is far from predictable. Every year teams that think they should be included go back to practice on Monday preparing for the NIT. Most experts say the Red Storm will make it back to March Madness. Unfortunately for St. John’s, the only experts that matter are not speaking until Sunday night.
