00:00The Hunters are now the hunted. Such a cliche phrase in sports, but St. John's basketball being ranked fifth in the country is the program's highest preseason poll ranking in program history.
00:12So let's get the why they're ranked so high or low, I guess, from New York Post, college basketball writer and co-host of the Eye of the Red Storm, Zach Braziller.
00:21Zach, long time, man. Basketball, college basketball season right around the corner.
00:26You were at media day yesterday, so you got to feel the vibes two or so weeks away from the start of the season.
00:34Again, that fifth overall ranking, a lot of people on social media don't think they deserve it because of the way they were bounced out of the tournament last season.
00:45So in your opinion, were you expecting a top five ranking and do you think that they deserve it?
00:51Yeah, I thought it around four to six. You know, look, it's a loaded team.
00:56I know they returned the star forward, Zuby Ejiofor. They have the number one transfer class in the country.
01:02They have two guys people think are potential first round picks in Ian Jackson and Joe Sanon.
01:09I think the frontcourt is going to be one of the top three or four in the country, you know, led by Ejiofor.
01:15Sure. Yeah, I think on paper, they're clearly a top, you know, five, six team in the country.
01:23I mean, you know, the only real question I have is point guard.
01:29You know, you have Dylan Darling there who I think is going to come off the bench.
01:32He's like their true point guard.
01:34And they're kind of going to have a bunch of different people handle the ball.
01:38But I think point guard is really the only question.
01:40I mean, they got shot makers.
01:42They have really good folk, big men.
01:45They're going to play defense.
01:46I mean, it's Rick Pitino.
01:48I have no question, but there's no question about that.
01:50Yeah, I think they're really, really good.
01:53But I'd be very surprised if this isn't a legit top 10 team all year.
01:58All right.
01:58Point guard is where you have your question, Mark.
02:01But there's a lot of people that think that their schedule is brutal.
02:05They got a pretty strong conference schedule.
02:07We already know that.
02:08But their out of conference schedule is pretty much just as hard.
02:12So you talk about that loaded roster.
02:14Do you think they have enough on that roster to handle dogfights game in and game out?
02:21Yeah.
02:22I mean, look, it's a really good schedule.
02:24I think they were smart to do it.
02:26You know, Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Baylor, Iowa State.
02:32Yeah, I think they're going to be an incredibly tough team to play against.
02:36Because when you look at it, when you have Andrew Ford and you have Bryce Hopkins and you have Dylan Mitchell inside.
02:42And then you've got some of those guys I mentioned outside with Sellers and Jackson and Salmon.
02:47And, you know, it's going to be a really tough team to defend.
02:51Because you're going to have to pick your poison.
02:52Are you going to double inside and leave guys open for threes?
02:57And they have a bunch of guys who can now shoot threes?
02:59Or are you going to say, like, well, we'll let Edge of Four and Hopkins get theirs and try to limit them on the perimeter.
03:05It's going to be a really tough team to defend.
03:10You know, I just, I think they're a better team than last year.
03:13I think they're definitely more talented.
03:15I don't think there's any question about that.
03:17You know, they've, last year they were kind of offensively challenged to an extent.
03:23And they're not going to be offensively challenged this year.
03:26There's no doubt about that.
03:27All right.
03:28So, they're a better team than they were last year.
03:30They won the Big East tournament.
03:32They did get knocked out in, what, the round of 32.
03:35You got a chance to see the players for the first time.
03:38You got to hear them talk.
03:40See what their vibes and their moxie is like.
03:42Do you get the feeling that it's Final Four or bust for this year's squad?
03:48I wouldn't say Final Four, but I think this program, I think this year is all about March.
03:55Yeah, you would love to win another Big East title.
03:57You would love to win, you know, a Big East tournament.
03:59But it's about March.
04:00You know, it's about, to me, it's Sweet 16 or bust.
04:04They need to make a Sweet 16 here with this talent, with this team.
04:08We obviously don't know how long Rick's going to coach.
04:12You know, I think not making a Sweet 16 would be a huge disappointment for this team.
04:18I hate to say Final Four or bust, because it's the NCAA tournament.
04:21Weird stuff happens.
04:23You know, you never know, like, the draw you're going to get and that kind of stuff.
04:30So, you know, I wouldn't go Final Four or bust.
04:33But I do think this is a team that can absolutely make a Final Four.
04:36They have the talent.
04:38Your top five preseason, you obviously have a shot to do that.
04:41And, you know, you get there and see what happens.
04:44But I do think second, the floor for this team to have to get, they need to be at least
04:50a Sweet 16 team this year, or it would be a big disappointment.
04:53All right, Zach Brazila, I'm sure we're going to be coming to you a lot in the up-and-coming
04:57weeks.
04:58And you and Dexter Henry are going to be headlining the Eye of the Red Storm again this year.
05:02So we can't wait till you guys put out that fire content.
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