ST. JOHN'S: A 2008-2009 TRICK or TREAT?

October 31, 2008

Norm Roberts, armed with a contract extension, hopes to bring his St. John's Redstorm back to prominence in the near future. Once a staple in the annual March Madness betting pools, the Redstorm have a hard enough time just qualifying for their conference tournament under Roberts, let alone the Big Dance in March.

Missing the Big East's year-end party at Madison Square Garden, the Johnnie's second home, has been a huge source of frustration for the St. John's fans. Patience in the fanbase has reached a point beyond wearing thin and many have expressed their exasperation towards the program, especially since Roberts was 'rewarded' with a contract extension this past offseason. An extension that even rival head coach Bobby Gonzalez at Seton Hall publicly questioned.

It looks like the SJU administration is dedicated to standing behind coach Roberts for the near future. With a very high percentage of his line-up (over 80%) being freshmen and sophomores in this strong conference, the 'Storm still look to be another season or so away from challenging for a spot in the Big Dance. it is a long climb up in the Big East, and St. John's better have a few tricks up their sleeves to give their fans a treat.