Big East takeaways: It’s ‘survive and advance’ for St. John’s, Mike Anderson

John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

Note: John Fanta is sharing takeaways on the action throughout the Big East Tournament.

Game 1: St. John’s 76, Butler 63

The St. John’s Red Storm were already the more talented team coming into this game. Compound that with a 14-18 Butler team missing two starters — Manny Bates and Eric Hunter Jr. — who didn’t make the trip to New York due to not meeting academic standards, and the Johnnies rolled to a commanding 13-point victory in the opening game of the Big East Tournament. They will meet top-seeded Marquette at Noon ET on FS1 on Thursday.

The formula for the Red Storm’s win was a familiar one, with senior big man Joel Soriano going for a nation-leading 24th double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. In total, five players scored in double-figures, with freshman AJ Storm going for 15 points and junior point guard Posh Alexander scoring 13 points, hitting three triples in the process.

While Butler closed the gap to 10 with 7:58 on the clock, back-to-back buckets by Soriano and Dylan Addae-Wusu for the Red Storm removed any doubt.

For St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson, who has gone four years without an NCAA Tournament appearance barring a run this week, it’s a critical week as rumors circle about his future in Queens.

Posh Alexander speaks discusses St. John’s victory

“I appreciate Joel Soriano for bringing his talent to St. John’s.” — Posh Alexander speaks on the Red Storm’s win over Butler in the Big East Tournament.

“Right now for us, it’s survive and advance,” Anderson said. “Today was about bringing the energy and focus to the Big East Tournament, and you never know exactly how your team is going to handle this stage, but we came out well and got contributions across the board.”

For Butler, after all of the buzz surrounding the hiring of Thad Matta in his return to college basketball, his first season back at Butler was a disappointment and ended with a thud. The Bulldogs finished 14-18 and never found an offensive identity. Offseason roster changes are coming in Indianapolis.

For St. John’s, the focal point for Thursday’s matchup with Marquette is the defensive end. In both losses to the Golden Eagles in the regular season, the Red Storm allowed 96 points. These two teams did meet just four days ago, with the Golden Eagles escaping with a 96-94 win. Could we see some drama in Round III? It’s on the table.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

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