NEW YORK –– St. John’s was picked dead last among 10 Big East teams in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, but first-year coach Chris Mullin doesn’t care.
“No,” he said Wednesday at Big East Media Day at Madison Square Garden. “No offense but I never really paid attention to preseason stuff and frankly, it really wouldn’t matter what we’re going to do tomorrow in practice. And that’s really where we’re at, rebuilding and having nine new guys.”
St. John’s got 13 points from the coaches. The next closest team was Creighton in ninth place with 23 points. DePaul was picked eighth with 25 points.
Villanova was the unanimous pick to win the league.
“I guess one thought is you could use it as bulletin-board material, but like I said it really wouldn’t change my practice plan for tomorrow,” Mullin said.
Asked if the last-place pick motivates his players, Mullin cracked, “It might but we have ways of motivating them, too.”
“No, we definitely don’t need any more motivation,” said guard Durand Johnson, a transfer from Pittsburgh. “Like I said, we can control what we can control and that’s coming in every day with a good mindset willing to learn and get better day by day.”
Said guard Ron Mvouika, a transfer from Missouri State: “I didn’t care. It’s common sense. You got 10 newcomers, three returners, a brand new coaching staff, it was normal for them to pick us last, but I could care less, to be honest with you.”
Can they surprise some people ahead of them?
“Definitely,” Johnson said. “Definitely.”
St. John’s coach Chris Mullin and Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard discuss their plans for the 2015 season at Big East Media Day on Wednesday in New York.
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