By ADAM ZAGORIA
NEW YORK –– St. John’s got blown out by 32 points by Marquette in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals, yet is still a “lock” to make the NCAA Tournament, according to Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com.
“At the risk of repeating myself, they’re a lock,” Palm told me after Markus Howard went for 30 points in Marquette’s 86-54 rout of the Johnnies at Madison Square Garden.
St. John’s, which entered the day as an 11 seed according to Palm, is now 21-12, 8-11 overall in the Big East. They would be the first Big East squad since UConn in 2012 to make the Big Dance with a sub-.500 conference record. After a 12-0 start, they closed the season 9-12.
“Obviously, I’m not on the [NCAA Selection] Committee but they’re a terrific team,” Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. They’re unusual in that they start five guys who can all play on the perimeter. They have terrific isolation players and they have a guy in [Shamorie] Ponds who can take over a game. Their defense is unusual because they can switch on ball and off ball.”
“I think they’re an NCAA Tournament team, I’m hopeful that that will be the case. I personally think they’re worthy of it. I’m not sure the Committee cares what I think.”
St. John’s coach Chris Mullin said his team would take a break until Sunday and then practice and watch Selection Sunday.
“I’ll be watching Sunday,” he said, “I’m not really here to make a case.”
St. John’s has six Q-1 wins including two against Marquette and one against Villanova.
Still, they have lost 5-of-7 heading into the NCAA Tournament, and they would be limping into the Big Dance.
Marquette’s 32-point victory was the sixth-largest in Big East Tournament history.
“I just thought it was one of our more complete performances of the year,” Wojciechowski said. “I thought our defense was outstanding.”
Updated @BIGEASTMBB with one more to go tonight pic.twitter.com/NFjRkocRT8
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 15, 2019
Photo: St. John’s BB
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