St. John’s will open the 2012-2013 season on the first day of November with an exhibition game against NCAA Division II school Sonoma State, followed by a matchup against Division III Concordia. Finally, on the 13th of November, the season will begin for real.
The Red Storm will open up at home with a 2 PM game against Detroit at Carnesecca Arena. This game will be part of ESPN’s Tip Off Marathon that features 24 straight hours of college hoops. As some may remember from last year, St. John’s went into Detroit to find themselves with a loss. This will be an earlier chance for the Johnnies to show their pride.
A grand total of 19 teams from last years NCAA tournament will potentially be on the radar for St. John’s. Last season saw them play 17 such games. Coach Steve Lavin thinks this will be a good test for the young team.
D’Angelo Harrison will be one of the few veterans as St. John’s takes on their tough schedule.
“Our young team will face another challenging non-conference schedule. In addition to the rigorous BIG EAST matchups, we will be facing a highly-competitive field down in Charleston, and playing host to tough foes at The Garden, at Carnesecca Arena and at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Our non-conference slate gives our fans in New York opportunities to come out and support the Johnnies in whatever backyard they call their own.”
The games in Charleston Lavin referred to are part of the DIRECTV Charleston Classic that will take place at the TD Arena in South Carolina. The tournament will take place from November 15-18 with a field of St. John’s, Auburn, Murray State, Dayton, Colorado, Baylor, Boston College, and of course, Charleston. And once again, Steve Lavin.
“Three games in four days at the Charleston Classic in November will allow us to learn more about the makeup of our team. Baylor returns an outstanding squad from its Elite Eight run last season, Colorado was a NCAA Tournament participant, Murray State is coming off its best season in history and Auburn participated in the 2012 NIT. The Charleston Classic field looks to be as strong as any 2012 early-season tournament and will prove to be a valuable experience for our young squad.”
Some other games to look out for include the December 4 trip out to California to face San Francisco. The Dons, as they are called, was the former team of Steve Lavin’s father. Cap Lavin is a member of the Dons Hall of Fame.
St. John’s returns home December 8 as they open up Madison Square Garden for college basketball. St. John’s will face Fordham while two other local teams will play an earlier game in what is being called the MSG Holiday Festival.
On December 15 St. John’s will play in another local arena, this one in Brooklyn. The new Barclays Center will have the Johnnies face off against St. Francis. This game is part of a triple header that also features Michigan vs. West Virginia and Princeton vs. Fordham.
The 18 Big East games will be announced at a later date. We will keep you updated on any potential scheduling changes.
Posted on July 11, 2012 by Rob DeLucia
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