PORT JEFF, we’ll save the pleasantries for later. Here’s what we got for today: St. John’s season preview, Giants blow another chance, Mets-Dodgers reactions.
St. Johns season preview: college basketball will be back before we know it, so what better time to make some predictions and preview what to expect?
Season Preview: Last season ended in a disappointing fashion, being one of the first teams out of the NCAA tournament. Early nonconference losses to Boston College and a depleted Michigan squad put a dent into the plans of the Red Storm. This season will provide many needle-moving opportunities before conference play begins, including games against Kansas State, New Mexico, and Georgia. It is pivotal for the Johnnies to win two of these three to build a resume for March. History tells us that teams under Rick Pitino take a significant jump, with the return of rising sophomores Siemon Wilcher and RJ Luis as well as the portal additions of star guards Kadary Richmond and Devion Smith. The Red-Storm are a deeper team than they were last year; they should finish in the top 5 of the Big East and be a single-digit seed come March.
Giants blow another chance. Every week it seems the Giants have a chance to turn their season around with a big win in primetime, yet here we are again, 2-4 with star LT Andrew Thomas most likely done for the season. Where do we go from here? A date with the rival Eagles on Sunday as well as the return of Saquon Barkley, who left via free agency, the Giants will also welcome the return of star WR Malik Nabers after missing the last two games with a concussion. Nabers has been better than advertised as a rookie from LSU; we can’t help but compare to another LSU rookie WR OBJ.
Mets on the brink, after a loss in game 4, the magic may be running out for the Mets; even if the season may not end the way we wanted it to, this Mets team has given us a reason to believe and have hope for next season and years beyond. The Mets are clearly lacking a true “ace’ SP. Corbin Burnes would fit like a glove and should be the Mets most important player in this year’s free agent class. This season also saw the emergence of Mark Vientos, a bona fide superstar. With the core of Lindor, Nimmo, the aforementioned Vientos, and hopefully Pete Alonso, this Mets team has a chance to be one of the more consistently playoff-caliber teams for years to come. With Steve Cohen as owner, anything is possible in Queens
