The Week that was for St. John's Basketball

By: Troy Mauriello

Things improved slightly on the court for the St. John’s Red Storm over the last week. After a tough loss on the road at No. 21 Creighton on Saturday, the Johnnies returned home to snap a three-game losing streak with an 80-69 win over Providence.

But there was plenty of news to go around off the court as well. A star player is out with a potentially season-ending injury, a former star has found a new home to play professionally, and a highly-regarded transfer received some concerning news. Check it all out below in this news roundup:

Mustapha Heron “likely” out for remainder of season with ankle injury

It was reported and confirmed earlier in the week that senior guard Mustapha Heron would likely miss the remainder of the season with a lingering ankle injury.

Heron initially suffered the scary-looking ankle injury in early December, but missed only three games after it was determined to be just a sprain. However the injury lingered, hampering the senior guard’s play on the court and eventually leading to the news that his college career was likely over.

If this is the end for Heron’s career at St. John’s, it will end a two-year period in Queens that has to feel incomplete, if not unfulfilled. Heron – a native of Waterbury, CT – initially transferred to St. John’s in the spring of 2018 after leading Auburn in scoring in each of his first two seasons.

He joined a roster filled with talent heading into the 2018-19 season, but last year’s Red Storm team ended up being one of the more disappointing in all of college basketball. Heron battled minor injuries most of that season, and saw his scoring average dip to 14.6 points per game, down nearly two points from his final season with Auburn.

Along with junior forward LJ Figueroa, Heron was expected to be the main offensive option on this year’s team. However injuries again have taken their toll, while Heron has shot a career-worst 38.5% from the field, and averaged a career-low 13.8 points per game this year.

Likely not an NBA prospect, Heron will hopefully attempt to latch on in the G-League, or play overseas. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his time at St. John’s, but he’ll need to prove he can stay healthy and stay consistent when he is on the court going forward.

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Former star Shamorie Ponds in talks to play overseas in Italy

Sportando was the first to report that Shamorie Ponds, who left St. John’s after last season to pursue a professional career, has signed a deal to play in Italy. The same publication later walked back their report, but nonetheless it is clear discussions are ongoing.

If Ponds does end up overseas, it would be a somewhat odd twist given the previous stops where his professional career got started. After declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft and going undrafted, Ponds signed a summer-league deal with the Houston Rockets. He was then cut shortly before the start of the regular season and landed with the Toronto Raptors on a two-way deal.

Ponds spent most of his time with the Raptors in the G-League, but he did make a few NBA appearances. Nonetheless, he was waived a little over a month ago by Toronto.

While it’s never fair to question a college athlete’s decision to go pro and make money, the professional road for Ponds has to have been a little bumpier than he would have envisioned at this time last year. At the same time, it has to be tough for Red Storm fans to see Ponds struggling to find a home professionally, when his talents have been so dearly missed this season.

With Ponds on the roster as a senior, it’s safe to assume St. John’s would have at least been in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid. His playmaking, passing and ability to close out games is exactly what the Red Storm are missing on their roster.

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Ian Steere suspended indefinitely

It’s been a disappointing first season for Ian Steere at St. John’s to say the least. The sophomore forward was ineligible through mid-December after transferring from North Carolina State last season, and he’s struggled to get on the court since, appearing in just five games and playing just 3.6 minutes per game.

St. John’s then suspended Steere indefinitely on Wednesday night “failing to meet the standards expected from a member of our basketball program,” according to head coach Mike Anderson. As reported by Zach Braziller of the NY Post, Steere’s suspension was “work-ethic” related.

Anderson’s system does not take kindly to players who don’t have the drive to bring it every day, not only during games but practices as well. It looks like Steere may be the first Red Storm player to learn that the hard way.

Steere’s suspension does not seem all that surprising, given the massive disparity in the talent that he holds and the playing time that he was (or wasn’t) getting. The question now becomes, does this story take its next logical step with Steere transferring out of the program? That would force him to sit out yet another season at a new school, but it would open up another roster spot that Anderson’s staff could fill for the 2020-21 season.

If Steere does end up sticking around, it’s clear he’ll need to do so with some sort of an attitude change. The talent is certainly there, but there seems to be some clear disconnect otherwise.