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College basketball bubble watch: Week 6

By Nathaniel Reeves

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Chris Mullin of St. John's in action against Central Connecticut State during an NCAA basketball game at Carnesecca Arena on November 16, 2017 in the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Chris Mullin of St. John's in action against Central Connecticut State during an NCAA basketball game at Carnesecca Arena on November 16, 2017 in the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 08: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John’s Red Storm shoots over Remy Martin #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils during an 82-70 Red Storm lost during the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Staples Center on December 8, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 08: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John’s Red Storm shoots over Remy Martin #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils during an 82-70 Red Storm lost during the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Staples Center on December 8, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

3. St. John’s Red Storm 

Chris Mullin has the Red Storm in NCAA Tournament contention for the first time since 2015, but it will need to close out nonconference play with a pair of wins before starting the Big East gauntlet.

St. John’s has improved tremendously in the two plus years under Mullin and is currently sitting at 8-2 after winning just 14 games all of last year. The Red Storm hasn’t suffered any bad losses with Missouri and Arizona State as its current two blemishes, and wins over UCF and Nebraska are at least enough to put St. John’s in the discussion.

Another nonconference loss would make things difficult moving forward, as the Big East is going to be a bloodbath with as many as eight teams having a shot at the Big Dance. The Red Storm face a tricky matchup with Iona over the weekend before closing out their nonconference slate against Saint Joseph’s next Wednesday.

Star Shamorie Ponds is enough to make the Red Storm worth keeping an eye on, as the sophomore is averaging over 20 points per game this season to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals. Opponents are averaging just 0.874 points per trip against the Red Storm while turning the ball over at a rate of 26.6 percent.

Losing to either Iona or Saint Joseph’s wouldn’t be the end of the world, but a pair of wins could take some of the pressure off ahead of the Big East opener against Providence on Dec. 28.