UCLA, Indiana and the NCAA basketball fan bases living in the past

4. St. John’s fans still think they’re the basketball powerhouse of New York City.

The glory days of the Big East were among the high-water marks for the St. John’s Red Storm. Many fans think back fondly to 1985 when St. John’s was one of three Big East programs to reach the Final Four.

The Red Storm were tournament regulars in the 1990s but that hasn’t been the case since the turn of the century. St. John’s has made the NCAA Tournament just five times since 2000, which is one of the worst clips in the Big East.

A big part of the program’s struggle is in its inability to keep some of the city’s most talented basketball players at home, which they did routinely in the 80s and 90s. Constant turnover in the coaching ranks hasn’t helped as the Red Storm have had nine coaches since the legendary Lou Carnesecca retired in 1992.

That lack of stability has been largely due to the school’s desire to try and satisfy its fan base, which often believes that they are a blue blood program like Duke and Kentucky. The Red Storm also play some home games in Madison Square Garden, which has further increased expectations for the school.

Those expectations simply aren’t realistic in the modern age. Until St. John’s fans accept the reality that they simply aren’t the state’s best college basketball program (Syracuse has that title and mid-major rival Iona has made nine tournament appearances since 2000)  the program will continue to struggle to succeed.