When Steve Lavin took over as head coach of St. John's in 2010, he inherited a physically and mentally mature team. He added much-needed energy and infectious enthusiasm, enough that the Red Storm became relevant again in the Big East. That initial season, the program had six wins against ranked opponents -- Duke, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Georgetown and Villanova -- and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years.

Since then, however, it’s been a struggle.

Lavin battled cancer and dealt with the passing of his best friend and father, Cap. During those three years, he’s also had to manage St. John’s roster and develop his own senior class. The results might not be exactly what fans hoped for -- the Red Storm haven’t been a top-25 team since that 2010-11 season -- but make no mistake about it, they are improving.

And thanks to a senior class with more than 100 combined games of experience, I see this season’s team breaking through, competing for a Big East title and reaching the NCAA tournament.