Hear that? That’s the sound of a gazillion St. John’s fans who have just heard their calls answered. The Johnnies won, and Josh Roberts finally got his time to shine.
Tuesday was a day of headlines prior to St. John’s twelve point win over Butler at Carnesecca Arena. For a Red Storm team that was 1-5 in the Big East, going up against a sub .500 Butler team was a must win. If the pressure wasn’t immense already, the headlines kept coming as the day went on.
The Isaih Moore Fiasco
6:14 PM. EST, (approx. 46 minutes until tip-off),
The Braziller bomb drops: Isaih Moore would be inactive after a minor team rules violation.
According to sources close to the situation, we were told he hasn’t even been practicing. We just don’t know how deep this situation goes.
Unfortunately, we were unable to reach out to Moore for comment.
Enter Sir Josh
6:40 PM. EST, (approx. 20 minutes until tip-off),
Starting lineups drop:
This was a pleasant surprise for all. I was expecting that Moore’s absence would mean Arnaldo Toro would be sliding into the starting lineup, however, it seems Coach Anderson knew a shakeup was needed and rightfully so — as the Red Storm had not even won a game in 2021.
All of Queens was hyped after hearing this news, especially since a mere six days ago, Iron Mike implied he had no intention of integrating Roberts into the rotation.
People forget Josh was a starter last season before his season-ending shoulder injury, leaving all of us scratching our heads as to why he suddenly fell off the radar for the Red Storm during the first three months of this season. There were even some deep-cut conspiracies (jokingly) circulating around SJUBB Twitter as to what could have happened.
Game Recap
In the Johnnies’ double digit win over the Bulldogs, Roberts finished with 8 points and 3 boards, but his solid contributions defensively were something that doesn’t show on the scorecard.
We had a field day gassing him up on our socials. Honestly, it was one of the most fun games that we’ve covered all season. Some great moments.
St. John’s never trailed, there were some great highlights, and we felt confident that we were the actually better team for the WHOLE 40 minutes. I went to bed happy.
So, What’s Next?
We know it’s just one game, but the team clicked on all cylinders and you can tell the players were glad to share the hardwood with Josh once again.
Champagnie also said that the boys were “tired of losing.” Call me crazy, but I think this be the start of something good. Chemistry and unity is at an all-time high. The players are fed up, and are ready to put a winning streak together. Don’t let this team get hot.
SJU has another very winnable game on Saturday against a Marquette squad who has had their highs and lows. Plus, a win would have St. John’s jump ahead of Marquette in the Big East standings. With uncertainty as to how long Moore will be inactive for, Coach has already made it clear he will be sticking with Josh for the time being.
Ladies and gents, the Josh Roberts Revenge Tour has officially begun.
Barstool St. John's 