The focus of the afternoon was about how good this basketball team can really be. A year removed from going 17-16, Lavin’s crew is poised to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. While the roster is loaded with athletes, St. John’s still has a lot of questions going into the season. For instance: Did D’Angelo Harrison change his persona after his suspension last year? How good is Orlando Sanchez? Or, will Sampson make the leap to the pros after this year?

Those questions will be answered as the season progresses. However, if Media Day revealed anything, it’s that this is the tightest St. John’s team off the court that we’ve seen in the Lavin era. Watching the players interact with each other showed their strong bond – the handshakes, the nicknames, the smiles they shared with one another. This group has a certain confidence that rubs off on the outer circle.

During his freshman year, Harrison said that St. John’s would make the final four. Let’s chalk that up to a facetious freshman not knowing how tough college basketball can be. Last year, many players felt that they were going to make the tournament despite the fact that the team was in a free-fall the final 10 games.

This year, the team’s new found depth has led the players to believe they can make the tournament. While this is still a pretty bold prediction from a group that hasn’t won a conference tournament game and only one postseason game in the two years they’ve played together, new additions like Max Hooper, Rhysheed Jordan and Sanchez will help the squad.

While the jury is still out on whether or not the team actually does make the tournament, there is one question that has been answered: this group is the most confident team that Lavin has ever assembled during his St. John’s tenure.