Norm Roberts knows that Maryland Eastern-Shore, despite their abysmal record a season ago, will pose more of a challenge for his team than Queens College.

“Maryland Eastern- Shore will be a higher level, they’re probably deeper, they’re bigger,” said Roberts about the team St. John’s opens its season against on Nov. 19 at Carnesecca Arena. “Their best player is 6-9, 240, so we’re not playing against little guys.”

The player in reference is Tim Parham, a senior forward who applied for the NBA Draft at the end of last season.

He scored 21 points, 18 of them in the second half, the Hawks’, 75-72, win over Utah Valley State on Thursday.

Parham was selected to the preseason MEAC second team while his team, which finished 2-26 last season, was picked to finished dead-last in the conference.

“He’s probably their best player supposedly,” Roberts said of Parham. “They also have a good point guard in a kid named Jesse Brooks.”

Even though the Red Storm shellacked Division II Queens College, 102-62, Monday night, it was a game filled with signs of hope and reasons for concern.

St. John’s showed off its improved depth and size, as they out rebounded the Knights 55 to 29 and saw forwards Lamont Hamilton and Dexter Gray score 18 and 14 points, respectively.

Even so, the Red Storm, much like a season ago, shot the ball poorly from the free throw line (66.7 percent) and from behind the arc (0-15).

“I’m disappointed in that, but I thought we took good shots,” Roberts said. “If we take good shots, that leads to us making them.”