The St. John’s Athletic Department has informed the National Invitation Tournament committee of its request to remove the Red Storm Men’s Basketball team from consideration for the 2021 NIT Tournament in Frisco, Texas. St. John’s concludes a memorable 2020-21 season under second year Head Coach Mike Anderson with a 16-11 overall record and tied for fourth in the BIG EAST Conference with a 10-9 league mark.

Statement from St. John’s Director of Athletics Mike Cragg

“First and foremost, I would like extend a giant salute to Coach Anderson and his coaching staff, our student-athletes, the administrators and support staff, all of whom made this season possible by ensuring a healthy and safe environment for our team to compete.

There is no question that in a normal year our University’s decision would be different as we would be honored to compete in the famed National Invitation Tournament, which our program has a long and storied history with an unprecedented 28 appearances and five championships. However, this has been far from a normal year as there have been tremendous mental and physical demands on everyone in our basketball program due to extensive COVID-19 protocols dating back to July that have taken their toll.

While it is disappointing for such a successful season to come to a close, this is a moment to celebrate all of our team’s accomplishments this year, including a fourth-place finish in the BIG EAST with 10 conference victories. Most important and fortunately, our student-athletes and coaches did not have a single positive COVID-19 test since returning to campus this summer, marking their impressive collective commitment to performing on the court and in the classroom.

I thank Coach Anderson, the 2021 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, as none of our accomplishments would have been possible without his strong and determined leadership. We all look forward to a continued bright future for the St. John’s men’s basketball program under his guidance in 2021-22 and beyond.”

For more information on the St. John’s University Athletics Department fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:

Shooting Shirt – St. John’s University Athletics – Official Athletics Website (redstormsports.com)