St. John’s deserves greater fan support after delivering exactly what they wanted

For years, there were the same fair criticisms.

St. John’s wasn’t prepared for Big East play. It wasn’t well-coached. It wasn’t disciplined.

When it improved in those areas, the crowds would follow. There was no return on the financial investment.

It was hard to argue any of those points — until now.

Clearly, St. John’s was prepared for Big East play this year, as the 3-1 league record — the program’s best start since the 2010-11 season under Steve Lavin — has illustrated. It is well coached. Having a Hall of Famer like Rick Pitino will do that. It is disciplined and getting better by the game.

Now it’s the fans’ turn. You begged for the school to hire Pitino. You have waited years for a team like this, one that is balanced, poised and capable of not only making the NCAA Tournament, but doing damage. It feels like a return to the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since the 2018-19 season is not about if, but when.

Why not show up in force on Wednesday night at the Garden against Providence? Why not fill the building, and come back 10 days later for No. 11 Marquette and then again when Villanova comes to town on Jan. 24?

The early attendance figures for the Providence game are not positive. As of now, roughly 10,000 tickets are out. That’s just not good enough — not even close.

Pitino has avoided criticizing fans, pointing to the last two decades of mostly irrelevancy. St. John’s has to build its brand back up, he has said on multiple occasions. It has to win and win big. Then, the fans will come back. He is right. There has been a lot of losing. The Johnnies last won a tournament game in 2000. It last reached the main draw of the tournament in 2015.

Still, let’s look back at Chris Mullin’s final two seasons as coach from 2017-19. In 10 games at the Garden, St. John’s averaged 15,718 fans. This product is immeasurably better across the board. Was a former star player gracing the sidelines who was never all-in as a coach and led underwhelming teams really a better draw than an actual March contender directed by a coaching legend desperate to win the big one last time in his home city?

While I understand it is not an inexpensive ticket — the get-in price on the secondary market is roughly $35 — it wasn’t exactly cheap back then, either. It only costs students $15, and there is a special that allows students to bring any non-student for $15. St. John’s RedZone student group is giving away long sleeve t-shirts and providing bus transportation to students for the game. The athletic department and New York City-based Local Hoops, in conjunction with CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate licensing company, will be releasing a special merchandise collection at the fan shops inside the Garden. The school is doing its part.

This isn’t about the diehards. They go in lean times and they are obviously attending games now. Season tickets did go way up this year, and St. John’s did sell out its five games at Carnesecca Arena. But it only drew 12,720 against Fordham at the Garden on Dec. 16 and there were poor crowds for non-conference games against Boston College at Barclays Center (6,072) and Hofstra at UBS Arena (7,486).

Pitino has excused his fan base so far. I won’t. You have waited for a coach like this. A team like this. Possibly even a season like this. The Johnnies are led by a local star, affable center Joel Soriano of Yonkers, having an All-American caliber season. It is experienced, fun and has begun to defend at a high level, going from 127th in efficiency after the Boston College loss on Dec. 10 to 53rd.

I’m not saying this game, or the ones to follow, should be sold out. Nobody is demanding over 19,000 in the Garden seats quite yet. But St. John’s just won on Villanova’s campus for the first time since 1993, and did so going away despite the absence of injured starting power forward Chris Ledlum. It is in a four-way tie for first place in the Big East. Crowds similar to the Mullin era are more than reasonable.

At this time last year, as St. John’s was headed to another poor season without the postseason, if I told you it would be in this position the second week of January, you would’ve pinched yourself. Well, it is real. Rick Piitno is coaching the Johnnies. He has a team capable of beating anyone in the league. Now, do your part. Show up and be loud.

What, exactly, are you waiting for?