Mike St. John: Senior prepared for 2006 season

By Anthony Bonagura
Collegian Staff
November 15, 2006

It’s an accomplishment for a player to be named co-captain of his Division I basketball team after three years of determination and hard work on and off the court – just ask Mike St. John.

The former McDonald’s High School All-American nominee and Northboro, Mass. native, has been a vital part of La Salle’s basketball program since the 2003 campaign.

Last season, St. John (5.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg) played in all 28 games for the Explorers, and he improved on his mid-range game, increasing his field goal percentage from 43 percent from the field in 2005 to 47 percent in 2006. On various occasions, St. John was found hovering around the perimeter, as he knocked down at least one three pointer in 15 games.

Now, the 6’8” forward/center is one of the main leaders of this team and has been preparing for the situation since before school was even in session.

“During the off-season, I dropped some weight, which has gotten me into better game shape and has improved on my mobility inside the paint,” St. John said.

When the A-10 Preseason poll came out, La Salle was picked to finish 10th, behind teams like Temple and St. Joe’s.

Just knowing that the A-10 Conference Player of the Year and NBA-bound Steve Smith has graduated, anyone unfamiliar with La Salle men’s basketball would find it unusual to place them at the top of the charts. However, St. John and his team have something to prove.

“I think it works out well that, for the early part of the season, we’re playing under the radar, especially with five freshmen recruits,” St. John said. “Now the younger guys can just go out and play without trying to match media expectations.

“Although, even if the microscope was on us, I have enough confidence in our players and the staff that we would be able to rise to the occasion. Being overlooked can boost our confidence because it will help us sneak up on teams.”

St. John is only one of two seniors on the team, and he knows this is his year to step up to the plate and match expectations. He wants to prove the doubters wrong. Taking a more vocal leadership role will help St. John rally the troops and hopefully benefit the team in the long run.

“As a team, we have five new guys, all freshmen, so it will be very important to build chemistry, which will help us play well together,” St. John said. “I’m anticipating another winning season, like last year, but our ultimate goal is to make the postseason.”

St. John has some personal goals for himself as well.

“Individually, I take pride in my defense,” St. John said. “It would be nice to be named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team, but above all else, I just want to help the team in any way possible.”

Being named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team is not a far-fetched thought for St. John. Last season, he pulled down double-digit boards three times, which landed him 14th in the A-10 in rebounding. He also had seven blocked shots.

St. John is a senior, so the question still lingers if there’s a possibility of basketball after college.

“I hope to play overseas, perhaps in Europe,” St. John said. “A lot of my former teammates are there, and I know I have the ability to match the competition. Right now I’m concentrating on the task at hand, which is for the team to play well. If the team plays well, everything will fall into place.”

bonaguraa1@lasalle.edu