“I came to St. John’s to win.” 
 
Those were the words of Red Storm star sophomore and BIG EAST leading scorer Julian Champagnie following his team’s 70-59 win over No. 3 Villanova.
 
Those words are music to St. John’s fans’ ears, because they reflect something sustainable being built in Queens. 
 
Wednesday night’s 11-point upset victory over the winner of two of the last four national championships was the culmination of the Mike Anderson Era to date. It’s rare to see a team play fearlessly against Villanova. Multiple BIG EAST coaches have said to me, “To beat them by one, you have to beat them by 10,” because that’s the challenge of overcoming the Wildcats’ mettle. 
 
The Red Storm not only were unafraid in their approach. They made Villanova uncomfortable from the moment the Wildcats stepped off the bus at Carnesecca Arena. 
 
Jay Wright’s team entered the game averaging 8.3 turnovers per game, the lowest mark in all of college basketball. St. John’s forced the ‘Cats into a season-high 17 turnovers. 
 
At the forefront of the tenacious Red Storm “D” is the freshman point guard, Posh Alexander. The Brooklyn native gave one of the nation’s best floor generals fits on Wednesday, forcing Villanova star Collin Gillespie, who entered the game with just seven turnovers in as many games, into six giveaways in Queens. The top steals leader in the BIG EAST added three to his tally, as Alexander led the Red Storm with 16 points to go with six boards as well. Sometimes, the most meaningful praise comes from the opposing side. 
 
“I thought Posh Alexander was outstanding,” said Jay Wright following the game. 
 
Nobody could disagree with that. The freshman knows only one speed, and plays at it whenever he’s on the court, whether it be in practice or a game. He doesn’t get tired. Despite being a newcomer, he’s taken on the role of a leader. That’s the territory of a BIG EAST Freshman of the Year caliber talent. Alexander could be the first conference freshman and defensive player of the year selection since none other than a guy by the name of Allen Iverson in 1994-95. 
 
“This dude’s got the heart of, he’s got the heart of...whoever has the biggest heart, he might top him,” said Anderson following the win. “I think as he plays teams, he looks at it as a challenge, and our team is taking on that personality as well.” 
 
“Before the game, I spoke to him (Posh) personally and just told him that we got the number three ranked team in the country coming in with a potential player of the year and point guard of the year and I kind of saw he took it personally,” said Champagnie. “I wasn’t surprised in how he played, but I was surprised he stuck to his word and he played and he did all that he could do to keep Collin [Gillespie] shut down.” 
 
On Wednesday, Alexander did what Champagnie would have done for him, encouraging the sophomore at halftime to stay at it following a scoreless first 20 minutes. In the second half, Champagnie had 14 points and nine rebounds, coming up with the dagger shots to put the game away. 
 
The way Champagnie handled the slump is something that you don’t always see an underclassmen handle well, nor alone against the third-ranked team in the country. 
 
“I had to come out and rebound (13 boards), play defense (three blocks) and push my teammates to be better players,” said the sophomore. 
 
It’s the little things that matter, and St. John is doing those while playing with what Anderson calls “attack basketball.” There’s a reason why “Iron Mike,” as he is affectionately known across the sport, has never endured a losing season in 18 years as a head coach. 
 
Just 17 days ago, that streak looked in grave jeopardy. The Johnnies started 1-5 in BIG EAST play, and were 7-7 overall. They had to dig out of a hole, and unlike many years where this program has let certain stretches define them, the product of a new culture inside the building is beginning to really come to fruition. 
 
The Red Storm’s NET rating rose 14 slots, from 82 to 68, on Thursday. They notched a second quadrant one win, one that is as good as anybody will have in college basketball this season. With their next four games - at Providence, at Butler, vs. Xavier and vs. DePaul - being quite manageable compared to others in the conference, the window of opportunity is more than open for this team to continue a legitimate push to March Madness. 
 
But, this time around, it just feels different in Queens. 
 
To have tradition, sustainability is typically a key trait. For St. John’s, for the first time in many moons, it feels like the potential is present for that to be in place.