St. John's University Athletics
Joel Soriano Earns BIG EAST Most Improved Player Award
3/6/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Red Storm senior center becomes the fourth Johnnie to earn the league honor
QUEENS, N.Y. – After significantly increasing his production on both ends of the court during the 2022-23 campaign, St. John's senior center Joel Soriano has been named the BIG EAST's Most Improved Player, as announced by the league office on Monday.
The All-BIG EAST Second Team selection became just the fourth Johnnie to capture the award since it was established in 1997, joining the likes of Julian Champagnie (2021), Sir'Dominic Pointer (2015) and Dwight Hardy (2011).
After averaging 6.4 points and 5.5 boards per contest with one double-double in 30 appearances last season at St. John's, Soriano made tremendous improvements during the 2022-23 campaign. The 6-foot-11 center from Yonkers, N.Y., currently ranks among the top players in the nation in several statistical categories. Notably, Soriano completed the regular season with 23 double-doubles, matching Purdue's Zach Edey for the most in Division I. His 23 double-doubles were also the most by a St. John's player in nearly four decades, since Walter Berry notched 28 in 1985-86.
On the glass, Soriano boasts the third-best average in the nation with 11.8 rebounds per game, while his 366 total rebounds on the season are 40 more than he pulled down in his first two collegiate seasons combined at Fordham. The Johnnies' center also ranks inside the top-10 in Division I with 4.2 offensive boards (4th) and 7.6 defensive rebounds (10th) per contest.
This season, Soriano has also logged a career-high 15.2 points per game and enters the BIG EAST Tournament nine points shy of exceeding his combined point total over his first three collegiate seasons (481). In addition, he has recorded double figures in 27 of 31 games, posting 20 points or more in six contests with a personal-best 23 points on two occasions against Florida State and Seton Hall.
Soriano has been a force throughout conference play, amassing 11.5 boards per league contest to become the first St. John's player to lead the BIG EAST in rebounding. He also led the team and ranks eighth in the conference with 15.3 points per game and a 55.5 field goal shooting percentage in BIG EAST action.
In two seasons in Queens, Soriano has reeled in 531 career boards, becoming only the ninth player in St. John's history to tally 500 or more rebounds in their first two seasons with the program. The Johnnies' big man also ranks ninth on the program's single-season rebounds list with 366 this season.
Soriano and the eighth-seeded Red Storm will begin the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament on Wednesday when the Johnnies face ninth-seeded Buter at 3 p.m. inside Madison Square Garden. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to meet top-seeded Marquette on Thursday at 12 p.m.
The All-BIG EAST Second Team selection became just the fourth Johnnie to capture the award since it was established in 1997, joining the likes of Julian Champagnie (2021), Sir'Dominic Pointer (2015) and Dwight Hardy (2011).
After averaging 6.4 points and 5.5 boards per contest with one double-double in 30 appearances last season at St. John's, Soriano made tremendous improvements during the 2022-23 campaign. The 6-foot-11 center from Yonkers, N.Y., currently ranks among the top players in the nation in several statistical categories. Notably, Soriano completed the regular season with 23 double-doubles, matching Purdue's Zach Edey for the most in Division I. His 23 double-doubles were also the most by a St. John's player in nearly four decades, since Walter Berry notched 28 in 1985-86.
On the glass, Soriano boasts the third-best average in the nation with 11.8 rebounds per game, while his 366 total rebounds on the season are 40 more than he pulled down in his first two collegiate seasons combined at Fordham. The Johnnies' center also ranks inside the top-10 in Division I with 4.2 offensive boards (4th) and 7.6 defensive rebounds (10th) per contest.
This season, Soriano has also logged a career-high 15.2 points per game and enters the BIG EAST Tournament nine points shy of exceeding his combined point total over his first three collegiate seasons (481). In addition, he has recorded double figures in 27 of 31 games, posting 20 points or more in six contests with a personal-best 23 points on two occasions against Florida State and Seton Hall.
Soriano has been a force throughout conference play, amassing 11.5 boards per league contest to become the first St. John's player to lead the BIG EAST in rebounding. He also led the team and ranks eighth in the conference with 15.3 points per game and a 55.5 field goal shooting percentage in BIG EAST action.
In two seasons in Queens, Soriano has reeled in 531 career boards, becoming only the ninth player in St. John's history to tally 500 or more rebounds in their first two seasons with the program. The Johnnies' big man also ranks ninth on the program's single-season rebounds list with 366 this season.
Soriano and the eighth-seeded Red Storm will begin the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament on Wednesday when the Johnnies face ninth-seeded Buter at 3 p.m. inside Madison Square Garden. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to meet top-seeded Marquette on Thursday at 12 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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