#St. John’s enters season without obvious top scoring option

At this time last year, Mike Anderson’s task was finding a supporting cast for LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Heron. Now the job is finding players to replace the offensive production of Figueroa and Heron, the program’s two leading scorers who transferred and graduated, respectively.

“It’s going to be different,” sophomore forward Julian Champagnie told The Post in a phone interview, “in the sense that we don’t have somebody people think is going to be our main scorer.”

It’s the big on-court question Anderson faces entering his second season.

There are no obvious answers, with the St. John’s season set to tip off Wednesday at Carnesecca Arena against St. Peter’s. Champagnie, an All-Big East freshman team selection last year, could be part of the solution. So could returning senior Rasheem Dunn — the only returning double-digit scorer — and juniors Marcellus Earlington and Greg Williams Jr. There are high expectations for freshman point guard Posh Alexander and junior college All-Americans Vince Cole and Isaih Moore.

“There’s no one there that can just take over a game,” one Big East coach said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If you look at the best teams in this league, they all have one or two guys that can take a game over. It is rare that a team does it by committee.”

It’s one of the main reasons St. John’s was picked to finish ninth in the Big East. It may not have a best player. Champagnie, according to sources, has been very impressive throughout the preseason, but Anderson wouldn’t put him atop that perch. In a recent scrimmage, Alexander was the Johnnies’ best player, with Champagnie sidelined due to a minor ankle injury.

“It depends what day it is,” Anderson said, when asked if he has a top player.

Anderson doesn’t believe he needs a go-to scorer or a star to win. His best teams, in previous coaching stops, have had several options, different avenues to attack in crunch time. Even last year, it wasn’t until Williams, Earlington and Champagnie emerged with Heron out, that the Johnnies began to play their best.

“When we did that, that’s when we not only were competitive,” Anderson said, “we were beating teams.”

Of course, as St. John’s won three of its last four games before the season was shut down due to COVID-19, defeating Marquette and Creighton, Figueroa played a key role. If he wasn’t scoring, he was at least the focus of the opposition. Now Williams, Dunn, Earlington and Champagnie will see extra attention. They will have to be able to create offense for themselves and their teammates. Consistency will be needed.

“It’s going to be really different for us, because we didn’t really see a lot of that last year or any of it at all,” Champagnie said. “The biggest challenge is just to stay poised. Last year we could go off because attention was directed to LJ, Mustapha and a little bit [Rasheem]. This year, it’s going to be a little harder.”

There will be adjustments that have to be made. Anderson believes someone will emerge, but balance and depth will be this team’s strengths. The hope is St. John’s will have plenty of threats, nights with several double-digit scorers, which could make it harder to prepare for. There will be mystery where the ball is going in a final-possession scenario.

“Teams that you play have to figure out who they’re going to key in on,” Anderson said. “It makes you that much more dangerous.”