No. 8 St. John's Closer To Title

Understand this about dazzling St. John's freshman Erick Barkley. The man has big goals. For himself and his team.

And like any true point guard, Barkley firmly believes that whatever he does, his team can't help but follow.

So as the No. 7 Red Storm close out this surprising regular season, Barkley is surprisingly undaunted by what is in store in the coming weeks.

The Big East tournament might scare some freshmen. So might the NCAA tournament. To Barkley, they are things to be conquered instead of feared.

"It's all about togetherness," said Barkley. "We stay together, and I can take us to a national championship just like (Mike) Bibby did when he was a freshman."

Whoa. Not even Bibby -- who led Arizona to the national title two years ago -- had the gall to dream about it beforehand.

But Barkley doesn't say such things with cockiness. There is a matter-of-factness about him. The way he speaks. And more important for St. Johns, the way he plays.

"I have the most valuable freshman in the conference," said St. John's coach Mike Jarvis. "Any coach in our league would want to start their team with this guy."

Unfortunately for the the rest of the league, Jarvis is the lucky one.

How many freshman players could waltz into a the storied conference like the Big East and play like they own it after just a few months?

"I knew I would come in and make an impact," said Barkley. "I wanted to come in and bring something special to this team.

"But after the first few weeks of the season, I wasn't so sure. I was struggling offensively, and I thought maybe I couldn't handle it. As the season went on though, I've picked up my game."

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St. John's Ron Artest hangs from the rim as he jams for two points. (AP)

He's picked up the Red Storm along the way.

There was a near monumental upset over Duke back in January. And another near-miss against Connecticut the following week.

Those two losses were devastating at the time, but they've helped St. John's -- and Barkley -- grow up. The Red Storm are 23-6, including 14-3 in the Big East -- with one regular-season game left.

Though St. John's has an abundance of talent -- most notably stellar sophomore shooting guard Ron Artest and rugged senior rebounder Tyrone Grant -- there is no doubt where it starts.

Barkley is the man with the ball. And with his brilliant passing and dangerous shooting, one never knows where that ball will wind up.

"I took on the responsibility of leading this team. And when some of the older players started listening to me, it really helped my confidence," Barkley said.

"Like any player, I had to earn it. After they realized I had to lead this team, they started trusting me. They've left the ball in my hands."

Not that there haven't been some rough spots.

In the latter stages of the UConn meltdown -- St. John's blew a double-digit lead late in the second half -- Artest yelled at Barkley for not getting him the ball.

Fans at Madison Square Garden saw it. A national television audience saw it.

And as with everything else, Barkley had a quick answer for Artest.

"Shut up!"

It was a message delivered loud and clear. Artest is St. John's best all-around player. He is also a year older than Barkley. But on the floor, Barkley makes the final decisions. It is the nature of being the point guard. And being a leader.

The incident never lingered, if only because Artest and Barkley have been friends and teammates for close to a decade. They grew up in the Big Apple together and played on the same AAU team.

Barkley took Artest's outburst for exactly what it was.

"I know how Ronny gets sometimes. He's emotional. I told him to shut up because I knew he would listen to me."

And if any St. John's fan or player wants to feel good about the team's tournament chances, they would be wise to listen to Barkley.

"I feel we're a powerhouse throughout the country," said Barkley. "In the tournament, you just need one big stretch. One big spurt. I think we can shock a lot of people."

One person Barkley will never shock is himself.