Two more ranked losses did some damage to St. John’s in the AP poll.

St. John’s fell to No. 23 in the latest ranking after losing to Iowa State and Auburn last week.

The Johnnies’ nine-spot drop from last week’s No. 14 ranking was the biggest of any school in the top 25.

After beginning the season ranked No. 5, St. John’s is 4-3, with all three defeats coming against ranked opponents.

“I take it one day at a time,” head coach Rick Pitino said last week. “I’ve been through this before. Defensively, we have a lot of work to do. We can get there, but it’s going to take a different mindset. Scoring is not the ultimate. It’s defense, and you have to buy in.”

Iowa State was ranked No. 15 when it beat St. John’s, 83-82, to open the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Auburn was No. 20

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