The New Big East Champions
The Red Storm are Big East champions! Led by one of the best coaches in NCAA basketball history in Rick Pitino, St. John’s has clinched their first Big East title in 25 year and first regular season title in over 40 years. Pitino was named the Big East Coach of the Year, gained his 4th total Big East championship, and 3rd Big East regular season championship.
In his second year as heads coach of the Red Storm, Pitino has led St. John’s to an astonishing 30-4 regular season, and an 18-2 conference record. They crushed Creighton 82-66 in part because of their tenacious defense, but mainly because of the absolute monster of a performance by junior guard RJ Luis Jr. When asked in his postgame interview when he knew his team was special, he hilariously answered “about ten minutes ago!” He then went on to state that everyone on the team wanted the win very badly and it showed through their hard work throughout the year.
RJ Luis Jr. was named Big East Player of the Year and led the Red Storm with 29 points in the win. His amazing performance not only secured the victory for the Red Storm, but it also broke the Big East points record in a game set by Chris Mullins in 1985.
St. John’s Moving Forward
With their regular season and conference titles now behind them, they now set their focus on the March Madness tournament. The current No. 6 is set to face Omaha in the first round according to the latest bracketology. Under Pitino and their top-rated defense, the sky is the limit for a Red Storm squad that didn’t even make it to 20 wins last year and was bounced out of the Big East quarterfinals by Marquette. This squad however has clawed their way to the top of the rankings from starting the season unranked and have continue to raise their case for being a major threat in the coming weeks.
Momentum is certainly on their side, as they have continued to build it over the past month and a half. They’ve made selling out Madison Square Garden a common occurrence for their games, something Rick Pitino is still adjusting to.
The only thing I’m really surprised about is the fan base packing The Garden… that’s the only thing I’m surprised about, everything else I was hoping for to see if it would happen… These are now Knicks crowds. Like last year’s Knicks team with their toughness and New York strong, we’re doing what they did last year, and that’s why the fans are coming out.
Keep in mind that Madison Square Garden is universally known as the world’s most famous arena, so the fact that St. John’s is selling out the 19,812-capacity arena consistently and easily is beyond impressive. When taking into consideration the school hasn’t really had much to celebrate or be excited for in quite a while, the support Pitino and his squad are receiving are indicative of the culture they’ve developed. As he stated earlier in the season, gaining the respect and a place among the tough New York fans is a badge of honor, no matter what sport it is.
The fact he’s been able to accomplish that in such a short amount of time shows how truly special this squad is. Looking ahead, St. John’s will undoubtedly keep their poise in the tournament and have a very good chance to make a special run. They’re helmed by a legendary coach, and the Red Storm are hungry and extremely confident heading into the March Madness tournament. Their two star players in RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor have been heating up as well the last few games. The fact that the team seems to be playing better and more determined is a very promising sign heading into the next few weeks.
For more NCAA or NBA content, head to HardwoodHeroics.com
Click here to view Jesse’s page.
Follow him on X: @JaxKellington23, and follow HardwoodHeroics on Newsbreak.com
Similar Stories:
UC San Diego: Tritons Dominate Big West, Look Like #1 Dark Horse of March Madness
Villanova Wildcat’s Eric Dixon Prepares for 2025 NBA Draft
