The turnaround has been swift and dramatic: After a enduring more than a decade of mediocrity, New York City-born and Long Island-raised Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino has reinvigorated the St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball program. The university’s ardent followers and New York sports fans are pondering how far the team can go in the NCAA Tournament. Sweet 16? Final Four? Even a NCAA championship?
Guided by the demanding Pitino, who garnered Big East Coach of the Year honors, St. John’s capped their regular season Big East title with a conference tournament championship by defeating Creighton 82-66 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm (30-4) won 30 games or more games for only the third time in its history and the team now has expectations to make a deep tournament run as the No. 2 seed in the East Region. They will face No. 15 seed Omaha tonight (9:45 p.m.) in Providence, Rhode Island. The Florida Gators are the East’s No. 1 seed.
The Red Storm’s best finish in the Big Dance in the last 26 years was a trip to the Elite Eight in the 1998–99 season. To get that far this March, RJ Luis Jr., a 6-7 junior guard from Miami, Fla., will have to continue his superb play. The Big East Player of the Year was named the conference tournament’s most outstanding player of the tournament after exploding for 27 points in the second half versus Creighton. Luis leads the team in scoring at 18.4 points while pulling down 7.2 rebounds per game.
“As a little kid, you dream with these special moments during March Madness and the tournament championship,” Luis said. “When I was little, I would see the guys go up to the ladders and cut the nets. Obviously, to do it myself is incredible. It’s a great feeling. I’m just truly blessed. God has been so good to me. I just keep my faith in Him and know that He has already planned all this. This has been my destiny. I’m just continuing to work on my craft and trust in the process.” South Shore High School product Kadary Richmond, a fifth-year 6-6 senior guard from Brooklyn, is the team’s most versatile player, leading the team in assists and steals. The team’s inside presence is Zuby Ejiofor, 6-9, the Big East Most Improved Player award winner, averaging 14.6 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. A victory over Omaha would have the Red Storm playing on Saturday versus the winner of the Kansas and Arkansas matchup.
