St. John's knows more work awaits after Seton Hall
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino yells at his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis, Ind. Credit: AP/Marc Lebryk
St. John’s made an astute decision a few weeks ago when it decided to relocate Saturday’s Big East game against Seton Hall from cozy Carnesecca Arena to Madison Square Garden. The game has the makings of something so big and memorable for a generation of Red Storm fans that a grand stage seems more appropriate.
The seventh-ranked and prohibitively favored Red Storm (25-4, 16-2) can earn their first outright Big East regular-season title in 40 years by defeating the Pirates (7-21, 2-15).
The crowd is shaping up to be a sellout, according to school officials. St. John’s has advertised it as “White Out,” has asked all in attendance to don white gear for the occasion and is providing 10,000 white shirts for the seats in the lower bowl. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino might even don the white suit he wore for a game last season.
And 20 minutes before the scheduled 2:15 p.m. tip-off, Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott and Deivon Smith, as well as two team managers, will be feted for Senior Day in their final home game.
One thing fans won’t see is the Red Storm cutting down the nets if they capture the title.
Other schools have cut down the nets after winning a regular-season crown, most recently Providence after it won the 2022 championship with three games left on the schedule. The Red Storm, however, voted unanimously not to do it.
“My teams have never cut down the nets for a regular-season championship,” Pitino said. “It’s all premature. We don’t know if we’re going to win tomorrow, so we aren’t planning anything, and they feel, with another game, we shouldn’t do it.”
St. John’s has a high-stakes game at Marquette on March 8 to complete the regular season and doesn’t want to take anything for granted against the Pirates, who stunned UConn in overtime two weeks ago.
“Coach Pitino said he’s done that a bunch of times, [and] when you cut down the nets is when you win the Big East Tournament,” RJ Luis Jr. said. “That’s . . . the goal, and if we do win Saturday, we still have Marquette. The season is not over. [We’re] just being humble and not overlooking anybody, because nothing is set in stone yet. Anything can happen.”
Pitino’s 2012 Louisville team won the Big East Tournament and cut down the nets at the Garden before going on to reach the Final Four, where it lost a national semifinal game to Kentucky. The next year, the Cardinals didn’t cut down the nets at the Garden or after winning their regional final. They did so only after winning the national championship game.
Luis and Zuby Ejiofor clearly are enjoying being on the cusp of winning the regular-season crown and the possibility that this will be St. John’s third straight sellout crowd at the Garden, but the Red Storm have been remarkably consistent at keeping their focus on the game right in front of them. Talking about celebrating anything didn’t really interest them.
“We haven’t really accomplished a lot as of yet,” Ejiofor said. “Saturday is a great opportunity, obviously. You know what’s at hand. But we still [have] Marquette to worry about. And Seton Hall, they’re a gritty team, especially on the defensive end as well.
“That’s just where our minds are,” he added. “Just take care of business Saturday and just keep moving on.”
Awards on tap?
Last weekend, UConn coach Dan Hurley suggested that St. John’s could have three first-team selections on the all-Big East team when the coaches make their selections in a little over a week. Pitino cannot vote for his own players but gave this assessment: “I think Zuby is the most valuable player, RJ may be the most outstanding player and Kadary [Richmond] may be the most clutch player.”
Scott seems OK. Pitino said the team got good news when it was determined that the injury Scott suffered in Wednesday’s win at Butler is not a meniscus tear but “more of a hamstring issue.” He was held out of Friday’s practice but is expected to play against the Pirates . . . Pitino reiterated that Luis is likely to explore going pro after the season, but he is not being recognized in the Senior Day ceremony because “there’s a chance he could be back.” He added that Simeon Wilcher also could explore going pro.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
