Queens is beaming with pride as St. John’s University, its hometown basketball powerhouse, has officially reclaimed its place atop the Big East Conference for the first time in 40 years.
With a hard-fought 71-61 victory over Seton Hall on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm secured the regular-season conference title, marking a triumphant return to national prominence.
For Rick Pitino, the pressure that his St. John’s men’s basketball team had felt the last two games was the utmost of privileges.
In no way was Wednesday’s six-point win over Butler and Saturday’s 71-61 triumph over Seton Hall — two of the bottom four teams in the Big East — but St. John’s managed to pull out the final two wins necessary to seal its first regular-season conference title in 40 years.
“I kept telling them about getting on Broadway,” Pitino said after the Big East-clinching win over Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. ‘Once you get on Broadway, the pressure’s there because your show could get canceled.’ And I think the last two games, they were under a lot of pressure, and that was a great thing because now it really mounts. They see all their fans here. They don’t want to disappoint them. The pressure is unbelievable. On the road, places are packed, and the pressure to win is really, really great. And for them, because they’ve never been in these situations before, you need them to learn it.”
St. John’s basketball program is also re-learning how to exist as a national powerhouse. Its current No. 7 ranking is its highest since 1991-92, the same year they last won the regular-season title — or at least a share of it. The Red Storm went 17-2, the most conference wins ever in a single season, while their 26 wins were the most for the program since 1985-86.
Madison Square Garden has been sold out for four straight St. John’s games, which further provides a nostalgic feel for a franchise that has not been this good in four decades.
“We got to experience the energy inside the arena and it’s a real feeling,” forward Zuby Ejiofor, who posted 17 points with 10 rebounds in the win over Seton Hall, said. “I haven’t had the pleasure of being an impact player and winning championships, so to be able to do that and be on such a prestigious program and to see the history behind it also means a lot. Not just to me and my teammates but to the whole community as well.”
With the conference’s regular-season crown wrapped up, St. John’s finishes its season on Saturday against Marquette before the Big East Tournament from March 13-16. The Red Storm have not won the Big East’s postseason competition since 2000 and have just three of those titles to their name.
Regardless of their showing, they have already seized their spot in the NCAA Tournament — the first time they’ve made it since 2019 — where they have not made it to the Sweet 16 in 26 years.
“This is an answer to a prayer,” school president Brian Shanley said. “This is what I’d hoped when we hired Rick, that we would get back to where we are right now, contending for a national championship. This is just the beginning, in my book… Now, let’s win the Big East Tournament. Let’s get a good seed, and let’s go long and deep.”
Under the leadership of legendary coach Rick Pitino, St. John’s has ignited excitement not just within the program but across Queens and New York City, drawing sold-out crowds and rekindling the energy of its storied past. Now ranked No. 7 in the nation, the Red Storm has its sights set on further glory, with the Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament ahead—where the team hopes to make its deepest run in decades.
