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Red Storm Rise up to #22, Host #3 Huskies on Friday

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

St. John’s moved up to #22 on Monday’s AP college basketball rankings as the Red Storm picked up their 7th consecutive BIG EAST win. Since falling to the Friars Pitino’s squad has shifted into gear, making sure they keep a foot in the spotlight as the conference schedule nears its midway point.

St. John’s started with a program-best #5 preseason ranking, but fell out of the Top-25 following a loss to Kentucky in December. They made their return as the final team on the AP leaderboard last week, moving up three more spots after beating Butler last week. The Johnnies now rank ahead of undefeated Miami (OH), Louisville, and Tennessee, sitting just behind the Arkansas Razorbacks, who eliminated them in last year’s NCAA tournament.

On Friday comes the biggest test of the season when Dan Hurley and the #3 UConn Huskies head to Madison Square Garden. It’s the first of two matchups this year between the BIG EAST’s best and the visitors will be salivating for a taste of revenge after last year’s sweep.

The Huskies haven’t dropped out of the top-10 this season, still perfect in conference play. Their lone loss came five games into the season against Arizona, who was ranked #4 at the time and now sits as the top-ranked team in the nation, 22-0 in .

Friday’s game is a huge hurdle for the Red Storm, who have gone 0-3 against ranked opponents this year. Those losses came to #15 Alabama early in the season before falling to #15 Iowa State and #21 Baylor during the Players Era Festival in November.

The Huskies will be the first taste of Top-10 opposition this season for St. John’s, although they took on Michigan in preseason when the Wolverines were ranked #7 (Michigan has since gone 20-1, overtaking UConn for the #2 ranking this week).

They’ve been a brand new team as of late, but if the Red Storm hope to defend their BIG EAST regular season or tournament championships, they’re going to have to find a way past the Huskies.

Johnnies Beat Iona at The Garden

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

Pitino Downs Former School, Zuby Block Party Continues, & Jackson Gets Start

Zuby Ejiofor leaps for the opening tip against Ole Miss just a week before the Iona matchup. The Red Storm big man recorded 8 blocks in each of the two games.

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Rick Pitino vanquished his former team on Saturday afternoon as the St. John’s Red Storm took down the Iona Gaels at Madison Square Garden, 91-64. Pitino spent three seasons in New Rochelle, leading the Gaels to two MAAC regular season titles, two conference championships, and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The win over Iona marked Pitino’s 20th over teams he had previously coached.

“Iona is such a special place because every coach that coaches there wins. Kevil Willard started there, I certainly was rejuvenated there,” Pitino said about his former school.

Even after another slow start (this time missing 12 of their first 13 field goal attempts, St. John’s were able to outscore the Gaels 36-26 in the opening half before pulling away in the second frame.

Scoring for St. John’s was led by Oziyah Sellers with 19, though 16 of them came in the 2nd half. His strong performance led him to a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

Ian Jackson got the nod at guard over Dylan Darling for the Red Storm. It was the Sophomore transfer’s first start since the opening game of the season against Quinnipiac, and he put up a solid 14 points with 5 rebounds and a joint-team-high 3 assists. Jackson made a change of his own, chopping off his iconic hair, leading to some amusing comments by his teammates and coach.

Zuby Ejiofor was the only SJU starter to record less than 13 points, but the Red Storm big man continued his tremendous work on the defensive end with 8 blocks for a 2nd straight game. Ejiofor also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the winning effort. Led by Ejiofor, the Red Storm defense is finally starting to come around as a strong point.

“We realized we weren’t a very good defensive team. Last year’s team around Christmas time wasn’t a very good defensive team either and they became one of the great defensive teams in the nation,” Pitino said about their improved effort on that end of the floor. “I think we can get to that point, we just need to keep our turnovers down because you beat yourself when you turn the ball over.”

Defense isn’t the only spot where the Red Storm needs to improve. Their inability to start games hot and inconsistent shooting will be a difficult spot as the season enters conference play and eventually the BIG EAST Tournament and beyond. If they’re unable to find consistency on that end of the floor, there’s only so much the defense can do to see out big wins down the stretch.

Following Tuesday’s contest against De Paul the Red Storm is on the road to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta. Tip off will be Saturday December 20 at 12:30pm. St. John’s comes back to Carnesecca Arena for their final game in Queens on Tuesday the 23 against Harvard.

SJU Women Upset Oklahoma State for 1st Ranked Win of the Year

BQE Admin on November 26, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

While the nationally ranked Red Storm men’s team draws most of the attention on the hardcourt at Carnesecca Arena, the women’s team notched a tremendous victory last Wednesday night in Queens. In their only game against Top-25 opposition scheduled for the Fall of 2025, the Red Storm downed the #18 Oklahoma State Cowgirls with a fantastic showing on both sides of the court.

Brooke Moore led St. John’s scorers with 13 points, with Sa’Mya Wyatt and Kylie Lavelle each adding 12. Wyatt came within reach of a double-double, pulling down 8 rebounds in just 17 minutes of action, and Lavelle recorded a great all-around game with 6 assists and 5 boards of her own.

Even though the Cowgirls were averaging 100 points in their 5-0 start, a tremendous defensive showing held them to just 67 points in their first road game of the year. Oklahoma State shot a brutal 30% from the floor in the first half, and while they were able to respond in the last two quarters they finished at 40% to the Red Storm’s 59% display. St. John’s were also able to out-rebound and out-assist their opponents in the ranked win.

Oklahoma State’s 67 points are the most allowed this season by the Red Storm, who kept Central Connecticut to 46 (the least allowed so far) on Monday. If they can keep up their defensive prowess they’ll not only make Rick Pitino and his men’s team jealous, but they’ll quickly draw eyes around the NCAA women’s basketball circuit.

Back and Forth November Continues for Johnnies

BQE Admin on November 26, 2025

SJU Blows out Bucknell but falls to #18 Iowa St. in Las Vegas

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s Red Storm were 48-point winners in Queens last Thursday, dominating the Bucknell Bison. It was an impressive showing on both sides for the Johnnies, who looked to build momentum ahead of their second ranked matchup of the season. Unfortunately, just as they did against the Alabama Crimson Tide, St. John’s fell just short against top-20 opposition, losing to the Iowa State Cyclones in a narrow contest.

The Bucknell battle was never particularly close despite the Bison opening with a 8-2 lead. Head coach Rick Pitino pulled all his starters to have a conversation with them as the bench unit recaptured the lead and positioned the squad for their runaway performance.

In the second half, the Johnnies came out with a vengeance. Pitino’s halftime words clearly sparked a fervent defense that was all over Bucknell in the final 20 minutes. Offensively the Red Storm went to work, finishing just 3 points shy of the triple-digit mark.

Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins both recorded their best games for the Red Storm with 20 points apiece. Jackson also broke his turnover curse, something Pitino had remarked on a few times earlier this season.

The second ranked battle of the season came down to the wire in Las Vegas as the Red Storm and Iowa State Cyclones went after each other in a wild, physical battle. With both teams holding a lead in the final minutes, it was a tight 83-82 win for the Cyclones.

Pitino kept the final Red Storm timeout in his pocket for the final few St. John’s possessions, none of which were particularly threatening. Down 83-80, a frantic final 29 seconds led to a rushed three-point attempt by Zuby Ejiofor, and the rebound was put back for an ultimately inconsequential layup as time expired.

“We played a terrific basketball team, and with the game on the line, we couldn’t come up with the rebound,” said Pitino postgame. “You’ve got to create rebounding space and we were not doing that.”

The Cyclones narrowly out-rebounded the Red Storm 38-36, with the edge coming on the offensive glass, 17-15. The Johnnies also missed 7 free throws, another struggle that will hurt them down the line if trends continue.

The Red Storm were in action on Tuesday afternoon against Baylor, and the results from the first two games dictated the rest of their week in Las Vegas. The Johnnies will return to New York with Madison Square Garden matchups against the Ole Miss Rebels on December 6 at 8pm and the Iona Gaels (Pitino’s former team) on December 13 at noon.

Johnnies Fall to Alabama in First Ranked Matchup of the Year

BQE Admin on November 13, 2025

St. John’s drops to #13 in AP poll

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s Red Storm fell in a wild battle at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. In an early matchup against nationally ranked opposition, the Crimson Tide became just the second team to score 100+ points against Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team (Creighton defeated the Red Storm 104-76 in January of 2023).

Pitino commented many times on Alabama’s pace of play going into last weekend’s game and he was right to treat their offense with such high regard. Alabama native Labaron Philon Jr. was unstoppable off the dribble as he led the visitors with 25 points. Also piling on the points from the Crimson Tide backcourt was Aden Holloway with 21. Alabama were able to register an impressive 81 field goal attempts, hitting just under half of them.

It was a decision by Pitino and the program to face teams as talented as Alabama early in the season, also set to face tough SEC teams like Kentucky and Ole Miss this season after falling to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament last season.

“We learned a lot tonight,” said Pitino postgame. “Disappointed we lost but we certainly learned a lot and we’ll get better from it. As a head coach I need to find out where our deficiencies lie and I found out tonight.”

“I’d like to thank Coach Pitino for the opportunity,” said Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats. “He doesn’t have to play a tough schedule so I’m thankful for all of us to come [to MSG] to play the game. Whether we won or lost it would have been a good experience for us.”

St. John’s showed why they were ranked so highly entering the season. Zuby Ejiofor was back to his dominant self in the first half, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the opening frame. He and Bryce Hopkins set the tone early, combining to score all 16 of the Red Storm points in the first 8 minutes. Alabama did well to contain the rest of the Johnnies offense, picking their poison and limiting the damage from deep.

The Crimson Tide led by 9 at the half after a late scoring burst. In the second half, some clutch scoring by Ian Jackson, Oziyah Sellers, and Ruben Pray helped cut into the deficit, eventually putting the Red Storm back on top late. Jackson scored 7 points early in the 2nd to lead an incredible run, finishing with 14 off the bench.

The Red Storm were without transfer guard Dylan Darling, but Pitino said that he wouldn’t have made much of an impact as he was an offense-first guard and referencing the dominance by Philon Jr. and Holloway. The junior missed practice and the game with a calf strain, though Pitino suggested that he should be back in action for Saturday’s game against William & Mary.

St. John’s Opens With Best Ever NCAA Ranking

BQE Admin on October 16, 2025

Johnnies head into preseason at #5

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@QueensLedger.com

On Monday, the St. John’s Red Storm Men’s Basketball team received a #5 ranking in the AP preseason poll. It’s the program’s highest ever ranking before the college season tips off, following their appearance as a #2 seed in the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament. 

The previous record for the program was set ahead of their legendary 1984-85 season where Lou Carnesecca’s Redmen marched their way to the Final Four. Now the Red Storm will look to improve on last season’s dominance which saw them win their first outright BIG EAST title since that very same 1984-85 campaign.

The Red Storm aren’t the only BIG EAST squad lauded in the AP’s Top-25 rankings. Just ahead of St. John’s are the rival UConn Huskies, who fell short in their quest to “three-peat” as national champions in March. Like the Red Storm, UConn’s March Madness run came to an end in the second round, falling to #1 seeded Florida. 

While they fell in both regular season matchups against St. John’s, dropped the conference tournament semifinal to Creighton, and finished third in the conference last year, UConn will enter the 2025-26 season as the highest ranked team in the BIG EAST.

The Creighton Bluejays also made the cut for the Top-25, coming in at #23. The Bluejays accounted for one of the two conference losses faced by Pitino’s Red Storm last season. They also put up a brave fight in the BIG EAST Tournament final before St. John’s pulled away late for a 82-66 win. Like UConn, Creighton’s NCAA Tournament was cut short by a #1 seed in the second round, falling to Auburn 82-70.

Despite a large contingent of Red Storm stars departing for the pros, the top transfer class in the nation has arrived in Queens. Reigning BIG EAST Coach of the Year Rick Pitino has built a formidable squad despite only four returning players in Seniors Zuby Ejiofor and Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Sophomores Ruben Pray and Lefteris Liotopoulous.

Ejiofor’s return will be vital for Pitino’s team this year, as the 2024-25 BIG EAST Most Improved Player was a major contributor on both sides of the floor. In his second year in Queens, Ejiofor brought his averages up to 14.7 points per game alongside 8 rebounds and over 2 combined steals and blocks per game. Zuby also saw his field goal percentage jump from 49% in 2023-24 to 58% to help power the Red Storm to glory.

Ejiofor was part of a trio of stars that shared countless Player of the Game, Week, and Month awards. His former teammates RJ Luis Jr. and Kadary Richmond are looking to cement roster spots with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards during NBA preseason camp, but Zuby will be eyeing another dominant college season to increase his draft stock.

A star-studded 7-player transfer class will be looking forward to their Red Storm debuts. Among them are former McDonald’s All-American and Top-10 High School prospects Ian Jackson and Dillon Mitchell, 2022-23 BIG EAST First Team honoree Bryce Hopkins, and shooting threats Oziyah Sellers and Joson Sanon. Also joining SJU via the transfer portal are reigning Big Sky Player of the Year Dylan Darling and Appalachian Athletic Conference (NAIA) Player of the Year Handje Tamba.

The Red Storm preseason slate tips off this weekend when St. John’s hosts Towson at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday afternoon. They’ll play another exhibition game against #7 Michigan on Saturday, October 25.

The Red Storm will host 12 games at Madison Square Garden this season, the most they’ve had since 1951-52. The first of these games is scheduled for November 8 against the #15 Alabama Crimson Tide. It’ll be the second game of the year for St. John’s, following their season opener against Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Arena on November 3.

Red Storm win First BIG EAST Tournament Since 2000!

BQE Admin on March 18, 2025

#2 Johnnies Head to Providence for 1st Round Matchup with #15 Omaha

By Noah Zimmerman

The St. John’s Red Storm are BIG EAST Tournament champions for the first time in 25 years. A 82-66 win over Creighton punctuated a stellar campaign, following up a regular season championship with a tournament title and sending the program to their 31st NCAA Tournament appearance as a #2 seed, just like in 2000.

The Red Storm weren’t tested by the Butler Bulldogs in their opener at Madison Square Garden as they won comfortably in the quarterfinals 78-57. In the semifinals it was a much tougher battle against nationally-ranked Marquette, hungry to best the Johnnies after two tight regular season losses.

Kai Jones was electric at the Garden as he looked to avenge his Senior Day defeat to St. John’s. The guard put up a strong 24 point, 7 rebound effort in the BIG EAST Semifinals, leading the Golden Eagles.

For the Red Storm it was Zuby Ejiofor dominating on New York’s hardwood. The junior put up a career best 33 points as St. John’s outscored Marquette 44-26 in the second half to complete a season sweep.

With the back-to-back champion UConn Huskies falling 71-62 to Creighton, the Red Storm would face the Bluejays in the BIG EAST final, the team that played them the best all season long.

St. John’s dug themselves into a typical early hole, but they quickly erased a 10-2 deficit as the game entered halftime 28-25 in favor of Creighton. In the second frame RJ Luis Jr. hit the jets as he finished off a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double.

After the Johnnies had opened a 70-55 lead with five minutes left, there was no path back into the game for Creighton, who finished a remarkable season with a 15-5 conference record and NCAA Tournament berth of their own.

On Selection Sunday, St. John’s were drawn into the West Region as the tournament’s best #2 seed, ranked 5th on both the AP Top-25 and Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon. They open the tournament on Thursday night in Providence, RI as they take on the #15 Omaha Mavericks.

The winner will take on either #7 Kansas or #10 Arkansas, meaning there may be another clash between Hall of Fame coaches after Bill Self’s Jayhawks and John Calipari’s Razorbacks face off in the first round.

For head coach Rick Pitino it’s a chance at a third national championship after he led Kentucky and Louisville to glory in 1996 and 2013 respectively. It’s a 20th appearance in the tournament for Pitino, who was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year last week. He also made history as the first BIG EAST coach to win the conference tournament at two schools, winning three times at Louisville.

RJ Luis Jr. continued to rake in national accolades as well, as the Red Storm star was named to the Associated Press 2nd Team All-America on Tuesday afternoon. The BIG EAST Player of the Year will have more to prove as his stage keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Three other BIG EAST teams qualified for the NCAAT, including UConn who were also drawn into the West as the #8 seed as they hunt a third straight title. They take on #9 Oklahoma in round 1 and have a chance to meet the Red Storm in the Elite 8 in San Francisco should both teams advance.

Creighton enter as the South’s #9 seed and Marquette the #7. They could also meet in the Elite 8. Xavier’s BIG EAST Tournament loss to Marquette put them on the verge of missing the NCAAT, but they will take on Texas in a First Four matchup to decide the #11 seed in the Midwest.

St. John’s Beats Marquette in OT for 18th Conference Win

BQE Admin on March 11, 2025

Red Storm await Friars or Bulldogs in BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals

By Noah Zimmerman

It was another must-watch game between the #6 St. John’s Red Storm and the #20 Marquette Golden Eagles over the weekend.  

An overtime thriller ended in buzzer-beater fashion as the Johnnies picked up their 18th BIG EAST win, the most ever recorded in program history. 

Despite clinching the BIG EAST Regular Season title outright the previous weekend, the Red Storm fought hard against a Marquette team hungry for a top-3 seed in the conference tournament.

It was a razor-thin margin at the half, with St. John’s up 36-35 but it was level at 75 after the second frame. The largest Golden Eagle lead was 8 and the largest for St. John’s 6.

With 26 seconds left in OT, a Kam Jones layup tied the game once more at 84. Jones led all scorers with 32 for the Golden Eagles on his Senior Day.

RJ Luis Jr. brought the ball back down the floor for the Red Storm, looking for a game-winning three. His miss was rebounded by Marquette’s Chase Ross, but a clutch steal by Kadary Richmond and quick pass by Simeon Wilcher set up Zuby Ejiofor for his second buzzer-beating layup of the year.

Ejiofor finished with another double-double (17p, 12r). Luis Jr. added 28, with Richmond recording the first Red Storm triple-double since Ron Artest in 1999.

St. John’s open the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday at 12pm, where they’ll play the winner of  Wednesday’s game between 8th seed Providence and 9th seed Butler. All games will be held at MSG.

 

Red Storm’s Zuby Ejiofor, RJ Luis Jr., Kadary Richmond win annual BIG EAST Honors

To add on to his game winner on Saturday, Zuby Ejiofor was named BIG EAST Most Improved Player on Monday morning. In his second year at St. John’s, the Junior averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and nearly 2.5 combined blocks and steals per game.

He and RJ Luis Jr. were named to the BIG EAST 1st Team, with Kadary Richmond named to the 2nd Team.

RJ Luis Jr. was also a favorite to win BIG EAST Player of the Year, with Rick Pitino favored for Coach of the Year at the annual BIG EAST awards ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

St. John’s Opens BIG EAST Play with Pair of Wins

BQE Admin on December 23, 2024

Rick Pitino’s Red Storm improve to 10-2 with wins over DePaul and Providence

NOAH ZIMMERMAN

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s University Red Storm improved to 10-2 last Friday night as they capped off a pair of wins to open conference play in the BIG EAST, 89-61 over DePaul and a 72-70 victory in Rhode Island.

The Red Storm overcame a 16-point 1st half deficit in Providence, taking the lead with 4 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. A three from Bensley Joseph knotted the game up at 70 with 20 seconds remaining to keep the Friars in the game, but St. John’s carried the ball back down court with a chance to win.

Breakout Jr. Zuby Ejiofor pulled down an offensive rebound in the dying seconds, bailing out a miss by Sr. guard Deivon Smith. Ejiofor floated home the game-winner at the buzzer, leading St. John’s to victory with a game-high 19 points and 10 boards.

“Obviously, it was good to be on the good side of a buzzer beater and just win on the road,” said the forward following the game.

“Showing your toughness, fighting through adversity, coming back in the second half and taking care of business. Everybody can go home and enjoy Christmas.”

An extra gift for Ejiofor this holiday season is his third consecutive appearance on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and 4th honor this season. He maintains a Division 1-leading 4.6 offensive rebounds, with the most recent setting up his game winning shot.

“My philosophy and Coach [Pitino] says every shot is essentially my rebound. I have pride in going and getting my team a second chance. That’s exactly what I did, find a way to get an offensive rebound and put it in the rim,” said Ejiofor.

Despite the early deficit in Providence, Coach Pitino ensured the Red Storm remained confident in the face of adversity.

“I told the guys in one timeout, ‘This is nothing. I’ve been down 30 points with 15:30 to go on the road. It’s nothing. You’re going to come back and win this game. Just be patient, take your time, one possession at a time.”

St. John’s head into their final non-conference matchup this Saturday as they host Delaware at Carnesecca Arena in Queens. The Red Storm return to BIG EAST play on December 31, wrapping up 2024 in Nebraska as they visit Creighton.

 

Zuby Ejiofor has water poured on him in the locker room

Breakout junior Zuby Ejiofor was celebrated following his game-winner in Providence (Photo from @stjohnsbball on Instagram)

 

The Red Storm poured onto the court to celebrate the buzzer-beater as they began BIG EAST play 2-0. (Photo from @stjohnsbball on Instagram)

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