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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.

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 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.

Red Storm Rises to Top 10!

BQE Admin on February 11, 2025

St. John’s Remains Perfect in 2025 with Wins vs Providence, #11 Marquette, #19 UConn

By Noah Zimmerman

RJ Luis Jr. carries the ball down the court against UConn. The junior guard led all scorers with 21 as he was named Naismith National Player of the Week.
(Photo courtesy of St. John’s Athletics)

Rick Pitino’s Red Storm have a habit of putting themselves in tough situations, but every time their backs are up against the wall they’ve clawed their way back on top. In their first three matchups in February, St. John’s showed off their toughness and grit as they fought their way to the top of the BIG EAST and finally into the nation’s Top-10.

On Monday St. John’s were ranked #9 in the AP Top-25, also coming in at #8 on the national Coaches Poll. They entered Wednesday’s contest at Villanova with a 10-game conference winning streak, the program’s best since 1984-85 when the legendary Lou Carneseca led the Redmen to the Final Four.

St. John’s dispatched each foe in January before opening this month with their second win of the year against Providence. It was Kadary Richmond who put the finishing touches on a tight battle with the Friars, as he cut to the free throw line where he pulled up for the game-winning jumper as St. John’s got the win at Madison Square Garden, 68-66. The senior guard had a season-high 24 points, also pulling down 8 rebounds in the effort.

Debuting their brand new #12 ranking, St. John’s welcomed #11 Marquette to MSG. As the rankings suggested, the two sides were incredibly well-matched as a gruelling back-and-forth battle unfolded at the Garden. Neither team was able to build a significant lead.

What finally helped St. John’s seize control was their defensive effort, a point of pride for Pitino’s squad. Even with their shooting struggles, the Johnnies were able to match the Golden Eagles’ offensive output. Phenomenal rebounding helped St. John’s to a significant edge on field goal attempts, as they pulled down 50 boards to Marquette’s 28, with almost half of their rebounds coming off the offensive glass. 

St. John’s went 3/16 from three point range, one of their worst perimeter shooting nights all year. They shot 17/31 from the free throw line, a consistent issue all season long.

Just six minutes into their game last Friday, the Johnnies found themselves in their most precarious position yet; down 21-8 on the road against the back-to-back defending national champions. The #19 Huskies bared their fangs on defense, refusing to allow St. John’s to their most efficient spots near the paint, and the three point shots refused to fall for the Red Storm.

The Huskies showed why they were such a feared squad, even after so many of their stars were scooped up in the NBA draft. Just a number of months after turning down the Los Angeles Lakers, Dan Hurley returned to seek a third consecutive national championship with Connecticut.

Still, Hurley’s Huskies were far from unbeatable. The Johnnies got more physical on defense and began to push quickly in transition as they were able to snatch back a 37-35 lead going into halftime. The Red Storm forced a remarkable number of turnovers against a well-coached squad.

UConn played St. John’s at their own game, with brutal interior defense and consistent rebounding on both sides of the floor. Again St. John’s hit a wall with their shooting. 4/21 from deep and 12/16 from the charity stripe put the Johnnies in a tough spot, but strong work by RJ Luis Jr. helped St. John’s stay in control.

In the final minutes St. John’s were finally able to build their largest lead of the game, with some clutch steals and transition buckets finally putting them ahead. Kadary Richmond showed off his handles with a gorgeous reverse layup and Luis Jr. used a great screen by Zuby Ejiofor for a catch-and-shoot midrange bucket as the game was finally put to bed.

With 21 points, Luis led all scorers in the primetime showdown. He was named Naismith National Player of the Week, the first Johnnie to win the award since Joel Soriano in 2023.

The 68-62 win cemented St. John’s in first as they snapped UConn’s remarkable 9-game winning streak over ranked opponents. After taking the floor against Villanova this week the #9 Red Storm return to MSG to host Creighton, looking to avenge their only conference loss. After visiting DePaul they will host UConn at MSG on Sunday, February 23.

RJ Luis Jr. carries the ball down the court against UConn. The junior guard led all scorers with 21 as he was named Naismith National Player of the Week.
(Photo courtesy of St. John’s Athletics)

St. John’s erase 16-point deficit to down Xavier in OT, Red hot Red Storm 8-1 in BIG EAST, ranked #14

BQE Admin on January 28, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

The Red Storm keep rolling in the face of adversity.

It seemed as if this was surely the game they’d lose to snap a 5-game winning streak as St. John’s trailed Xavier by 16. Still, Rick Pitino’s squad were able to mount a comeback, sending the game to overtime before winning 79-71.

This time it was graduate Kadary Richmond leading the way for St. John’s. The guard erupted for 19 points, his highest scoring performance of the season. Richmond was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the latest of a handful of Johnnies named to the list.

Other high-scorers for St. John’s were Zuby Ejiofor, RJ Luis Jr., and Simeon Wilcher, who all scored 16 apiece. Ryan Conwell led Xavier with 21 points despite the losing effort.

With the win, the Johnnies continued to climb both the AP and USA Today polls, earning #15 and #14 rankings respectively.

The real test comes up next month as St. John’s finally clashes with Marquette and UConn after finishing the season series against Providence on Feb. 1.

Marquette and St. John’s continue to jockey for the BIG EAST lead, both 8-1 entering the week. It’s likely the two will decide who gets the top spot when the Red Storm welcomes the Golden Eagles to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The Huskies have slipped into 4th in the conference behind Creighton, but remain a dangerous foe as St. John’s heads to Connecticut next Friday, Feb. 7.

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)

New York, New York: A Final Four For The Ages

Dan on March 30, 2022

By: John Jastremski

So I’ve known for the better part of months that for Final Four Weekend, I was going to be in Las Vegas for a buddy’s bachelor party.

Unbelievable timing, unbelievable weather, but would it end up being a picturesque Final Four?

Aside from years where my alma mater Syracuse was a part of the festivities, I can’t think of a year where I’ve been more stoked for Final 4 Weekend.

The host city New Orleans will be treated to a weekend of powerhouses.

The fact that the undercard features Villanova and Kansas with two Hall Of Fame coaches patrolling the sidelines in Bill Self and Jay Wright is mind boggling.

The main event is the nightcap. For the first time ever, Duke and North Carolina will face off in the NCAA Tournament.

That first win or go home just happens to be in the National Semi Final.

The best rivalry in College Basketball combined with the magnitude of the Final Four sets the scene for an incredible environment.

However, there’s another extra wrinkle in play.

The Coach K Farewell Tour

About a month ago, Coach K’s final home game was spoiled by North Carolina in a game that really changed the entire landscape of the Tar Heels season.

Duke and Coach K had to deal with the embarrassment of losing the Cameron Indoor Finale and was the butt of all jokes throughout social media.

Make no mistake, come Saturday. All of the pressure in the world is on Duke.

UNC has had a fantastic season. They were an 8 seed, they played their way into the Tournament and parlayed that into a Final 4.

They spoiled Coach K’s final home game, could you imagine if the Tar Heels sent him into retirement with a loss in the Final 4?

After Duke’s semi-final win in the ACC Tournament, freshman phenom Paolo Banchero was asked if he had a preference for his next opponent in the ACC Tournament Championship.

Banchero was defiant and said North Carolina without hesitation.

Well, Paolo is getting his wish except he’s getting his wish in a Final Four game.

The young Dukies have been the most impressive team in this tournament.

They have come of age and have executed brilliantly down the stretch in both the Round of 32 against Michigan State and in the Sweet 16 against Texas Tech.

It’s time for redemption or Retirement for Coach K.

That storyline alone doesn’t get any sweeter.

Is it Saturday night yet???

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York every Sunday & Thursday plus my picks on The Ringer Gambling Show every Tuesday & Friday on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. You can also see me weeknights at 11 PM on Geico Sportsnight on SNY.

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