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St. John’s is Sweet Once More!

BQE Admin on March 24, 2026

Johnnies beat Kansas, await Duke in first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999

Dylan Darling is swarmed by teammates after his buzzer-beating layup as St. John’s advanced past the second round for the first time in over two decades! Photos courtesy St. John’s basketball.

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

For the first time since 1999, the St. John’s Red Storm are dancing beyond the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. A dominant showing against the #12 University of Northern Iowa Panthers and a gritty win over the #4 Kansas Jayhawks put the Johnnies into the Sweet 16, where they take on top overall seeded Duke.

Storm Watch in San Diego

The Red Storm opened with a 13-0 lead in their opening round matchup in San Diego. While the UNI Panthers boasted one of the best defenses in D1 hoops, they were no match for a fast paced and physical St. John’s squad.

The Johnnies led by as much as 21 in the opening half, going into the break up 47-28. To nobody’s surprise, leading the way was Zuby Ejiofor with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and a pair of blocks. The St. John’s senior was left off all three All-American but showed off on the national stage, dominating on both ends of the floor.

The Red Storm stifled the Panthers’ offense, forcing Northern Iowa to shoot a measly 39% from the floor and 21% from three, well below their season averages. UNI only got two points off the bench, though Trey Campbell and Leon Bond III both had solid games as starters.

St. John’s pulled away in the second frame, going on to win 79-53. Ejiofor tallied a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards to go with his 4 blocks. Bryce Hopkins added 13 points and Dillon Mitchell pulled down another 9 rebounds.

In the other matchup in San Diego, #4 Kansas took on the #13 Cal Baptist Lancers. It was a fairly comfortable matchup for Bill Self’s squad, holding their opponents to just 18 first half points before fending off a decent second half comeback attempt. 

Presumptive #1 overall NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson scored 21 in his NCAAT debut. Dominique Daniels Jr. led the Lancers with 25, but it wasn’t enough for Cal Baptist as they fell 68-60.

Zuby Ejiofor recorded a double-double in the tournament opener against Northern Iowa.

For Whom the Bells Toll

The matchup between Rick Pitino and Bill Self marked the second straight year Hall-of-Fame coaches clashed in the second round. In the 2025 tournament, John Calipari’s Arkansas took down Kansas in the opening round before downing the Red Storm in round two.

This year both coaches were safe from the Razorbacks, who advanced to the Sweet 16 in the West region where they take on #1 Arizona. Still, Kansas vs St. John’s marked the third time coaches with 2+ national titles clashed in March Madness.

The Johnnies shot early and often, showing confidence even when the three pointers stopped falling. They took an early advantage but weren’t able to build a gap against Kansas in the first half. St. John’s took 23 three pointers in the opening half, setting a record for a team coached by Rick Pitino. They only hit seven, with three of those shots coming in the opening three minutes of action.

“They don’t believe we can shoot and we’re proving them right,” said Pitino during an in-game interview. “But we’re gonna keep on shooting them until they go in.”

The shooting got more conservative in the second half, as the Red Storm went 4/12 from downtown. They were able to coast into the back end of the half up 14 points, their largest lead of the night, but Kansas began to chip away at the deficit.

Up just one point, Bryce Hopkins came up clutch with the biggest three of the night. The senior transfer didn’t hesitate as he caught and shot from the elbow to put the Johnnies up by four with 1:30 left to play.

Bryce Hopkins connected on a few clutch threes against Kansas, including one to put the Red Storm up by four points with under 2 minutes to play.

The Jayhawks stayed close, scoring to bring the lead down to two before Peterson drew a shooting foul to tie the game from the free throw line. With a few fouls to give, Kansas intentionally fouled to limit the Red Storm shot clock to just over three seconds for the final possession.

Three seconds was all that was needed as Dylan Darling drove into the lane for a quick layup as time expired. The Red Storm piled onto the junior guard, celebrating his only made field goal of the night.

The 67-65 win marks the first trip to the Sweet 16 this century for St. John’s, setting up some thrilling matchups in Washington DC this weekend.

Darling’s game-winner was his first made field goal of the game, a testament to the junior guard’s confidence.

Johnny vs Goliath

Now the biggest test of the year awaits Pitino and the Red Storm. The Duke Blue Devils struggled against #16 Siena in the opening round, but they looked much more like the tournament’s top seed as they thrashed TCU in the round of 32. Still, they wouldn’t be the first #1 seed to crash out of the tournament, as the defending champion Florida Gators fell to #9 Iowa in the second round, the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

It will be another test against future NBA talent as Duke features the Boozer brothers, Cameron and Cayden. The freshman fraternal twins will look to carry Duke to a 6th ever program title, and interestingly enough the Blue Devils defeated the Red Storm at some point in each of their previous title-winning campaigns.

The other Sweet 16 matchup in the East Region features another Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo. His #3 Michigan State Spartans will take on a future Hall of Famer in Dan Hurley and the #2 UConn Huskies in what’s sure to be an incredible matchup in DC.

Should the Johnnies and Huskies both advance, it would set up a remarkable BIG EAST rematch on one of the biggest possible stages.

Ejiofor was dominant in his first two games. How far can the Red Storm captain carry this St. John’s squad?

Tip-off between the Red Storm and Blue Devils will be at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Friday, March 27 at 7:10pm. The Huskies and Spartans will play afterwards at 9:45pm. The winners will clash in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29.

Red Storm Enters 2026 NCAA Tournament as East’s 5 Seed

BQE Admin on March 19, 2026

St. John’s blows out UConn in BIG EAST Final to claim back-to-back conference titles

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Earlier this season, it seemed like back-to-back BIG EAST regular season and tournament championships were out of the question for St. John’s. The UConn Huskies sat comfortably in the nation’s top-10 all season long while the Johnnies struggled against a tough non-conference schedule before faltering against the Friars in early January.

However, after their defeat to Providence the Red Storm went 18-1, culminating in a conference tournament championship tiebreaker against UConn. St. John’s defeated the Huskies in the first matchup of the year, 81-72 at MSG. When the Red Storm visited Hartford for the return game, UConn responded with a 32-point win to snap their 13-game winning streak.

The contest in Connecticut opened the door for the Huskies to win their second outright regular season title in over 20 years, but two late conference defeats to Creighton and Marquette allowed St. John’s to claim a consecutive BIG EAST crown on the final weekend of action.

The St. John’s Red Storm went back to back in both the BIG EAST regular season and tournament for the first time in program history! Photos by Noah Zimmerman

 

Red Storm v Huskies III

The Red Storm didn’t trail for a moment in their first two BIG EAST Tournament matchups, winning a season series tiebreaker against Providence before taking down the Seton Hall Pirates. They carried that momentum into the championship game, opening with a quick 10-0 lead.

That advantage ballooned as large as 17 in the opening half. Zuby Ejiofor was dominant on both ends, Dillon Mitchell was searing through the air for dunks, and Bryce Hopkins kept scoring as the trio once again dominated the floor.

UConn was able to keep the deficit to 13 at the break, going on to mount a 2nd half comeback. A 9-0 run cut the lead to just 7 points but Ejiofor knocked down a three to help the Johnnies maintain control.

The battle of the bigs was terrific as UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. took on Ejiofor. The Huskies senior scored a team high 17 points, also leading the team in rebounds with 7. Ejiofor finished with 18 points, tied with Hopkins for the game high. He brought down 9 rebounds, picked up 3 steals, and recorded 7 of 8 Red Storm blocks.

St. John’s pulled away in the final minutes, winning 72-52. For the second straight year, the Red Storm conquered the BIG EAST, and for the 4th straight season the regular season winner repeated as conference tournament champions.

The Red Storm have been on fire in 2026. Their only losses this year came in early January against Providence and in late February at UConn.

 

A Top-10 Ranked 5 Seed?

The Red Storm were one of a few teams handed brutal draws on Selection Sunday. Despite coming in at #10 on Monday’s AP National Rankings, St. John’s were given the #5 seed in a brutal Eastern Region.

Atop the region is the #1 overall seeded Duke, who the Johnnies would face in the Sweet 16 should they win their opening two rounds. If they’re somehow able to unseat the top team in the nation, a fourth matchup against UConn could await St. John’s with a place in the Final Four on the line.

However, the focus must remain on opening weekend. While the #5 vs #12 matchups are famed for dramatic upsets, St. John’s were drawn against a Northern Iowa team that doesn’t have the physical presence to stop the Red Storm’s three-headed frontcourt monster. 

The Johnnies fell in the 2nd round in 2025 to John Calipari and #10 Arkansas, and it will likely be another 2nd round battle between Hall of Fame coaches as Rick Pitino faces Bill Self and the #4 Kansas Jayhawks.

All three matchups between the Red Storm and Huskies have been thrilling, even though two of them ended up fairly lopsided. Will they meet again in the Elite Eight?

 

Dance, Johnnies! Dance!

The second half of the season has been nothing short of magical for St. John’s. Now it’s time to see if Pitino can help the Red Storm carry that magic into late March.

Tip-off in the opening round against Northern Iowa is slated for Friday, March 20 at 7:10pm in San Diego. The winner advances to the second round to play either Kansas or Cal Baptist on Sunday the 22.

The East Regional matchups (Sweet 16 and Elite 8) will be held at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on March 27 and 29 with the Final Four and NCAA Championship tipping off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on March 4 and 6.

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.

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)

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