Don’t look now, but Rick Pitino has another team that looks like a national title contender.
In just his second season at the helm of St. John’s, Pitino has added to his storied career with a team that is 21-3 and leading the Big East with a 12-1 conference record. The Red Storm are on a 10-game winning streak, boast the second-ranked defensive rating per KenPom and have only fallen in their three losses by a combined five points.
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Of course, Pitino is not the one making the plays on the court. RJ Luis (17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals per game) and Kadary Richmond (12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) are among the nation’s top stat sheet-stuffers, while Zuby Ejiofor (14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks) is holding things down in the middle.
This is a team that gets in your jersey on defense, and that will keep them in every single game. It is a necessary skill in postseason play, which makes the Red Storm a team no one wants to see – especially considering the team is answering the biggest question that dogged it until recently.
Let us examine how the Big East might stack up if the NCAA tournament began today.
No. 9 St. John’s Red Storm
Projected seed: 3
This week’s schedule: at Villanova Wed., vs. Creighton Sun.
The last major concern St. John’s had to address: Could it consistently beat good teams? Or was its record a result of a “meh” strength of schedule? Consecutive wins over Marquette and UConn – the latter coming in Storrs – should answer that question. Later this week, the Red Storm get a chance to avenge their one conference loss with a rematch against Creighton at home.
No. 18 Marquette Golden Eagles
Projected seed: 4
This week’s schedule: vs. DePaul Tue. (Peacock)
Marquette has now lost three straight games to the other teams on this list and has struggled to get stops during that time. The Golden Eagles’ next 10 days only see two home games against DePaul and Seton Hall, which gives them plenty of time to make adjustments; the goal is to be ready for their final two games of the season at UConn and vs. St. John’s.
No. 24 Creighton Bluejays
Projected seed: 6
This week’s schedule: vs. UConn Tue., at St. John’s Sun.
Creighton is nearly as hot as St. John’s (nine straight wins) and now has the opportunity to solidify its place as a team to be reckoned with in its final two games against projected tournament teams for this season. A season sweep of the Huskies and the Red Storm would have a lot of people reevaluating what the Bluejays can accomplish in March.
Connecticut Huskies
Projected seed: 6
This week’s schedule: at Creighton Tue., at Seton Hall Sat.
As much as UConn has taken a step back from its title seasons, it has not seen a massive drop-off in its road record (yet, anyway). The Huskies were 6-5 in true road games in 2022-23, 9-3 in 2023-24 and 5-2 thus far this season. They have a chance to wrack up a couple more wins away from home this week, the first of which would be a great feather in the cap.
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