As anticipated, St. John”s and UConn have transformed the Big East regular season into a two-team competition. The stage is set for another significant clash as March Madness takes over Madison Square Garden this week.
While the Huskies are a historic powerhouse, boasting six NCAA titles since 1999, it is Zuby Ejiofor and the Red Storm who have recently claimed dominance in the area. Coming off their second straight outright conference championship, the 13th-ranked Red Storm aim to defend their title in the Big East Tournament.
Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino emphasized, “It”s still not over. It”s just beginning. We have won back-to-back championships with two different teams, and that”s not easy to do. There”s been one common denominator, and that”s the young man to my left (Ejiofor).”
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound senior forward has been instrumental in propelling St. John”s to success over the past two seasons. The team boasts an impressive 39 wins in their last 43 games against Big East rivals, including a 3-1 record against UConn. Last season, the Red Storm dominated their tournament, winning every game by at least 16 points.
After a 32-year drought without a Big East regular-season championship and failing to reach the tournament semifinals from 2001 to 2023, the arrival of Pitino has marked a turning point for the program. In his third season, the 73-year-old coach leads St. John”s (25-6, 18-2) into this year”s Big East Tournament as the top seed for the second consecutive year.
“It”s awesome,” said junior guard Dylan Darling. “This didn”t start in November. This started back in June, with summer workouts with these guys. It”s just super fulfilling to know the hard work”s paying off with this group.”
The Red Storm are seeking their fifth Big East Tournament title, with a strong 8-1 record in previous appearances as the top seed. However, repeating this achievement will be a challenge. The last five championships have been claimed by different schools, and no team has secured back-to-back titles since Villanova won three in a row from 2017 to 2019.
In the tournament bracket, UConn (27-4, 17-3), currently ranked sixth, poses a significant threat. The Huskies handed the Red Storm a humiliating 72-40 loss at home on February 25, snapping their 13-game winning streak and evening the regular-season series. “It was just our night,” Dan Hurley, their coach, remarked. “I thought we demoralized them a little bit.”
In their first encounter earlier in the season, St. John”s triumphed 81-72 at a lively Madison Square Garden on February 6, ending an 18-game win streak for UConn.
Both teams will commence their tournament journeys on Thursday in the quarterfinals against opponents to be determined. To set up a rematch in the Big East title game on Saturday night, each team must secure two victories this week. The Huskies also aim to recover from a disappointing loss to Marquette (12-19, 7-13) last weekend, where Hurley was ejected in the final seconds of a 68-62 defeat that cost them a share of the regular-season title. For his unsportsmanlike conduct, he was fined $25,000 by the Big East.
In addition to UConn and St. John”s, the Big East features other competitive teams. The only other ranked squad in the AP Top 25 is Villanova, seeded third (24-7, 15-5), while Seton Hall (20-11, 10-10) holds the fourth seed, both looking to make their mark at the tournament.
Under Kevin Willard, the Wildcats have returned to form and secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament after a three-year hiatus. The remaining teams outside of UConn and St. John”s will need to win the tournament to earn an automatic bid.
The Marquette team, seeded seventh, has shown resilience, particularly through freshman Nigel James Jr., who will play close to his Long Island home. They finished the regular season on a strong note, including a significant victory over then-No. 4 UConn.
On the other end of the bracket, DePaul (16-15, 8-12), seeded sixth, is enjoying its highest seed since joining the Big East in the 2005-06 season.
The tournament kicks off on Wednesday afternoon with a first-round tripleheader. The eighth-seeded Butler (16-15, 7-13) faces the ninth seed Providence (14-17, 7-13) in the opening game, having split their regular-season matchups, both extending into double overtime. This could be a pivotal moment for Kim English, as reports suggest he may be dismissed after the season, his third at Providence.
As for Xavier (14-17, 6-14), seeded tenth, they are hopeful of having leading scorer Tre Carroll return for their matchup against Marquette. Carroll, an All-Big East first-team selection, injured his right hip in a recent loss to Seton Hall and missed the subsequent game against Villanova.
“Bad time to have one of the best players in the league get hurt,” said coach Richard Pitino, who is the son of Rick Pitino.
