St. John”s is geared up for the excitement of March Madness as they prepare to take on Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is scheduled to take place on Friday in San Diego, and the Red Storm is entering the tournament with a solid No. 5 seed in the East region.
After achieving a dominant victory over UConn, which marked the first time in the program”s history they have clinched back-to-back Big East titles, the Johnnies are aiming to improve on last year”s NCAA Tournament performance. Last season, they were eliminated in the second round, suffering a defeat to No. 10 Arkansas, coached by John Calipari.
Coach Rick Pitino has St. John”s playing at a high level, especially after their impressive run through Providence, Seton Hall, and UConn at Madison Square Garden. The team has triumphed in 19 of their last 20 games, with their only setback being a significant 32-point loss to UConn in Hartford.
Leading the charge for the Red Storm this season has been senior Zuby Ejiofor, who has been named the Big East Player of the Year. Ejiofor has been a standout, averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while maintaining an impressive shooting percentage of 55.4 percent. During the Big East Tournament, he accumulated a remarkable 59 points, 24 rebounds, nine assists, and 12 blocks, including seven blocks in the championship game against the Huskies.
As the excitement builds for March Madness, the Red Storm is looking to make a deep run and build on their recent success in the tournament.
