St. John's basketball head coach Rick Pitino made a heartwarming admission after his team's massive 79-73 victory over No. 24 Creighton. Madison Square Garden was rocking on Sunday afternoon as the Red Storm distanced themselves from the rest of the field in the Big East standings. St. John's is now on the verge of winning its first regular-season conference championship since 1992 under iconic former coach Lou Carnesecca.
The clash between the top two teams in the Big East was back-and-forth. Fortunately, the elite trio of RJ Luis J, Kadary Richmond, and Zuby Ejiofor propelled the Red Storm to their 13th conference win. In his postgame interview, Pitino soaked in the moment and state of this proud program in just the second year under him.
“You guys are witnessing something very, very special. I can assure you I had nothing to do with 19,800 people here today. This is a players’ reunion with St. John’s, they’re bringing the fans back with their effort. For me, it’s extra special to see St. John’s so happy and the Garden so happy. As a New Yorker, I look at this with great pride, not for myself or anything I’m doing, but for St. John’s. We’re a team at the Garden. I told the Garden: I want you to own @StJohnsU .”
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St. John's basketball, which hadn't made the tournament since 2019, is now well on its way to being a high seed in this year's bracket. The Red Storm currently sit at 22-4 overall and 13-2 in the Big East. Sunday was this team's third win over a ranked conference foe. Rick Pitino has already built an elite defense in just his second year. The Johnnies are first in the Big East in scoring defense at just 65.3 points per game.
Looking ahead on the schedule, St. John's basketball has five games remaining on its schedule. The last regular season matchup is a visit to No. 18 Marquette. That clash could prove pivotal for the conference title race if the Red Storm drop a game before then since the Golden Eagles are currently 10-4 in the Big East.
Overall, Sunday was a feel-good moment for Rick Pitino and his program. The Garden has come to life on multiple occasions this season in what looks to be the Red Storm's best one this century. This squad was listed as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA's early bracket reveal. St. John's will have plenty of opportunities to raise that seed over the next few weeks. And, with its Hall-of-Fame coach, this team looks primed to be a very tough out in March.
