The St. John’s Red Storm are red hot, climbing to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 rankings — their highest position since December 2, 1991.
That season, which was longtime head coach Lou Carnesecca’s last, the Johnnies reached the NCAA Tournament as a seventh seed but fell to Tulane in the first round.
New York Basketball Is Back
The revival of St. John’s basketball under head coach Rick Pitino offers hope that two New York hard-court teams could make deep postseason runs.
But with the New York Knicks struggling against the NBA’s top teams — they suffered another blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday — it might be St. John’s that could go the distance for a city that was once synonymous with top-tier basketball.
Sunday’s St. John’s win over UConn was a throwback to the gritty 1990s style of New York City basketball. Spike Lee, Stephon Marbury, and John Franco were in the building. It also felt like Mase — that is, Anthony Mason — was in the place too.
The Red Storm came back from a 6-0 deficit to start the game, entering halftime up by 18. Pitino rallied his troops after a second-half comeback by the Huskies, who then put the Connecticut offense to sleep with a relentless full-court press defense.
A Tale of Two Teams: St. John’s vs. Knicks
The contrast between New York’s top two teams couldn’t be starker. The Knicks are among the NBA’s best offensive squads — lights out from the field — but their defense is Swiss cheese, especially when matched against the league’s top contenders.
St. John’s, on the other hand, led by standout player Kadary Richmond, are average shooters at best. But they boast what might be one of the NCAA’s most suffocating defenses. Statistically, they rank 27th in the nation for points allowed, but on the court, they look even tougher — aggressive, disciplined, and relentless.
The Red Storm’s resurgence, chronicled in a new Vice Sports documentary, is a testament to the hard work of its players — and the demands of their general, Pitino.
As the Knicks enter the final stretch of the NBA season, they might want to study some St. John’s game film — or maybe invite Pitino in for an old-school pep talk, like this one:
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