St. John’s Begins Big East Title Defense Tonight
The journey to defend the Big East title starts for St. John’s tonight in Queens as they face off against DePaul, a team that has struggled in recent years. The Red Storm are hoping to continue their strong defensive form following a recent win. This game kicks off a busy stretch of four games in ten days, which also includes matches against Harvard and a trip to face Kentucky in Atlanta just days later.
Interestingly, at this point last year, the Red Storm, ranked 22nd, faced a similar scenario. After a disappointing 1-2 showing during a November trip to the Bahamas, they rebounded with some solid non-conference victories. Subsequently, they opened conference play by winning 11 of their first 12 games, which is, well, quite impressive.
Currently, St. John’s sits at 6-3 and is off to a strong start in the Big East. It’s worth noting that this is the first complete regular season they’ve had since 1984-85, a year that saw them beat rivals Connecticut. These two teams, both ranked in the AP Top 25, will clash again on February 6 at Madison Square Garden and once more on February 25 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Coach Rick Pitino expressed some cautious optimism regarding the team’s current standing. He acknowledged that while they might not be at UConn’s level right now—especially since UConn has several key players back—he hopes they can elevate their game as the season progresses. “We’ll definitely fight,” he mentioned, recognizing the challenges ahead.
He also noted, “The Big East is going to be even tougher this year. We won’t replicate last year’s success, but our defense has shown improvement, which is crucial.” DePaul, sitting at 8-3, has had its fair share of ups and downs, including a loss to Buffalo, a win against Wichita State, and a close defeat to LSU. Furthermore, they have struggled against St. John’s recently, losing the last seven matchups, with an average margin of defeat of 26.8 points in the last four games.
Pitino expressed satisfaction with how the team bounced back from a rocky 1-2 trip in Las Vegas. They managed to hold opponents Ole Miss and Iona to their lowest scores of the season, and the defense has been led impressively by tri-captain Zuby Ejiofor, who averaged 9.5 rebounds, eight blocks, and 1.5 steals over two games. Meanwhile, Ian Jackson made his first start at point guard this year and responded well, contributing 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the victory against Iona.
Jackson himself emphasized his desire to contribute to the team’s success: “I want to help the team be the best it can be and improve over time. That’s what matters most.” It felt like a positive step forward.
The upcoming week is an important one, starting with this conference opener and followed by a significant clash against Kentucky. Both teams appear to be in decent form lately, although they’ve faced some mixed results; Kentucky just secured a win against Indiana.
Reflecting on the team’s recent development, Pitino noted improvements in perimeter defense and a greater focus on scouting opponents. He praised Ejiofor’s defensive abilities, saying, “Zubi is a solid rim protector for us, as is Dillon Mitchell. We’re making strides in our perimeter defense and improving overall. We need to curb our turnovers, of course, but I like what I see in terms of growth.”
