Dan Hurley Comments on St. John’s Fan Base
Dan Hurley has definitely seen how St. John’s revival has energized the crowds at Madison Square Garden.
With UConn and the Red Storm possibly set to meet again in the Big East finals soon, the Huskies’ coach made some cheeky remarks directed at St. John’s fans, suggesting that maybe the tournament venue should be moved.
“We’re definitely looking forward to maybe playing them for a third time,” Hurley said after UConn’s hefty 72-40 defeat in Hartford on Wednesday. “But honestly, I’d prefer to hold the Big East Tournament somewhere else because St. John’s seems to have an edge playing it at MSG. Their fans are really showing up now. Maybe we should consider moving it to Prudential Center.”
“Just kidding, of course,” he added quickly.
The attendance at St. John’s games has always been a hot topic, particularly during the program’s lean years, when other Big East teams tended to dominate the building.
The Huskies’ fans often call MSG “Storr’s South,” while Providence supporters refer to it as “Dunk South,” and Villanova fans have a reputation for filling the arena.
Things started to shift during the Rick Pitino era, as the renowned coach turned the program into a national title contender, leading to increased fan engagement.
Last year, St. John’s supporters packed Madison Square Garden en route to the conference tournament finals.
In the past, UConn fans felt at home in MSG, but during the Red Storm’s home win on February 7, St. John’s fans made their presence felt.
“When you face St. John’s in a Big East road game, it’s not Storrs South anymore,” Hurley noted recently. “The atmosphere we encountered was incredibly intense, a real challenge for us.”
Although the Big East Tournament isn’t technically a home game for St. John’s in their own venue, Hurley acknowledges that a potential third matchup would likely see a more balanced crowd.
If both teams conclude their regular seasons at 18-2, St. John’s sweep of Creighton—a team that lost to UConn—would create a tiebreaker, placing the Blue Jays in the lead above Providence, which has faced additional losses to St. John’s.
However, St. John’s needs to recover from a tough game on Tuesday, marked by offensive struggles and a mere 14 points scored in the second half, shooting a dismal 19.6 percent overall.
Upcoming for the Red Storm are home games against Villanova and Georgetown, followed by a regular season finale at Seton Hall next Friday.
After a rare off night, St. John’s star Zubby Ejiofor expressed, “This is a loss that I’d like to brush aside and focus on our next opponent. Championship teams respond positively. It’s my role to ensure we’re better prepared for the next game than we were today. Today didn’t go well for the team or me personally, but we need to regroup quickly.”
