Rick Pitino’s influence evident in St. John’s newfound identity
You can point out differences in the size of the positions. The increased athleticism will allow St. John's to play faster. Key players Simeon Wilcher, RJ Lewis, and Zuby Ejiofor return, and there is continuity. But the biggest difference between Rick Pitino's first St. John's team and his second six weeks later is what happens […]
St. John’s shocks Providence at the buzzer on Zuby Ejiofor’s clutch shot
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — About a month ago, I heard the buzzer, broke my heart, and spent Friday night in ecstasy. Zuby Ejiofor was in the middle of both dramatic finishes. His two missed free throws and a clock error gave St. John's a blowout win over Baylor in the Bahamas. St. John's Red Storm forward […]
St. John’s brutal night at free-throw line nearly cost them vs. Providence
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — St. John's can expect a ton of free throws in its next practice. On Friday night, the charity stripe almost cost the Johnny's a big win. In the game against Providence at Amica Mutual Pavilion, he made 11 of 26 from the line and won 72-70. St. John's Red Storm guard RJ […]
‘Relentless’ Zuby Ejiofor has proved himself as St. John’s best player
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — St. John's has more talented players than Zuby Ejiofor. We have more skilled players. There are players with higher upside potential. But through 11 games, there may not be a better player. Just ask Rick Pitino. In a recent press conference, he talked about Johnny's problems guarding teams playing without true big […]
Kadary Richmond showing signs of being the star St. John’s needs
A breathtaking sound filled the Carnesecca Arena. Cadary Richmond, St. John's valuable offseason addition who had yet to make a real impact as Johnny, had just airballed toward the free-throw line. It was a shocking moment for such an accomplished player. But he wasn't fazed by that and stole the ball on his next possession […]
St. John’s can make statement in looming Big East road tests
St. John's has mostly held serve so far. Johnny was winning the matches they expected him to, and usually in an empathetic way. Their nine wins have been by an average margin of 21.6 points. The two losses, against NCAA Tournament-bound teams Baylor and Georgia, were decided by a total of four points. They pass […]
St. John’s crushes DePaul for impressive win in Big East opener
Rick Pitino was right. The betting lines for this match were way off. St. John's should have been favored by more than 14.5 points. Of course, Pitino felt the spread was too high and predicted it would be an “all-out war” for the Johnnys against DePaul in Tuesday night's Big East opener. His players may […]
Deivon Smith shows remorse after St. John’s suspension
From suspension to starting lineup? Coach Rick Pitino said electric lead guard Davon Smith, who was benched 13:18 into the game against Georgia in the Bahamas and suspended for the next game after reacting poorly to a sit-in, could be. He said there was enough sex. Down in an extension of the aforementioned loss. Pitino […]
Deivon Smith comes off bench to give St. John’s lift in win over Bryant
If there were any doubts before, there should be none now. Davon Smith is one of St. John's most impactful players. It's no coincidence that the Johnnys' two worst performances this season coincided with him being benched. Dayvon Smith dribbles onto the court after scoring 14 points during St. John's' 99-77 win over Bryant on […]
St. John’s uses familiar recipe for success in third straight win
Wednesday night's win was a microcosm of St. John's season thus far. It starts slow and finishes fast. The Johnnys were inconsistent in the first half, but often showed strong performances after halftime. Their three-game winning streak followed a similar pattern. St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor, 24, dunked in the first half of […]