St. John’s Deivon Smith recalls late Amir Abdur-Rahim as a ‘great guy’
Davon Smith never played for the late South Florida head coach Amir Abdul-Rahim, who died on Oct. 24 at age 43 due to complications following a medical procedure. But Abdulrahim still made a strong impression on the St. John's point guard. “He was a great guy. He was a great coach. A lot of people […]
Aaron Scott already looking like St. John’s game-changer
After defensive issues cost the team games last year, Rick Pitino has criticized the St. -He repeatedly lamented Johns' shortcomings. When you think of how St. John's roster has improved, the first person that comes to mind is Aaron Scott. For seniors, defense comes first. Otherwise, you can't play at North Texas. He has good […]
St. John’s Rick Pitino unfazed by NIL challenges that have driven coaches to retirement
The changing landscape of college basketball has, at least in part, contributed to the exodus of several Hall of Fame coaches. Jay Wright, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Tony Bennett all parted ways last week. The advent of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal is thought to have led to them ceasing […]
Zuby Ejiofor looks primed for a dominant St. John’s breakout
Cadary Richmond and Davon Smith were big additions in the transfer portal. RJ Lewis and Simeon Wilcher were the main returning players, with the former finally getting healthy and the latter being praised for his improvement after a quiet freshman season. But St. John's best player Thursday night was Zuby Ejiofor. No wonder Rick Pitino […]
Rick Pitino eager ‘to see where we’re at’ when St. John’s faces Rutgers in exhibition
St. John's does not play any true road games during non-conference play. But they'll get a taste of the real road environment Thursday night when they visit Rutgers for an exhibition game at Jersey Mike's Arena that will be televised by the Big Ten Network. Rutgers will be an interesting opponent with the addition of […]
St. John’s University cancels ‘Columbus Day’
St. John’s — New York’s largest Catholic university — woke up And the Monday holiday will no longer be called “Christopher Columbus Day,” in honor of the explorer who was hailed as a devout Christian. Some Italian American civic leaders and alumni are now accusing the Catholic Church of disrespecting the famous but controversial Italian […]
Healthy RJ Luis can fulfill his tantalizing St. John’s potential
In the words of RJ Lewis Jr., the past year has been “terrible.” He arrived at St. John's University with high expectations after a solid freshman season at the University of Massachusetts. But injuries hampered him, first a broken hand during the preseason and then a nagging shin splint. He rarely practiced and was unable […]
Aaron Scott wanted to get out of his ‘comfort zone’ with St. John’s transfer
Aaron Scott loved everything about his visit. The campus was located hundreds of miles from his home in Spring, Texas. His sister, Liz, was on the girls' basketball team. Oklahoma, rather than St. John's, just felt right. He made the decision before leaving Norman on a weekend in April. “I thought about it overnight and […]
Filling St. John’s leadership void is Rick Pitino’s ‘biggest problem’
As practice nears, Rick Pitino has one big question about his revamped roster. Who will lead them? “I think that's my biggest concern,” Danis said Tuesday, the day St. John's officially announced Ed Cull as its new athletic director. [Jenkins] That was very good, but this group is not. [yet].” As St. John's season approaches, […]
Ed Kull’s St. John’s goal is clear: ‘Revenue generation’
Fundraising, fundraising and more fundraising. Oh, and if St. John's University's new athletic director, Ed Cull, has the time, he should spend a few more hours raising money. During his inaugural press conference on Tuesday, Cull made it clear that his first goal is to raise as much money as possible. That's the job now, […]