Rick Pitino concerned for NCAA, St. John’s in NIL era
Rick Pitino sounded the alarm about the future of college basketball, especially St. John’s University, after Saturday’s loss to No. 1 University of Connecticut, building the college basketball world in an era of name, image, visibility and the transfer portal. raised concerns about how difficult it would be to do so. program. While talking about […]
St. John’s outclassed by UConn in second half as struggles continue
On a day when St. John’s needed its best performance, it fell short. Not on the defensive side. Not at the free throw line. It’s certainly not a contest. The game entered the second half, with first-place Connecticut outscoring St. John’s. Notable forward Alex Karaban (ankle) was absent, and center Donovan Clingan was out with […]
St. John’s, UConn will play next season at Madison Square Garden
After all, St. John’s and Connecticut will play at The Garden next year, Rick Pitino said Friday. The Hall of Fame coach has said several times that he would like to play against the Huskies at Carnesecca Arena next year in honor of Lou Carnesecca, who is celebrating his 100th birthday. But that won’t happen […]
St. John’s has massive chance for revenge in UConn rematch
“It’s our turn.” That was Rick Pitino’s message to his players. It’s their turn to defeat a powerful country. It’s their turn to find a way to win a close game. Now it’s the team’s turn to find a way to delay the big plays that can mean the difference between a frustrating loss and […]
St. John’s 1998-99 Elite Eight team reunites for NIL fundraiser
It was the perfect way to honor the past while helping the future. Host an alumni dinner to raise money to bring back the 1998-1999 Elite Eight team and increase its name, image and visibility. But before that could be done remotely, one guarantee had to be made, Tyrone Grant told Matt Abdelmassi, the new […]
St. John’s rally can’t make up for lackluster effort in loss to Xavier
CINCINNATI — Ten minutes wasn’t enough. Not on the road. It’s not against a team that is desperately trying to compete for the season. St. John’s came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half, but couldn’t finish the comeback. Truth be told, Johnny didn’t deserve to leave Cintas Center with a victory. It’s […]
RJ Luis struggles in St. John’s loss to Xavier with practice limited
CINCINNATI — For RJ Lewis Jr., it was a night he’d like to forget. The explosive winger struggled mightily for 14 minutes after coming off the bench. It was no surprise that St. John’s lost 88-77 to Xavier on Wednesday night at the Cintas Center. If Lewis scores in double figures, the Johnnies will improve […]
St. John’s not running away from NCAA Tournament hopes
CINCINNATI — Chris Ledlum doesn’t check BracketMatrix.com. He has not bookmarked the NET rankings page. He doesn’t update KenPom.com after every game. Still, the St. John’s senior forward is listening. It’s hard to avoid. Now, the Johnnies are an NCAA Tournament team, and you can’t help but imagine what it would be like to be […]
Rick Pitino’s extended commute has St. John’s on road back to NCAA Tournament
Joan Pitino has been there since high school, when she was retrieving free throws under the baskets in the St. Dominic High School gymnasium, with a vague promise to go to the beach with her then-boyfriend. I was there. He decided it was over. Over the years, the two of them have always talked about […]
St. John’s completes season sweep of Villanova for key Big East win
There was less than a minute left in the game when Joel Soriano was the last to leave the game. St. John's held a big lead against Villanova and his job was done. Before he took his seat, Red Storm fans recognized his performance and gave the center a huge ovation. The Yonkers native smiled […]