For the first time since 1999 the St John’s red storm is in the “sweet sixteen.” Last weekend’s NCAA mens basketball tournament started off with 64 teams. By Sunday evening only sixteen are still standing. The St John’s Red Storm of New York is one of them.
After years of falling off of the college basketball map the Red Storm was ready for a major change. The one change that catapulted every other change was this. Hiring the time tested and sidelines approved coach Rick Pitino. Pitino is a Hall of Fame coach that’s already won NCAA national basketball titles with both Kentucky and Louisville. Some love coach Pitino and others hate him. But all certainly do respect him and his success. His record and accolades demand it.
Pitino used the transfer portal to get the Johnnie’s some talent that was just floundering or not content at other schools. Talent and hard working young men that he could build a basketball program around. Zuby Ejiofor was one of the main pieces he brought in. Zuby was a Kansas commit who stuck on the bench behind Joel Embid. At Kansas he acquired little playing time. At St John’s Zuby Ejiofor was named the unanimous 2025-26 Big East Player of the Year. Becoming the first player in league history to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year simultaneously.
Ejiofor will be graduating this spring, which has made his coach appear emotional in several interviews. Pintino is quoted saying,”He’s one of the best players and all around kids I’ve ever coached. I’m going to miss him a lot. He’s an incredible kid and a pleasure to coach.
“The Johnnie’s, as New Yorkers know them as, started this tournament with an extremely convincing win over a sound and we’ll coached Northern Iowa team. Round two always levels up a notch as the Red Storm faced Kansas this Sunday evening. Zuby had a chance to face his former team and coach to gain some redemption of sorts. That’s just what he did.
Despite the Red Storm dominance much of the game, even having a 14 point lead in the second half. The Jay Hawks aren’t a team you can let up on. They pulled back into the game with a few defensive stops that set them on an eleven point run, eventually tieing up the game.
Pitino expressed in an interview after the game that he was bewildered that his point guard, Dylan Darling called for the ball during the final time out. Darling hadn’t scored all game and frankly wasn’t having his best performance. He was off and not at all in his usual groove. Nevertheless the sound and steady Johnnie’s guard convinced Pitino to run the play for him giving him the opportunity to hit a shot at the buzzer.
That’s exactly what Darling did. With only 3.9 seconds on the clock and remaining in the game. He slashed to the hoop and hit an off balance lay-up that won the game at the buzzer. Darling hit the game winner and it’s possible that the basketball program at St John’s has turned a corner. Many sports analysts and local fans think that this team could be good enough to win this tournament.
New York will see this Friday at 7:10 pm as St John’s takes on Duke in the next round.
