NEW YORK, NY — This is March.
A little over three weeks ago, on Sunday, February 18th, St. John’s dropped a bunker to Seton Hall at UBS Arena, which included a 19-point-blown-lead, to mark their 12th loss of the season. After the game, Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino appeared to have a trending presser that ignited a fuse under his team, while firing up some of those from the outside, who may have not taken it to their liking. Regardless, it unlocked his team’s potential as a group.
No? St. John’s hasn’t lost a game since. Six-wins-in-a-row, following their commanding 91-72 BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals victory over the very same Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Thursday afternoon.
“March is what it’s all about in college basketball,” said Pitino after the Johnnies’ 20th win of the year (20-12 overall). “We told the guys, ‘you gotta play your best basketball going into March.’
This is March. 👌🆙@BIGEASTMBB x @StJohnsBBall pic.twitter.com/6jjIBu8gmw
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 14, 2024
And that, the Red Storm have done, and plan to continue to do, as they face-off against the defending NCAA Men’s Basketball champion UConn Huskies, in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals, tomorrow night, Friday, March 15th, at 5:30PM ET — the program’s first appearance in the BIG EAST Tourney Semifinals since 2000.
“I mean it’s an unbelievable feeling, man,” said Dominican senior center Joel Soriano, when asked about advancing to the Semifinals, and playing on Friday night at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Soriano, one-of-six Red Storm players to finish in double scoring figures in the win over the Pirates, dropped 14 points, to pair to 12 rebounds and four assists — his 14th double-double on the season.
“We play on Friday night. Everybody that I’ve known from St. John’s and coaches — Coach P even said, he said, ‘playing Friday night at Madison Square Garden, there’s no other feeling, there’s no other tournament bigger than the Big East Tournament.’”
“Just blessed. Thank God.”
Joel Soriano put up an all-around stat-line in St. John’s BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal Round win over Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
Pitino chimed in moments after, sarcastically stating: “And we got a lucky draw. An easy game.” (The top-seed in the BIG EAST Tournament, UConn Huskies, ranked No. 2 across the nation, with a 29-3 overall record).
Obviously, the Huskies are the toughest of the BIG EAST Conference bunch, as well as most-solidified, but Pitino here, could be doing what Pitino does when the time comes for — igniting an additional fuse under his team.
“We’re trying to win the Big East title,” Pitino stated. “We know Connecticut is a great team. We know they’re one of the best teams in the country. I can tell you from being in Iona, the second unit is as good as their first unit. But we know that.”
“But certainly we’ve had a great year. We’re a hot team.”
A hot team perhaps, at the right time, can pull off the upset on the national champs. St. John’s has played their best brand of basketball since the Seton Hall February loss, out-scoring their opponents by a combined 533-437 (+96 Point Differential). However, the Huskies will make for Pitino’s ultimate test in year one as the Johnnies head coach.
See you tomorrow 🫡 @StJohnsBBall pic.twitter.com/8JQcxIv7FX
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 14, 2024
It all comes down to Friday night at The Mecca with the winner moving onto the BIG EAST Tournament Championship. This is March.
BIG EAST Tourney Semifinal Round Details
No. 5 St. John’s- No. 1 UConn at 5:30PM ET with the television coverage on FOX, followed by No. 7 Providence vs. No. 3 Marquette in the second frame of the Semifinal Round at 8:00PM ET on FOX Sports 1. The winner of each contest will meet in the BIG EAST Tourney Championship this Saturday night, March 16th — tip-off at 6:30PM ET, TV coverage on FOX.
Robert Rizzo is a journalist and editor of Latino Sports – Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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