Overview
- St. John’s improved to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in the Big East, their best conference start since 1998-99, after a 79-71 overtime victory against Xavier at Madison Square Garden.
- The team, led by coach Rick Pitino, is seeking its first Big East regular-season title since 1992 and its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000.
- Key players RJ Luis Jr., Kadary Richmond, and Zuby Ejiofor have driven the Red Storm’s success, with Richmond scoring a season-high 19 points in the latest game.
- St. John’s has shown resilience, overcoming a 16-point deficit against Xavier and maintaining a 13-0 home record despite injuries, including point guard Deivon Smith’s absence.
- The road ahead includes challenging matchups against ranked opponents Marquette and UConn, as the team continues to rely on strong defense and rebounding to secure wins.