St. John’s basketball, dormant as a national power for a generation, is back at the center of the New York sports calendar. Under head coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm went 30-7 in 2025-26, won a second consecutive Big East Tournament title with a 72-52 rout of UConn at Madison Square Garden, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 before meeting the bracket’s top overall seed.

A preseason No. 1 that delivered

Expectations were enormous before the ball was even tipped. St. John’s ranked No. 1 in the Big East preseason poll for the first time in three decades, drawing seven of the coaches’ first-place votes to UConn’s four. Nationally, the Red Storm opened No. 5 in the AP Top 25, their highest preseason ranking since 1984-85 — the last time the program reached a Final Four.

The roster was rebuilt the modern way, through the transfer portal, where Pitino assembled what was widely regarded as the top transfer class in the country. The anchor was senior forward Zuby Ejiofor, named the Big East’s preseason player of the year after averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting nearly 58% from the field the prior season.

The regular season

St. John’s lived up to the billing. The Red Storm finished 18-2 in conference play to capture the Big East regular-season title and closed the year 30-7, ranked 10th in the final AP poll. It was a level of sustained success the program had not seen in years, restoring a sense that the Garden — long the Red Storm’s marquee home — mattered again on the college basketball map.

Two titles at the Garden

The postseason began with a familiar prize. In the Big East Tournament championship, St. John’s crushed UConn 72-52 to claim its second straight conference tournament crown, a victory over a program that has defined recent national championships. The matchup pitted Pitino against UConn’s Dan Hurley, and the Red Storm controlled it from start to finish.

The win did not, however, translate into a generous NCAA seed. St. John’s received a No. 5 seed in the East Region, drawing No. 12 Northern Iowa in the first round in San Diego — a line that local coverage characterized as no favor for a 30-win team.

A run to the Sweet 16

The Red Storm answered. They handled Northern Iowa behind 18 points apiece from Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins, then edged Kansas to advance to the East Region semifinals in Washington. There the run met its ceiling: a date with Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Reaching the Sweet 16 marked another step in the program’s revival and validated Pitino’s portal-driven rebuild.

What it means for New York

St. John’s is the city’s only major college basketball program, and its resurgence carries weight beyond Queens. A nationally ranked Red Storm fills Madison Square Garden, revives a rivalry-rich Big East, and gives New York a college team to follow in March for the first time in decades. Pitino, one of the sport’s most accomplished and most scrutinized coaches, has made the Red Storm relevant again in two seasons.

The 2025-26 campaign — preseason No. 1 in the league, a 30-win season, back-to-back Big East tournament titles and a Sweet 16 berth — is the program’s best in a generation. The challenge now is sustaining it in an era where rosters turn over every spring.

Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

How did St. John's do in 2025-26?
The Red Storm finished 30-7, went 18-2 to win the Big East regular-season title, ranked 10th in the final AP poll and reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
Who leads St. John's?
Head coach Rick Pitino. Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor was the Big East preseason player of the year after averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds the previous season.
What happened in the Big East Tournament?
St. John's beat UConn 72-52 in the championship game at Madison Square Garden for its second straight conference tournament title.
How far did the Red Storm go in March?
They earned a No. 5 seed, beat No. 12 Northern Iowa and Kansas to reach the Sweet 16, then faced No. 1 overall seed Duke in the East Region semifinals.