St. John’s keeps Big East control in statement win

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• 40 “/ > Jeff BorzelloFeb 4, 2025, 11:56 PM ET Close Basketball recruiting expert.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.NEW YORK– An aggressive,

pestering defense. Bully ball on the offending end. A Hall of Fame coach strolling the sideline. Chants of”Let’s go, Johnnies! “filling Madison Square Garden in the final minute of No. 12 St. John’s 70-64 win over No. 11 Marquette.For a basketball program desperate to go back to significance

— and win its very first Big East regular-season champion considering that 1992– it was difficult to get away the feeling that Tuesday night was a turning point.There have been incorrect dawns for St. John’s basketball in the past, however this season

‘s Red Storm have actually won 9 games in a row and 15 of their previous 16, and they sit atop the Big East standings at 11-1. And now they have the declaration win they’ve been searching for all season.

“You guys can see it now,” St. John’s forward RJ Luis Jr. stated.”We’re a very hungry

group, and we’re very figured out to win. We came out tonight, came out fighting, and was able to get the difficult win versus an excellent Marquette group.”Editor’s Picks 1 Related It was almost one year ago when coach Rick Pitino strolled into the news conference following St. John’s eighth loss in 10 games, a 68-62

defeat to Seton

Hall after leading by 19 points, and regreted his group’s absence of toughness and athleticism.”If I said I was disappointed, that would be the understatement of the year,”he stated last February.”Our lateral quickness and our strength is simply something I have actually never witnessed in all my

years of coaching.”Twelve months and a revamped lineup later on, and St. John’s has among the elite defenses in college basketball, ranking in the top 5 nationally in adjusted effectiveness per KenPom. The team’s effort at that end

of the floor has been at the heart of its success, and that was again the case Tuesday.Despite not shooting well from the 3-point line (3-for-16) or the complimentary throw line(17-for-31), St. John’s held Marquette to 0.95 points per ownership– the Golden Eagles’second-worst offending efficiency of the campaign.There was no ownership more evident of the Red Storm’s commitment on defense than after St. John’s took a 66-59 lead in the last two minutes. Marquette required to come down and rating quickly to cut the lead, however the Golden Eagles just couldn’t get a look at the basket.

They dribbled around for 25 seconds before Kadary Richmond obstructed a 3-point effort into the stands with 1:11 remaining. “I believed all the guys played fantastic defense,”Pitino stated. “They help each other, they change. This is a relentless defensive team, and you see it all the time. … This is a ruthless group. An unrelenting group that’s absolutely purchased into stopping every play.” Kadary Richmond and the No. 12 Red Storm won their ninth straight game and sit atop the Big East standings at 11-1. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images St. John’s withstood early shooting issues by attacking the offensive glass. At one point late in the very first half, Marquette had made 5 threes to the Red Storm’s 0. But St. John’s countered that by getting 11 offensive rebounds to Marquette’s 0, leading to 7 second-chance points. “I believed they

played with unbelievable violence,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “They were just the more aggressive team for most of the game. “Stingy defense and offending rebounding have actually been part of the Red Storm’s identity all season, however lately the reemergence of Richmond has given them an added measurement on offense.Richmond, the No. 1 player in the transfer website last spring after leaving Seton Hall, hadn’t quite reached the exact same heights at St. John’s through the very first 2 1/2 months of the season. However he had 24 points– including the game winner– 8 rebounds and 8 assists versus Providence on Saturday, and he finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists on Tuesday.”He’s a modest super star. And I’ll tell you, in this day and age, you do not get Kadary Richmonds anymore,” Pitino said.” Kadary has been a delight to coach. A humble, hard-working guy who’s getting better at his age, he resembles a fine wine. He’s just improving and he’s simply an excellent teammate. He doesn’t search for credit, he doesn’t try to find praise.

He slips up, he goes,’It’s on me.’I want they would all act like that, but he’s a pro. He’s an expert. He acts that way. So, I’m extremely lucky to have him.”As the final seconds checked off the clock,”We want UConn! “chants called out from certain corners of the Garden. St. John’s heads to Storrs to deal with UConn on Friday night, another game for the Red Storm to set a marker in their quest for a conference title.But Pitino wasn’t thinking about providing the Huskies any bulletin board

material. When asked after the game for his ideas on the chants about the two-time ruling national champs, the coach was concise:” I think they’re intoxicated.”