The revival of St. John’s men’s basketball under Rick Pitino added some hardware to the journey on Wednesday, clinching at least a share of the Big East regular-season championship for the first time since 1992.
No. 7 St. John’s defeated Butler 76-70 on the road to secure its first conference title in 33 years. The Johnnies (25-4, 16-2 Big East) will have a chance to win the Big East outright for the first time since 1985 with a victory over Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Pitino has put his imprint on the program in just his second season at the helm, leading the team to its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 poll since 1991 and winning the most Big East regular season games (16) since joining the league in 1979. The Johnnies are a lock to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, and if Pitino’s postgame comments on Wednesday are any indication, Seton Hall is walking into a hornet’s nest at the Garden.
“We are not interested in sharing,” said Pitino. “Although I love Creighton and I love their coach, we are not interested in sharing anything. I’ll share other things in my life. Not championships.”
Creighton (20-8, 13-4 Big East), which defeated DePaul on Wednesday, is the only team still mathematically alive for a share of the Big East title, but the Bluejays would have to win their final three games and need St. John’s to drop its last two.
After shooting fireballs in the first half of Sunday’s win over UConn, the Johnnies made just 4 of 15 from beyond the arc against the Bulldogs, but still managed to shoot 49 percent overall and 74 percent from the free throw line. The defense was stout again as well, holding Butler to 6 of 27 from 3-point range and turning 13 turnovers into 17 points. Top scorer RJ Luis Jr. led the way with 24 points, one of four Johnnies to finish in double figures.
St. John’s, which hasn’t won the Big East tournament since 2000, will have a chance to do so in the friendly, familiar confines of MSG in a couple weeks.
But Pitino and his squad have grander aspirations. The Athletic’s Bracket Watch currently has the Johnnies as a No. 4 seed, and with a Quad 1 trip to Marquette in the regular season finale and conference tournament to follow, opportunities to better that seeding still remain. If this team continues to improve its shooting efficiency and play lock-down defense, St. John’s will be a legit threat to reach the Final Four in San Antonio.
(Photo: Robert Goddin / Imagn Images)
