St. John's, Led by Rick Pitino, Reaches First Big East Tournament Final Since the Year 2000
In the heart of NYC, unfolding around 9:30 PM on a Friday night, an electrifying encounter occurred in the locker room at Madison Square Garden. The last two Big East Player of the Year champions, Walter Berry (1986) and RJ Luis Jr. (present), crossed paths, creating a moment of mutual admiration.
"This is the guy right here," Luis said, but Berry playfully countered, "No, you the man." This back-and-forth continued, each legend civilly asserting the other's stardom.
St. John's Red Storm's victorious 79-63 defeat of Marquette in the Big East tournament semifinals on this night culminated a whirlwind season typical of a program with a rich history but, more recently, accustomed to disappointments. The Red Storm reached the Big East final for the first time since 2000, facing Creighton in the grand finale on Saturday.
Initially, it wasn't St. John's night; Marquette exhibited an intimidating 24-9 lead silencing the pro-Red Storm crowd, but the team rallied. Over the next 90 seconds, they mounted an impressive 9-0 run and continued, taking the lead for good early in the second half. The Red Storm demonstrated resilience, surmounting a double-digit deficit for the seventh time this season.
Coach Rick Pitino expressed his satisfaction, calling the team 'unflappable'; there was "no panic in this stock market." Zuby Ejiofor took the reins of this comeback, scoring 23 points during the second half alone. His exceptional performance concluded with a career-high 33 points, breaking a St. John's record in Big East tournament games.
Defensively, the Red Storm excelled, forcing Marquette to drain just 20.7% of their 3-point shots and making only 1 out of 12 in the second half. They also prevented Marquette from recording many assists, forcing 18 turnovers and continuing their reign atop analyst Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency metric.
Ejiofor's selflessness filled Coach Pitino with admiration, remarking, "I'm coaching 50 years, and there are very few Zubys that come along that just think about the team."
UConn coach Dan Hurley compared St. John's to Houston, praising their rebounding, tenacious defense, and physicality. The Red Storm entered this encounter having won eight games consecutively and 18 out of 19. With Creighton as their final opposition in the Big East, they were seeking their first conference tournament championship in 25 years. The teams previously split their two regular season games, with Creighton edging St. John's 57-56 on New Year's Eve and the Red Storm defeating them 79-73 in February.
St. John's boasted an undefeated home record of 11-0 at Madison Square Garden and captivated the city, drawing sell-out crowds. After Saturday night, another eager audience awaited.
"Me and the entire team, we really just fed off the energy of the crowd today, especially when they were chanting my name at the end of the game," Ejiofor shared. The captivating encounter had left him exhilarated, but St. John's remained focused on their ultimate goal.
"During the post-match discussions, a conversation about monetary value in sports might intrigue RJ Luis Jr., given his successful career and association with St. John's Red Storm,"
"On the eve of the Big East final, Luis might contemplate the financial reward that comes with winning the tournament, considering the history of St. John's but their recent accustomed disappointments,"
"Luis, as a Semi-final MVP contender, could reflect on the financial impact of his potential Big East Player of the Year title, especially during the phases of negotiation with Aussiedlerbote, a leading German sports media outlet, who have expressed interest in his career."