Why St. John’s men’s basketball could make a big NCAA Tournament run

To say the Red Storm received a brutal draw in March Madness would be an understatement. Fresh off obliterating UConn to win its second consecutive Big East Tournament title, St. John’s could only muster a 5-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Awaiting them in the East Region is the number-one overall seed Duke, multiple future NBA lottery picks, and a murderer’s row of elite head coaches who either are, or will be, in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Making matters worse, they have to travel across the country to begin the tournament.

Despite the many cards stacked against them, Rick Pitino’s squad has what it takes to not only return to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, but also go even deeper into March and even emerge from this region of death.

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In the NCAA Tournament, a team needs an ace that can execute in critical moments and elevate their performance. Zuby Ejiofor fits that bill and is enjoying the best basketball in his college career this month. Through five games in March, the Big East Player of the Year is averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.4 blocks on 65.6% shooting. Last week, the big man became the first player since Kemba Walker in 2011 to score 20 or more points in four consecutive Big East Tournament games, and the first player in Big East championship game history to record seven blocks.

His frontcourt partners are also hitting their stride. After an inconsistent regular season, Bryce Hopkins looked like his old self in the Big East Tournament, showing more aggression on offense and punishing opposing defenses at all three levels. He accrued 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on 69.6% shooting in three contests. Dillon Mitchell is the perfect glue guy for this physical, high-tempo Red Storm team. The 6-foot-8 forward acts like a Swiss army knife, as he can guard multiple positions, handle and distribute the ball like a seasoned point guard, and out-leap everyone else on the…

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Publish date : 2026-03-18 15:24:00

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