St. John’s men’s basketball ended reputation of futility in dramatic NCAA Tournament win over Kansas

Until Rick Pitino took charge of the program in 2023, St. John’s basketball in this century was defined by their repeated failed efforts to live up to the standard set by Lou Carnesecca. Every successive head coach fizzled out due to incompatibility or incompetence, any glimmer of a turnaround was a mirage, and one could bank on an uneventful March every year for the Johnnies.

Any of the Red Storm’s many frustrating losses could tell the tale of their struggle to become a winning program again, but look no further than their matchup with Kansas back in December of 2021. It was the first-ever college basketball game at the newly-opened UBS Arena in Belmont Park, and the Johnnies wanted to plant their flag and make a statement against one of the sport’s elite. Although it was arguably the team’s most important non-conference battle in a few years, only 9,000 fans showed up, with all but one of the upper bowl stands curtained off.

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What happened on the court explained why there was little interest in the program at the time, even when the best came to town. The blue-blood that would go on to win that season’s National Championship played like it, while the shipwrecked program trying to cling onto any notion of relevance couldn’t inspire their supporters.

The Johnnies chased the Jayhawks for almost the entire game, failing to keep pace with their high-octane scoring. Joel Soriano’s jumper in the opening minute stood as the only time they led that night. NBA first-round draft pick Christian Braun had the Red Storm defense on a string, scoring a career-high 31 points in the win. Fellow future pro Julian Champagnie made a valiant effort to keep St. John’s in close quarters, cutting the Jayhawks’ lead to three points midway through the second half. However, Mike Anderson inexplicably subbed out Champagnie when his team was within striking distance, and the visitors immediately turned it into a laugher by going on an 18-2 run and waltzed out of New York…

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Publish date : 2026-03-24 22:31:00

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