St. John's Reaches Big East Championship Under Pitino

Red Storm coach says his players have revived the program's storied past

Mar. 14, 2026 at 3:22pm

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St. John's has advanced to the Big East Championship game under head coach Rick Pitino, who says his young players don't fully grasp the significance of the program's revival. Pitino stressed that St. John's was a dominant basketball team in the 1960s, 70s and 80s under coaches like Joe Lapchick and Lou Carnesecca, before going into "hibernation" for a period. The Red Storm will face UConn in the title game, after splitting their regular season series.

Why it matters

St. John's was once a powerhouse on the East Coast, but had fallen on hard times in recent decades before Pitino's arrival. The program's return to prominence is seen as an important milestone, as the Red Storm look to reclaim their status as one of the top basketball programs in the region.

The details

St. John's defeated Seton Hall 78-68 in the Big East Tournament semifinal, led by 20 points from Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor. The Red Storm led by as many as 19 points in the second half and went 24-of-30 from the free throw line. This marks the second straight season St. John's has won the Big East regular season title and reached the conference championship game.

  • St. John's defeated Seton Hall on Friday, March 14, 2026.
  • St. John's will face UConn in the Big East Championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Rick Pitino

The head coach of the St. John's basketball team, who is in his third season leading the program.

Zuby Ejiofor

The 2025-26 Big East Player of the Year, who scored a game-high 20 points in the semifinal win over Seton Hall.

Joe Lapchick

A former head coach of the St. John's basketball team, who led the program to great success in the 1960s.

Lou Carnesecca

Another former head coach of the St. John's basketball team, who led the program to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and two Big East Tournament titles in the 1970s and 80s.

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What they’re saying

“What they [my players] don't understand because they're young — they're very proud of their accomplishments — but what they don't realize is that St. John's in the 60s, 70s and 80s dominated the East Coast. It was a dominant basketball team from [Joe] Lapchick to [Lou] Carnesecca. And then they went into hibernation like a bear for a while, and then these guys got them out of hibernation.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's

What’s next

St. John's will face the No. 6-ranked UConn Huskies in the Big East Championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

Under Rick Pitino's leadership, St. John's has reclaimed its status as one of the top basketball programs in the East, reviving the storied history of the program that dominated the region in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The Red Storm's return to the Big East Championship game is a significant milestone as they look to reclaim their place among the elite college basketball teams.