The St. John’s Red Storm have accomplished something that they haven’t achieved in 40 years by winning the Big East regular season title outright, but the job isn’t finished.
Head coach Rick Pitino, through all of the injuries, came out on top of the conference with a 27-4 overall record and an 18-2 conference record. If they win the Big East Tournament, that’ll be a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2000.
On top of that, they earned themselves a guaranteed top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament, as well as being ranked the No. 6 team in the nation — a standing that will only be bolstered with a strong showing in the conference tournament.
Here is what to watch for from the Red Storm beginning Thursday when their Big East quarterfinal tips off at noon ET from Madison Square Garden.
Defense
The Johnnies have the third-most efficient defense in the country, behind only Houston and Duke. They’ve allowed just 66.3 points per game this season and average the most steals and blocks per game at 15.7.
Pitino’s defense doesn’t just play hard defense, they smother their opponents. They apply tons of pressure, whether it’s just over the half-court line or in a full-court press; they’ll go coast-to-coast to force a turnover.
Battling through adversity
This team is having a historic season, even with the injuries they’ve faced. Deivon Smith, Kadary Richmond, R.J. Luis Jr. and Aaron Scott have all been hurt at some point this season, or are still battling injuries currently.
Smith suffered a shoulder injury against Villanova on Saturday, Jan. 11. Since, then, he’s been in and out of the lineup for the Red Storm, unable to get back to his old self.
“The longer he stays out, the better it is for us,” Pitino said after their loss to Villanova on Wednesday, Feb. 12. “He’s not the same player he was a month ago and we got to get him healthy.”
He’s played in five of the team’s six games since their loss to Villanova, but he’s inefficient and not the same x-factor-type of player. If St. John’s can get him healthy, they’ll not only be in great shape to win the Big East tournament, but they could make a run in March Madness as well.
After the Johnnies pummeled the Uconn Huskies 89-75 on Sunday, Feb. 23, Pitino shared Richmond’s injuries with the media.
“Kadary Richmond is more injured than any player I’ve coached right now, and he fights through it,” Pitino said. “He’s got double groin pulls. He’s got problems all over his anatomy, and he played the game and played hard.”
Pitino has held Richmond out of practices over the past month or so to keep his star guard as healthy as possible and to give him some rest.
Luis, who was named the Big East Player of the Year on Wednesday, has also dealt with some injuries. He suffered a groin injury against DePaul on Wednesday, Feb. 19, but he returned for their clash against UConn.
Even with their injuries, they’re one of the best teams in the country.
Rebounding
St. John’s is fourth in the country in rebounds per game, with 40.8, trailing just Florida, Illinois and Alabama. They’ll tire their opponents, then box them out in the paint, grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace in the fast-break game. They’re tied for No. 37 in the country in fast-break points per game (13.23).
Weaknesses
The Johnnies do have weaknesses. After all, nobody is perfect. The Red Storm struggled with shooting three-pointers efficiently, shooting just 29.86% from behind the arc, which is No. 341 in the country.
That’s not their bread-and-butter and there’s nothing wrong with that. They’re efficient with their mid-range jumpers and dominate in the paint.
Getting to the charity stripe and knocking down free-throws is another concern for the Johnnies. They average 20.4 free-throws per game (No. 104 in the NCAA) and rank No. 286 in free-throw percentage (68.83%).
The free-throw percentage is alarming because a majority of conference tournament games and NCAA tournament games are decided by free-throws. The games are tighter, every possession matters and going 68% from the line might lose them a game they shouldn’t lose.
Their team is built to make a run, even with the problems from the charity stripe. They don’t need to shoot threes to make a run, but Pitino has had them becoming more efficient from behind the arc as of late. They’re ranked No. 6 in the country for a reason and are worthy of being favorites to win the Big East title.
