The day was March 21, 2023.
St. John’s was coming off one other disappointing season, one other 12 months during which the Purple Storm fell nicely wanting expectations.
It was Rick Pitino’s first day because the Johnnies’ new head coach, and he didn’t hassle asking this win-starved fan base for persistence.
He made guarantees inside Madison Sq. Backyard’s Chase Sq. that afternoon that St. John’s would quickly be a participant in faculty basketball once more.
“It’s not going to be tough,” the Corridor of Fame coach mentioned then. “There is no such thing as a distinction between St. John’s to Connecticut, St. John’s to Marquette, St. John’s to Xavier. St. John’s is likely one of the legendary names in faculty basketball. Has it fallen on powerful instances? Sure, it has, however now we’re able to fall on nice instances.
“Increase this roof up, as a result of St. John’s goes to be again, I assure that.”
Lower than two years later, the Johnnies do certainly really feel again.
On Monday, they rose to No. 12 within the Related Press Prime 25 rankings, their highest spot since ending the 1999-2000 season at No. 9.
They sit on their lonesome atop the Huge East, winners of eight straight video games and 14 of their previous 15.
And this week — arguably the largest week this program has seen in 25 years — they will cement their standing as a risk in March.
First, No. 11 Marquette visits the Backyard on Tuesday, the Johnnies’ first regular-season residence sport as a high 15 staff towards one other one since Jan. 30, 1999.
Three days later, St. John’s (19-3, 10-1) travels to Storrs, Conn., to tackle No. 19 Connecticut, the back-to-back nationwide champions.
“Final 12 months was the primary time I performed towards a ranked staff in my faculty profession. So now going into tomorrow as a ranked staff, it’s fairly surreal, fairly thrilling,” junior wing RJ Luis mentioned Monday. “It’s a extremely cool expertise, particularly to do it on the Backyard and I can’t wait.
“It’s an enormous, large week for St. John’s.”
Over the following 4 days, the Purple Storm can reply their critics by knocking off two groups most consultants anticipated to problem each other for the regular-season crown.
Of the highest 4 groups within the Huge East, St. John’s has confronted solely Creighton as soon as, and misplaced that sport by a single level.
Its different defeats, within the Bahamas to Baylor and Georgia, got here by a mixed 4 factors.
The lone merchandise St. John’s résumé lacks is a high-end win. That may change this week.
It clearly gained’t be simple.
Marquette is one in every of 12 groups ranked within the high 30 in each offensive and defensive effectivity.
Senior guard Kam Jones is the front-runner for Huge East Participant of the 12 months.
The Golden Eagles are tenacious on the perimeter, the nation’s leaders in turnover margin at plus-7.5.
Marquette compelled Connecticut into 25 turnovers in a loss on Saturday evening.
“You’ll be able to’t drive into closed areas,” Pitino mentioned. “That’s one thing RJ must be cautious of, Kadary [Richmond] must be cautious of, [Simeon Wilcher] must be cautious of. You’ll be able to’t drive right into a small space the place you’re congested. We’ve got to be very cautious with that.”
There’s a narrative that St. John’s hasn’t overwhelmed anybody of significance, that these two video games will likely be revealing.
Pitino chafed at that notion.
The three defeats may have gone both manner.
The Baylor loss on the buzzer was the results of a clock error.
Of the Johnnies’ 19 wins, 14 have come by double figures. St. John’s swept Xavier, which beat Marquette and Connecticut.
“I don’t assume there’s a sport that’s been performed that we haven’t been for actual,” Pitino mentioned. “No person’s blown us out. We’ve fought all people tooth and nail. You see how onerous they play. We’ve been on tv each single evening. So I don’t assume there’s any thriller with us. I believe [our detractors] know our frailties, they know our strengths.”
Pitino’s first season didn’t fairly go in keeping with plan, St. John’s falling painfully wanting the NCAA Match after a robust end.
This 12 months has been extra alongside the traces of expectations, the Johnnies taking an enormous step in his second marketing campaign like most of Pitino’s groups traditionally have.
They will take one other main step ahead over the following 4 days.
“All of us got here in with one mindset, and that’s to clearly play onerous and to win video games, win large and go dancing in March,” Luis mentioned. “We’re only a very gritty, hard-working staff. The entire season to this point we’ve been displaying a variety of battle.”