St. John’s University's men's basketball team clinched a share of its first Big East regular-season title in 33 years with a hard-fought 76-70 victory over Butler on Wednesday night. The Red Storm, ranked No. 7, were led by RJ Luis Jr. who contributed 24 points to the win.
This victory improved St. John’s record to 25-4 overall and an impressive 16-2 in Big East conference play. The team's performance this season has been exceptional, setting a new school record for conference wins and securing their sixth Big East regular-season championship in program history.
With this win, St. John’s now has the opportunity to claim the outright league crown on Saturday. They can achieve this by defeating Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden or if Creighton suffers a loss against Xavier.
The last time St. John's claimed an outright Big East regular-season title was back in 1985, a season that saw them make a memorable run to the Final Four.
Head coach Rick Pitino, a Hall of Famer, expressed his team's determination to secure the championship outright, stating, “We are not interested in sharing anything. I’ll share other things in my life. I’m not interested in sharing championships.” Pitino has been instrumental in leading a remarkable turnaround for the St. John's program in just two seasons.
St. John’s fans and supporters are eagerly anticipating the upcoming game against Seton Hall, where the team will look to make history by claiming the Big East title outright. The Red Storm's success this season has been a testament to their hard work, talent, and determination.
For more college basketball news and updates, stay tuned to the AP Top 25 throughout the season.
Sources: AP college basketball and college basketball
