St. John's Red Storm Celebrates Big East Title

0:00On March 15, St. John's Red Storm just captured the biggest tournament title for the second straight year under coach Rick Patino, ending a 25-year drought. The number 13 ranked team dominated number 6 Yukon with a 72-52 victory in the championship game in Madison Square Garden. Patino marked the win by showing up to the post-game press conference with a beer in hand. The Johnny's, as the top seed, jumped out to a quick 10-to-nothing lead and carried a 40-27 half-time edge. They clamped down on defense late, holding Yukon's scoreless from the field for the final eight minutes while forcing 17 turnovers. Bryce Hopkins and Zubi Ejio for each scored 18 points to lead the offensive charge. Fans and media love Patino's laid-back celebration, a fitting reward after cutting down the nets. It's a big turnaround for St. John's, which had to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament since the 1999-2000 season.

1:00Now in his second year, Patino has the team buzzing again. Looking ahead, ESPN projects the Red Storm as a number 4 seed in the big dance starting next week. That positions them well for a deep run, especially after beating a struggling Kentucky squad back in mid-December. The Wildcats, now a number 7 seed, faltered without their key injury players. With March madness on the horizon, St. John's momentum has everyone watching closely as they chase even bigger hardware.