Rick Pitino gets St. John’s to Big East regular-season title in Year 2

Rick Pitino, as is his wont, held court.

It was March 21, 2023, when St. John’s introduced the Hall of Famer as the 22nd head coach in the program’s history in a news conference at Madison Square Garden.

The briefing took place in the Garden’s lobby because the news conference room on the fifth floor simply wouldn’t fit the number of journalists, school officials, dignitaries and onlookers who had RSVP’d.

Over the course of the afternoon, those who filled the lobby heard Bayville’s favorite son vow that the once-great program would return to relevance under his stewardship. St. John’s, they heard him pledge, would play and win meaningful games once again.

Seven hundred and eleven days later, a few hundred yards from where he vowed the program would return to prominence, Pitino made good on his promises.

No. 7 St. John’s — for the first time since the celebrated 1985 season and the second time in the program’s history — outright won the Big East regular-season championship on Saturday afternoon by outlasting Seton Hall, 71-61.

The Red Storm (26-4, 17-2) have won five in a row and finished the home portion of this season with an 18-0 record.

The conference title is the sixth for St. John’s, sharing it in 1979-80, 1982-83, 1985-86, and 1991-92.

Which, theoretically, should be cause for celebration.

Theoretically.

Pitino, RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor told reporters during Friday’s on-campus pregame media availability that the team decided not to cut down the nets if they were to win the game.

They explained that the Red Storm have one more game remaining this season, next Saturday at Marquette, and following that contest, the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. Essentially, they said, there is still more to do.

The group decision proved to be prescient.

Because even though the 19,812 who filled the Garden, plus a national television audience on CBS, expected to witness a coronation four decades in the making, what transpired was an old-fashioned Big East fistfight.

St. John’s, as it has all season, found a way to win despite shooting 23-for-53 (.434) from the field, including 4-for-13 (.308) from beyond the arc and 21-for-33 (.636) from the foul line.

The Red Storm turned 13 turnovers into 17 points, while forcing the Pirates into 2-for-11 (.182) shooting from three.

St. John’s led 34-30 at halftime, despite misfiring on 20 of its 32 shots from the field and committing seven turnovers.

So, then, why did the Red Storm have a lead over Seton Hall (7-22, 2-16) after the opening 20 minutes?

Luis, primarily.

The junior scored 14 of his game-high 21 in the first half, punctuated by a two-handed follow dunk of Kadary Richmond’s missed jumper with less than a second remaining.

The second half picked up where the first half ended. Seton Hall outscored St. John’s 20-17 over the first 10 1/2 minutes to cut it to 51-50.

Following Dylan Addae-Wusu’s (18 points) free throw to bring the Pirates to within one, the Red Storm responded by scoring 10 of the next 14 points to push the advantage to 61-54.

Following a missed free throw by Seton Hall’s Isaiah Coleman (15 points), Ejiofor (17 points and 10 rebounds) sandwiched a layup and two free throws around a Godswill Erheriene jumper for the Pirates to stretch the Red Storm’s lead to 65-58.

The advantage grew to 11 when Luis made three of four free throws and Deivon Smith (10 points) knocked down two free throws with 56 seconds left.

With the outcome decided, all that was left was the celebration.

Which began when Ejiofor raised the Big East regular-season championship trophy overhead. A rumble, not entirely dissimilar to the sounds made by subway and commuter trains entering and leaving Penn Station a few floors below the hallowed court, descended through the Garden.

St. John’s had returned to prominence.

Promises made. Promises kept.