Could St. John’s Win March Madness? The answer is far more complicated than you’d think:
St. John’s basketball is proving this season that they are a team nobody wants to face in March.
The Red Storm captured the Big East Tournament title with a convincing 72–52 victory over UConn, highlighting their defensive strength and balanced scoring attack heading into the NCAA Tournament.
That momentum carried directly into March Madness, where St. John’s opened tournament play with a decisive 79–53 win over Northern Iowa. The Red Storm jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, with Zuby Ejiofor leading the way with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Bryce Hopkins added 13 points.
The victory continued what has been one of the program’s most impressive seasons in recent years, with the team winning 20 of its last 21 games entering the tournament and showing the kind of defensive discipline that makes them a dangerous opponent.
Now, St. John’s faces perhaps its biggest test yet as they take on Kansas today in the Round of 32. The matchup features the No. 5 seeded Red Storm against the No. 4 Jayhawks, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
Kansas enters the game after defeating California Baptist in the first round, while St. John’s looks to continue its strong defensive play and balanced offense to keep its tournament run alive.
With confidence high and momentum on their side, St. John’s has positioned itself as a team capable of making serious noise this March. A win today would mark another major step forward for a program looking to return to national prominence.
Via:
- NCAA March Madness game recap (ESPN/AP)
- Reuters college basketball coverage
- NCAA official tournament reports
- New York Post college basketball coverage