St. John's guard Kadary Richmond speaks on support received from NY Yankees and Mets ahead of  March Madness

Kadary Richmond and St. John's have taken New York by storm this season following their unexpected rise in the Big East. Richmond opened up about the support they have received from the New York sports teams in Wednesday's press conference ahead of the Red Storm's clash with the Omaha Mavericks in the first round of the 2025 March Madness.

A reporter asked Richmond what it feels like to have the backing of teams such as the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. The Brooklyn native expressed his appreciation for the support they got not only from the Yankees and Mets but also from the entire city of New York during their historic season.

"It feels good, you know, just knowing that the whole city’s backing you," Richmond said. "We did special things this year and we’re trying to continue to keep it up and do continue special things going on."

The St. John's Red Storm became the No. 1 sports story in New York after they claimed the Big East regular-season title. The Red Storm clinched their first outright regular-season crown since 1985 on Mar. 1 when they defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 71-61 at Madison Square Garden.

St. John's continued its winning ways in the Big East Tournament, capturing the title for the first time since 2000. The Red Storm stamped their class in the conference tournament, beating Butler, Marquette and Creighton by an average of 17.7 points.

Kadary Richmond's importance to the St. John's Red Storm

The St. John's Red Storm's rise in the Big East wouldn't be possible without Kadary Richmond. The former Syracuse and Seton Hall player made waves in his first season with St. John's, averaging 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists through 34 games.

Kadary Richmond (#1) of the St. John's Red Storm dribbles in the second half of a quarterfinal game against the Butler Bulldogs Photo: Getty

Kadary Richmond stepped up for Rick Pitino in the recently concluded Big East Tournament, averaging 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per contest. He scored 12 points and grabbed 12 boards in St. John's 82-66 win over Creighton in the finals.

The senior guard has also been a menace on the defensive end, leading the team in steals (2.1 spg) this season. He is one of the main reasons why St. John's is ranked first in adjusted defensive efficiency in the latest Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings. The Red Storm hold an impressive 87.6 defensive rating ahead of the NCAA Tournament.