“We’re just getting started”: Rick Pitino fires up St John’s celebrating crowd after first Big East title in 40 years

Rick Pitino has done it again. He led the seventh-ranked St. John's Red Storm to their first outright Big East title in 40 years on Saturday after they defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 71-61 at Madison Square Garden. The St. John's coach spoke to the celebrating crowd after the victory, reminding them that there are bigger games to win for the Red Storm this season.

Pitino, who wore his famous white suit for St. John's regular-season home finale, addressed the adoring fans while confetti fell in the Mecca of Basketball. He sent the crowd into a frenzy with his speech, firing them up for the Red Storm's upcoming March Madness run.

"We wanted the Big East crown from the beginning of the year," Pitino said. "It was our goal. Then, we obviously wanted to win every game. We didn’t. I think we won 26. We also wanted to make the NCAA Tournament. Three boxes were checked."

"The only surprise I’ve had is all of you. The love you have showed us, so thank you. We’re just getting started."

RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor step up for Rick Pitino in St. John's win over Seton Hall

Three players scored in double figures for the St. John's Red Storm, who improved their overall record under Rick Pitino this season to 26-4. RJ Luis Jr. starred in the home win, scoring a game-high 21 points.

Luis shot 7-for-13 from the field, including 2-of-4 from the 3-point area. He also knocked down five of his eight free-throw attempts. It was the 10th time this season that Luis has scored at least 20 points in a game.

St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino yells to his team during the first half of their game against the Butler Bulldogs on Feb. 26, 2025, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Photo: Imagn

Luis also contributed in other departments, racking up six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 36 minutes of action. He entered the contest as the team's leading scorer, averaging 17.7 points per game.

Zuby Ejiofor also delivered for Rick Pitino, scoring 17 points in 37 minutes. He shot 5-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds to record his eighth double-double of the season. He previously achieved that feat in the games against Marquette, Xavier, Providence, Bryant, Kansas State, Baylor and New Mexico.

Deivon Smith added 10 points for the Red Storm, who improved their Big East record to 17-2. The last time St. John's won the conference title outright was in 1985, when the Red Storm finished with a 15-1 record in the Big East.