‘Loveable Looie’ Carnesecca was a native of Spanish Harlem. His career took him to the heights of the sport of college basketball as the coach of St. John’s for nearly two decades – reaching the 1985 Final Four, the school’s second appearance.
When Rick Pitino, a fellow New Yorker, was named as the head coach of the Red Storm last season, Carnesecca called the hire ‘a home run with the bases loaded’ and predicted great things for the Johnnies in the years to come.
If only Looie was here to see this. This moment, the moment his prediction came to fruition.
For the fourth time in school history, the St. John’s Red Storm have won the Big East Championship. By doing so, they ended the longest drought between titles in the history of the conference – claiming the prize for the first time in 25 years by beating Creighton 82-66.
RJ Luis Jr., an unheralded prospect who transferred from UMass two seasons ago, won the conference’s Player of the Year award. He added to his hardware by claiming the Dave Gavitt Most Outstanding Player honor for this tournament after dropping 29 points and ten rebounds in the championship game.
Pitino became the first coach in conference history to win this title at two institutions – having previously won it three times with Louisville. But here, tonight, at Madison Square Garden, in front of the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Spike Lee – plus some Red Storm and Bluejays fans that got in a fight – the New Yorker took home a major accomplishment for his city.
Rick Pitino smiles after his St. John’s Red Storm team won the 2025 Big East Tournament
It’s the fourth Big East Tournament win for the Johnnies – their first in 25 long years
St. John’s team captain and forward Zuby Ejiofor lifts the trophy at Madison Square Garden
‘I am, as a New Yorker, about as proud as any person could be because, you know, when I hear St. John’s is New York’s team and we’re New York strong and we represent New York, that makes me feel awesome inside,’ Pitino said in a post-game press conference.
‘So for New York, for St. John’s, to see that crowd tonight, it’s an extra special feeling for me… There’s an extra special feeling being a New Yorker who grew up on 26th Street and grew up in Queens and then Long Island.’
For the Bluejays of Creighton, this game is their albatross. They’re now 0-6 all time in the conference title match.
After starting off the game shooting a hot 77 percent from the field, the Bluejays began to falter down the stretch of the first half.
The Red Storm were able to keep Creighton stars Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth relatively silent – with the big man and the guard combining for seven first half points. Kalkbrenner ended the game as their top scorer, while Ashworth shot a paltry 3-for-19.
For St. John’s, Zuby Ejiofor – the big who dropped an improbable 33 points in their win over Marquette – was the top dog in the first half. But the Johnnies went to the locker room down three.
The Red Storm tied the game at around the 12 minute mark of the second half, but couldn’t will their way to an advantage – despite an overwhelmingly pro-St. John’s crowd at the Garden.
They finally took the lead about a minute and a half later when transfer center Vincent Iwuchukwu put up a floater over Kalkbrenner to go up 43-41.
Alex Rodriguez and girlfriend Jaclyn Cordeiro sit courtside at Madison Square Garden
Filmmaker Spike Lee, draped in St. John’s gear, gesticulates after a call on Saturday night
Ryan Kalkbrenner of Creighton finished as the team’s best scorer with 15 points on the night
With momentum – and the lead – on St. John’s side, RJ Luis Jr knocked down a bucket and then made a celebration that mimicked a pistol. Referee James Breeding gave him a technical foul as the crowd roared their disapproval.
Luis gave them plenty to cheer about. After Kadary Richmond knocked down back-to-back layups, the Big East Player of the Year hit one of his own to unhinge the roof of the Garden.
Fans became unhinged as well. A woman St. John’s fan poured beer on a Creighton fan sitting three seats over – causing a brief fracas before the Bluejays fan was escorted away.
The Red Storm rolled on down the stretch. Despite being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the Power Five, they finished the night shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc with seven daggers.
Even in the final minutes, while up 14 with under two minutes to go, Pitino was still commanding his players. He barked at guard Simeon Wilcher to quit talking to a ref while the Johnnies were shooting free throws with less than two minutes to go.
The clock ticked, the horn sounded, nets were cut, confetti rained on the floor. The Johnnies had finally reached the peak of the conference they had struggled in for so many years.
St. John’s became the first team since 2009 to overcome halftime deficits in the semifinals and final of this tournament. The last squad to do so? The Louisville team led by Rick Pitino.
RJ Luis Jr, the conference’s Player of the Year, also claimed top player of the tournament
Rick Pitino smiles during the first half of the game against Creighton on Saturday
In the stands, a Creighton fan (black clothes) fought with a St. John’s fan near the media row
Confetti rains down upon the floor at Madison Square Garden after the Big East title game
With Lou Carnesecca smiling down upon them from heaven, the Red Storm now march to March. The NCAA Tournament beckons, with the Johnnies projected to be a top two seed in the brackets set to drop on Sunday evening.
At the top of the mountain, Pitino had every chance to gloat and declare that the Johnnies were bound for greatness.
He didn’t.
‘Humility is a big part of my life right now,’ Pitino said in a question asked by DailyMail.com. ‘It wasn’t always that way. I don’t believe in redemption, I believe in humility.’
Pitino then reflected upon the lost life of former Louisville star Junior Bridgeman, who passed away just four days ago.
‘I take life one day at a time,’ Pitino reflected. ‘I don’t consider ourselves that people should beware of us. I’ve lost in the first round, I’ve been to seven Final Fours.’
A Final Four could well be in the sights of the Johnnies, 40 years since their last. In a college basketball season defined by its uncertainty and lack of one truly dominant team, you can’t rule them out.
Maybe this could be the time for the Red Storm to carve a path of destruction and domination – all the way to San Antonio.
