St. John’s Men’s Basketball is back in the national spotlight after five years, achieving a No. 22 ranking in the AP Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll on Nov. 11. The team earned this spot with 178 points, highlighting their early-season promise. 

The Red Storm entered the rankings following a powerful season debut that saw two victories over Fordham on Nov. 4 and Quinnipiac on Nov. 9. Key performances by RJ Luis Jr. and Brady Dunlap, who both scored over 20 points vs. Quinnipiac helped cement the ranking, after narrowly missing a spot in the preseason and week one polls. 

This ranking is significant, especially after Rick Pitino said at last month’s St. John’s Media day that the poll “is a joke” and “you can’t be serious about ranking anyone right now” regarding preseason rankings. While suggesting the polls should be viewed cautiously, the No. 22 spot is a good sign of what’s in store for the Red Storm. 

After the team faces Wagner College on Nov. 13, their schedule will surely be a test. 

On Nov. 17, Pitino will face his son, Richard Pitino, and the New Mexico Lobos at Madison Square Garden in the highly-anticipated Pitino vs. Pitino matchup. 

From Nov. 21-22, the Johnnies head to the Bahamas to compete in the 2024 Baha Mar Championship, where they face No. 12 Baylor in the first round, and potentially No. 11 Tennessee or Virginia in either the championship or consolation game. 

The team will conclude its regular season with matchups against Harvard, Kansas State in the Big East-Big 12 Battle and Bryant, before beginning conference play against DePaul. 

St. John’s isn’t the only Big East team in this week’s rankings. UConn stands at No. 3, Creighton at No. 14 and Marquette at No. 15. Former opponent Rutgers sits at No. 24

The team will play Wagner at Carnesecca Arena at 6:30 p.m.