Feast Week is upon us, and it looks like… for St. John’s, the turkey hangover came early.
The challenge of physicality proved to be one that Rick Pitino couldn’t overcome, as the Red Storm fell to Iowa State 83–82 in heartbreaking fashion. St. John’s again struggled to find a pulse in the final minutes of a close contest against a good team. With that, here are five takeaways from a disappointing loss.
RUNS! RUNS! RUNS!
St. John’s can be powered by momentum-filled stretches.
It wasn’t pretty through the first 10 minutes in Las Vegas, trailing Iowa State 25–15. But the Red Storm kept fighting, answering with a 17–5 run to take a one-point lead. The surge was powered by strong, consistent offensive play throughout the lineup.
Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers poured in seven points during the run, including a momentum-changing three to cut the deficit to five.
The Red Storm struck again later, this time with a 13–2 run at the 10-minute mark of the second half to take a four-point lead. These stretches were pivotal all night, helping St. John’s repeatedly regain control.
Finding first-half answers has been a need dating back to last season. It initially looked like the usual script — sluggish first half, big second half — but instead the Johnnies pieced together a strong closing run to go into halftime with a lead.
St. John’s ended the first half on a 30–18 run, allowing a breath of fresh air entering the locker room (even if Pitino likely was still ripping into his players).
But as they say, what goes around comes around. Iowa State strung together key runs of its own to rip the game back from the Johnnies.
We live in a world where a Rick Pitino team ISN’T known for defense…
Strong defensive teams are a hallmark of Rick Pitino’s philosophy. Throughout the 2024–25 season, St. John’s was highly regarded for its defensive identity, anchored by elite guard play from Kadary Richmond and physicality from Zuby Ejiofor. But in 2025, the script has flipped: the offense is outshining the defense.
Through five games, St. John’s has taken the country by storm, averaging 97 points per game with the 18th-fastest tempo in the nation. The problem? The Red Storm have struggled to create a defensive presence, especially in the backcourt.
Pitino has attributed early defensive inconsistencies to the fact that, outside Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Lefteris Liotopoulos, the entire guard room is new to the program. Pitino insists it will improve over time — but will it?
Forcing fouls is a true recipe for success
Even in losses to Alabama and Michigan, the Red Storm remained competitive because of their ability to draw fouls. Against the Crimson Tide, St. John’s forced a foul-out from three-point sniper Aden Holloway and kept star guard Labaron Philon Jr. in constant foul trouble.
Against the Cyclones, T.J. Otzelberger had to navigate the rotation after starting forward Blake Buchanan picked up three first-half fouls and a fourth just two minutes into the second. Iowa State finished with 24 fouls, with six players committing at least three.
23 of St. John’s 82 points came from the free throw line, including a perfect 10-for-10 night from Bryce Hopkins, who scored 16. Free throws are a major part of this team’s identity, especially with physical drivers like Hopkins and Ejiofor. Physical teams like Iowa State will foul — and St. John’s can capitalize.
Mental errors and late-game offense KILLED any chance of winning
Dylan Darling struggled to stay on the floor, fouling out after checking into the second half, leaving St. John’s without its starting point guard down the stretch. Offensively, St. John’s couldn’t generate separation when it mattered, scoring just five points in the final three minutes.
It was a similar story against Alabama, where the Red Storm fell apart in crunch time against a high-level opponent. You won’t go far in March if you crumble late — but it’s still November, and these adversity tests didn’t show up much last season.
What on earth was the final play plan??
Down three. Ten and a half seconds left. One timeout. You’d assume they’d call it, draw up a play, and get a clean look for their best shooter to tie the game and force overtime. Right?
Instead… the opposite.
No timeout. A rushed push up the court with no structure. And a step-back three by center Zuby Ejiofor over two defenders. Just like that, the game was over. After fighting tooth and nail to end, the night that way left a sour taste for every St. John’s fan.
Oddly enough, the finish felt eerily similar to last season’s mid-season-tournament loss to Baylor — a game decided by a buzzer-beater after the Johnnies failed to capitalize on a key free-throw opportunity moments prior.
Now they remain in Las Vegas for Day Two of the Players Era Tournament, looking to reverse last year’s loss to Baylor as they tip off at 4:30 p.m.
