Stress-free, wire-to-wire basketball, something St. John’s has been seeking all season long.
On a day of alumni celebrations, the Johnnies showed up for their former students — completely dominating the Creighton Blue Jays, winning 81-52, taking their fourth-straight over Greg McDermott. Three games remain in the season, the Big East regular season crown is still up for grabs — here are five takeaways from a successful trip at MSG.
Starting off hot — the key to success
Contrary to past contests, St. John’s quickly pounced on Creighton, jumping to a 8-0 lead, forcing a timeout. It was a shocking turn of events; a Blue Jays team that just defeated UConn on the road was defenseless on offense, turning the ball over three times within the five minutes.
The Red Storm continued to dominate, keeping their lead comfortably throughout the first half. Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins dominated through the first 20 minutes, scoring a combined 20 points, as the Red Storm entered the locker room with a 42-27 lead, one of their best halves of the entire season.
Bryce Hopkins has been a DIFFERENCE-MAKER
It’s taken a bit of time, but finally, Bryce Hopkins has settled in as a true difference-maker. The Providence transfer started his campaign in Queens off slow, taking a backseat offensively to Zuby Ejiofor. However, since the loss to the Friars on Jan.3 , Hopkins has been dialed.
Over the last five games, Hopkins has been unstoppable, averaging 16 points, eight rebounds, and two steals over the last five games — receiving the team MVP from Rick Pitino.
“He is playing great,” said head coach Rick Pitino. “He’s won three big bell awards; it’s a very competitive award. He’s doing the most right now, which we need. Coming off an injury, it takes time; he’s definitely gelled with his teammates.”
Hopkins continued to provide strong play for St. John’s in the win over Creighton on Feb. 21, scoring seven points through the first six minutes. The Providence transfer finished his afternoon scoring 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and two steals, going 6-10 from the line. Hopkins is delivering high-level basketball at the perfect time, right before March play begins.
In-Sync basketball!
Rick Pitino has begun to sound like a broken record, repeating all throughout the season how difficult it is to have eight new players come in and play with each other. However, over the historical winning streak, St. John’s has proved that they’ve been clicking.
In the win over Creighton, the Red Storm tied their second-most assists in a game this season with 20, trailing only their opening matchup on Nov. 3 against Quinnipiac where they had 25 total while scoring 108 points. Just by watching the game, it was apparent a newfound bond was there, it’s one that has catapulted them back into several games on their long win streak — something good teams can do.
“I said to them before, what you are accomplishing is very difficult in the Big East,” said Pitino after hanging on to defeat Marquette on Feb. 18. “Most of these guys never knew each other, so you can’t build it overnight. You have to go through some tough times.”
The word is out on Dylan Darling…
Dylan Darling is just weeks away from becoming a household name. Darling immediately gives off the vibes of a potential March Madness legend, one who leaves a lasting impact in a game that will never be forgotten.
Darling is known for his immense hustle, energy and ability to show up late in games, referred to consistently as “the closer.” Darling’s impact has been so important to the team that it’s motivated Rick Pitino to create an award given out after every game to the most impactful player of the game, with the title “the big bells award.”
This is a nod to Darling, who Pitino stated had “balls the size of church bells,” after stepping up in a road game against Xavier on Jan. 24 where he delivered the game-icing three-pointer with under a minute to play. Darling has been praised by several Big East coaches, including Dan Hurley after St. John’s successfully beat UConn.
Against Creighton, Darling again, made an impact — scoring 17 points with three steals in 28 minutes, stepping up for an injured Ian Jackson.
“I think Dylan Darling has changed their team in a lot of ways over the last six weeks,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. “There’s a confidence and tenacity of toughness on defense. He’s making huge plays on both ends.”
A day of HISTORY
To the surprise of many, St. John’s is on the cusp of having one of their best seasons in program history. After dropping an early Big East contest to Providence on Jan. 3, the Red Storm have tallied off 13-straight wins, posting their first streak of 13 or more games since winning 19 straight from Dec. 22, 1984, to Feb. 23, 1985. The streak is also the program’s second-longest Big East winning streak, dating back to the same 1984-85 team.
“”I’m surprised about the road wins,” said Pitino. “That’s very difficult to do in the Big East. You’re supposed to win at home so I shouldn’t be surprised.”
The Johnnies also recorded their largest Big East win since 2022 against Butler, delivering a 81-52 beatdown on Creighton. With just four games remaining in the season, the chase for their best record in Big East play ever is on, having a 15-1 record — their best coming last season when they finished 16-2.
