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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, members of the congregation — St. John’s is back. Not fake back. Not “we beat two cupcake schools and tweeted about it” back. I’m talking 13 straight wins, longest streak in 41 years back.
And if you don’t know why, I’ll give you one name:
Rick Pitino.
Yes. That Rick Pitino. The man who has more career resurrections than a soap opera villain. The man who walks into a program and immediately installs defense, discipline, and fear. Mostly fear.
To understand how crazy this run is, you have to go back to the golden days under Lou Carnesecca, when the Red Storm were rocking with legends like Chris Mullin and scaring the life out of the Big East.
Back then, St. John’s was a national power. Madison Square Garden wasn’t just a venue — it was a warning label.
Then came decades of almost, maybe, kinda, sort-of. Coaches rotated in and out like bad Wi-Fi connections. Athletic directors made hires that felt like they were picked out of a clearance rack.
The program wandered through the wilderness longer than a reality TV marriage.
Until Pitino walked in.
Here’s the funny part — this team is one of the oldest in college basketball. Pitino didn’t go shopping for freshmen with baby faces and five-star hype videos.
Nope.
He hit the transfer portal like it was Black Friday at Walmart.
Why?
Because NIL money changed the game.
With NIL collectives and donor backing, St. John’s finally said: “You know what? Let’s stop pretending we’re broke.”
Pitino wasn’t looking for potential. He was looking for grown men. Guys who’ve been punched in the mouth before. Guys who understand rotations, closeouts, and how not to panic in crunch time.
He built a roster with experience — not TikTok followers.
This isn’t a highlight factory. It’s a defensive pressure cooker.
They don’t have a future NBA franchise player.
They don’t have a 28-points-per-night human flamethrower.
What they have is balance. Defensive intensity. Ball movement. Accountability.
Pitino has done this before.
Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
At University of Kentucky, he built a machine that culminated in a national title in 1996.
At University of Louisville, he built another championship-level culture.
His best teams weren’t always about one guy dropping 40.
They were about pressure defense, veteran guards, and five guys playing like their scholarship depended on it.
Sound familiar?
Look at the heavyweights: Duke University, University of Kansas, University of Connecticut, University of North Carolina.
Those teams often rely on elite shot-makers or lottery-level talent.
St. John’s? They rely on suffocating defense and depth.
And in March — when whistles get weird, legs get tired, and freshmen start seeing ghosts — experience wins.
Pitino doesn’t coach cute basketball.
He coaches win-or-walk-home basketball.
This win streak didn’t happen by accident.
Veteran leadership.
Defensive intensity.
Half-court execution.
Guys buying into roles.
It’s not flashy. It’s surgical.
You can see the discipline in late-game situations. No panic. No hero ball. Just execution.
That’s coaching.
Let’s address the elephant in the Garden.
Pitino’s past NCAA issues made some people nervous. There was backlash. There were tweets. There were pearl-clutchers.
But here’s the reality:
St. John’s didn’t need a PR-friendly hire.
They needed a winner.
The previous regimes tried “safe.” They tried “developmental.” They tried “hope.”
Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray, New York Post
Pitino brings expectations. Accountability. Standards.
And let’s be honest — college basketball is a business now. NIL made it official. If you’re not aggressive, you’re irrelevant.
St. John’s finally chose aggressive.
- Defense travels.
- Veteran guards control tempo.
- Depth survives foul trouble.
- Pitino in March is not someone you bet against.
When the tournament starts, the pressure gets heavy.
You think a 23-year-old transfer who’s been through three programs is scared?
No.
He’s tired of moving and wants a ring.
The conference isn’t the old days of Georgetown-Syracuse blood wars.
But it’s physical. It’s gritty. And St. John’s fits that identity perfectly.
They don’t beat you with glamour.
They beat you with exhaustion.
By the second half, teams look like they just ran a marathon in Timberlands.
For 41 years, St. John’s fans have been waiting for this kind of run.
Forty-one.
That’s multiple generations of “maybe next year.”
Now?
Madison Square Garden feels loud again.
The bench looks confident.
The body language screams belief.
And if you’re a college basketball fan who thinks this is just a cute story?
Be careful.
Because the scariest thing in March isn’t the one-seed.
It’s the veteran team with a Hall-of-Fame coach that nobody wants to play.
This isn’t hype.
This isn’t nostalgia.
This is structure. Discipline. Experience. NIL strategy. And a coach who has done this dance before.
St. John’s isn’t just back.
They’re organized.
They’re old.
They’re angry.
And they might just be cutting down nets while the rest of the country says:
“Wait… when did this happen?”
Ladies and gentlemen, the Red Storm isn’t brewing.
It’s here.
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My name is Errol Marks and I’d like to tell you why I believe I can be a major asset to your station. I’m from a small town in Long Island, NY and from a very young age I’ve always had a love for sports talk radio. Growing up, I would listen religiously to shows like Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, and Imus in the Morning and studied what made those shows so great. I’ve made it my goal to be as influential as the hosts I grew up listening to, and with my knowledge of all major sports, enthusiastic and fearless personality, and my preparation skills, I know I can get to that level. This is an art and a medium that I’m passionate about and one that I feel can never be replaced.
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