Mar 14, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John’s Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) celebrates with forward Bryce Hopkins (23) and guards Oziyah Sellers (4) and Dylan Darling (0) during the second half of the men’s Big East Conference Tournament Championship game against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The debate on whether or not St. John’s deserved to be a No. 5 seed at the 2026 NCAA Tournament could go on forever, but the fact of the matter is that there is no time to dawdle.
The Red Storm hit the floor for their second-straight appearance at the Big Dance on Friday in Tampa against No. 12 Northern Iowa in hopes of keeping their ridiculous hot streak churning.
After starting the season 9-5, the Johnnies have won 19 of their last 20 games to win the Big East regular-season title, and then follow it up with a dominant run in the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden, ending with a 20-point win over UConn, which just so happens to a No. 2 seed in the very same East Regional bracket.
Senior big-man Zuby Ejiofor is coming off one of the most decorated seasons ever by a St. John’s product. He became the first player in Big East history to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the Dave Gavitt Trophy for Most Outstanding Player at the conference tournament.
He averaged 16.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this season, and has posted 18 or more in each of his last five games. He is a force down low, and will be the toughest test for a Northern Iowa defense that comes into the NCAA Tournament with as strong a defense as any school on paper.
The Panthers allow the fewest average points per game in the nation and rank 24th in adjusted defensive rating. They’ve held their opponents to under 70 points in each of their four games at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and are one of the best teams in the country defending on the perimeter (28.5% 3PA) despite rolling out a big lineup. Two of their players (Trey Campbell and Leon Bond III) were named to the MVC All-Defensive Team this season.
That defense is the foundation of this team, as the offense is, to put it plainly, not good. Their 69.9 points per game ranks 361st in the country, their offensive rating ranks 153rd, and they have not beaten an opponent ranked in the top 100 this season.
Is there a reality in which they can get hot from beyond the arc and make this a game? Absolutely. Northern Iowa’s half-court offense will likely look to execute quickly in an attempt to catch St. John’s lacking.
“Just by their scores, they play everybody tough,” head coach Rick Pitino said of UNI. “They have a senior-led team. They have four guys in double figures. They shoot a very high percentage from three. They don’t turn it over a whole lot. They get an average of 15 assists per game.”
But St. John’s has held its opponents to a 31.3% mark from three-point range this season, and ranked 12th in defensive in adjusted defensive efficiency, so if a defensive battle is to be had, the Big East side should like its chances, regardless.
Yet the Red Storm’s offense is nothing like Northern Iowa has seen in the MVC, averaging 81.6 points per game this season and having the distribution of talent throughout the lineup (Eiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Oziyah Sellers) to will their way to a first-round victory.
They have been doing it all year against far stronger opposition.
“We had a tough schedule in the non-conference this year,” Ejiofor said. “A lot of opponents, great opponents, that got us ready for this moment. Battled through adversity, learned a lot of lessons about ourselvves and throughout these matchups. We’re truly excited. This is going to be the first opportunity for these guys to feel the thrill of the NCAA Tournament. It’s entirely different, and the guys are ready for it. Nobody wants to lose in the first round. You want to keep it going. It’s entirely different.”
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