NEW YORK — For the first time in nearly 40 years, St. John’s enters the Big East tournament as the top seed.
After winning their first outright regular-season title since the 1984-85 season, the No. 6 Red Storm (27-4) open their quest to win their first conference tournament since 2000 when they face ninth-seeded Butler (14-18) Thursday afternoon in a quarterfinal matchup.
The Red Storm are the top seed in the tournament for the first time since 1986 – when they followed up their Final Four appearance by sharing the regular-season crown with Syracuse while Chris Mullin was a rookie with the Golden State Warriors.
“You got to stay focused on every little thing,” Red Storm coach Rick Pitino said Wednesday after winning the Big East Coach of the Year award. “The NCAA Tournament, you just got to cut out all the distractions. You got to shut the phones off. You really, really got to focus.”
Picked fifth in the preseason poll, St. John’s (27-4) clinched the regular-season title with a 71-61 victory against Seton Hall March 1 at Madison Square Garden where it is 9-0. The Red Storm are also 18-0 at home and have been ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for eight straight weeks.
Among the reasons for the impressive regular season in coach Pitino’s second year is the ability to win close games. The Red Storm are 8-4 in games decided by six points or fewer, which includes their 86-84 overtime win Saturday at Marquette when Zuby Ejiofor hit his second buzzer-beater this season.
“I think we’re in the best shape of our lives,” Ejiofor said Wednesday. “Honestly the practice session that coach puts us through we’re a little bit more conditioned than most teams. We do whatever it takes to win. We’re a gritty team.”
After backing up Joel Soriano last season when St. John’s reached the Big East tournament semifinals for the first time since 2000, Ejiofor earned the league’s Most Improved Player award earlier this week for averaging 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Ejiofor often provided a nice secondary scoring option behind RJ Luis, who averages 18.1 points and was the first St. John’s player since Walter Berry to be named Big East Player of the Year. Luis scored 28 in the regular-season finale and shot 26-for-48 in his final three games since shooting 4 of 18 against UConn on Feb. 23 in his return from a groin ailment.
St. John’s swept both regular-season meetings with Butler, surviving a 1-of-21 showing from behind the arc in a 71-62 home victory on Jan. 4 and getting 24 points from Luis in its 76-70 win on Feb. 26.
“Obviously, they’re the best team in the league, so this is a great opportunity for our guys,” Butler coach Thad Matta said.
Butler advanced past the opening round for the first time in three years by earning a 75-69 wire-to-wire victory Wednesday over Providence. Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting for his ninth game of at least 20 points.
The Bulldogs gave up fewer than 70 points for the second time this season and allowed 37.7 percent shooting. At the same time, they got outrebounded 53-29 as Providence grabbed 25 offensive boards.
Brooks scored 29 points in the two meetings with the Red Storm, who held him to 11-for-29 from the field.
“It’s a home game for St. John’s,” Brooks said. “It’s going to be pretty packed in here, so we have to come in as one and come in calm and collected and try to get a W.”
