St. John’s extended its winning streak to seven games Wednesday with a 92-70 victory over Butler, pushing the Red Storm to 9-1 in Big East play.
Yes, 9-1.
It’s fair to note that none of those nine conference wins have come against currently ranked opponents, and St. John’s has yet to face UConn in either of its two scheduled meetings. So skepticism about restarting any serious conversations regarding Rick Pitino’s team as a potential 2026 Final Four contender is understandable.
That said, context matters.
Since Jan. 6 — the start of this seven-game winning streak — St. John’s has performed like a top-10 team, according to BartTorvik.com’s metrics. That doesn’t guarantee the Red Storm will ultimately meet the lofty preseason expectations that followed their No. 5 ranking in the initial AP poll, but labeling them the sport’s biggest disappointment is no longer accurate.
St. John’s sits at No. 23 in Thursday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1, where Arizona remains No. 1 for the 18th consecutive day. Up next is a road game Tuesday at DePaul, followed by the first of at least two meetings with UConn a week from Friday at Madison Square Garden.
