St. John’s men’s basketball is hitting its stride, and with it comes a return to the Top 25 of the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls.
The Red Storm is No. 20 in the nation, per the AP, and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll. They were in the top 25 for two straight weeks on Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 — the first time they made the list in nine years.
Their bump in the NCAA Division I rankings comes amid a red-hot stretch that includes five straight wins and victories in 11 of their last 12 games. The AP ranking of No. 20 is their highest since the 2014-15 season, when they were ranked No. 15 on Dec. 29.
Rick Pitino’s men are 16-3 this season, just four wins away from equaling their win total from last year.
A near-perfect start to Big East play has played a major role in St. Johns’ return to the rankings. They currently hold the top spot in their conference with a 7-1 record, which included a 28-point win at Seton Hall on Saturday and a 12-point win over Villanova on Jan. 11.
The 7-1 start to Big East play is the school’s best since 1998-99, and the Red Storm have not held sole possession of first place in the conference this late in the season since 1986. They lost won the Big East regular season title in 1991-92 when they shared it with Georgetown and Seton Hall after going 12-6.
