St. John’s Men’s Basketball Team is crowned the 2026 Big East Tournament Champions

Short N Sweet Ent

Photo Credit: bigeast

New York. NY (MSG) – At the World’s Most Famous Arena, the UConn Huskies and the St. John’s Red Storm Men’s Basketball Teams battled it out in the 2026 Big East Tournament. The length of talent for both teams is truly impeccable, and yes, it was a dogfight till the last whistle, but St. John’s won with a score of 72 – 52 and are our CHAMPIONS. 

St. John’s made history as they became the first Big East team to win back-to-back Regular Season and Tournament Champions. Their resilience and preparation led them to victory. St. John’s set the tone early and went on a 10-0 run to open the game, leaving UCONN to play catch-up for the entire game.  

Senior Zuby Ejifor has had a season to remember. Earlier this week, he was announced as the Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and with, his spectacular performance during the championship, he was named the Most Outstanding Player. “Like I’ve said pretty much all year, we’ve had a target on our backs, and we had to battle through adversity all season. Nobody believed that we could get to this moment but us. Everybody in the locker room and these guys, they earned it. This is what they come here for, and we accomplished a few goals that we set out to do”, Ejifor stated in his celebration. He finished the game with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 7 blocks.

 Photo Credit: bigeast

The whole team contributed in the championship game. Bryce Hopkins finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Oziyah Sellers finished with 14 points. Dillon Mitchell finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. Dylan Darling finished with 8 points and 5 assists. In a post-game interview, Darling stated, “I’m so proud of this group, we have a bunch of resilient dudes, and we never gave in”.

On the court, Head Coach Rick Pitino stated, “I’m so happy for our team. I’m so happy for our student body administration and the whole city. It means so much to the city, and it means so much to the coaching staff to get the fruits of our labor. For me, this is a dream come true”.

Under Head Coach Rick Pitino, St. John’s has secured a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Written By: Shauntay Hallett

Until Next Post... Coach Tay