Don’t look now, but there’s an oldie but goodie at the top of the Big East Conference college basketball standings. St. John’s is 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the Big East. The St. John’s coach: Rick Pitino.

Riding the program's best start in 39 years, No. 20 St. John's regained sole possession of first place in the Big East by rallying past Xavier 79-71 in overtime.

After indicating on Friday that Deivon Smith wouldn't play against Seton Hall because of a sprained right shoulder and adding that he wouldn't use a player experiencing pain, Rick Pitino had Smith on the court for 17 minutes in a blowout win.

NEW YORK — In his second season on the job, Rick Pitino is at it again ... St. John's hasn't played No. 10 Marquette or No. 19 UConn yet, with two meetings still scheduled against each one.

Rebuilding once-great programs is what Pitino has been doing for his entire career and his second seasons have typically been marked by quantum leaps.

Rick Pitino’s first-place Johnnies returned to the national rankings after another perfect week, slotting in at No. 20. It is their highest spot in the top 25 since the 2014-15 season. That was also the last time St. John’s reached the main draw of the NCAA Tournament.

St. John's hasn't played No. 10 Marquette or No. 19 UConn ... the way they fight." Red Storm coach Rick Pitino The Red Storm's three losses were by a combined five points -- one on a 3-pointer ...

Red Storm coach Rick Pitino The Red Storm are 8-1 in the Big ... St. John's hasn't played No. 10 Marquette or No. 19 UConn, with two meetings still scheduled against each. The Red Storm don ...

It’s a late winter night, the crowd is buzzing, and two of college basketball’s fiercest coaches are facing off. The post $45 Million National Coach’s Unpredicted Breakthrough Prolongs UConn and Dan Hurley’s Agony appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The long climb back to national relevance has finally ended for No. 20 St. John's. But Rick Pitino and the Red Storm are nowhere near satisfied. St. John's will look

Another night and another Big East game where Seton Hall was badly over-matched.

NEWARK – The boos rained down on Kadary Richmond from the moment he took the Prudential Center court Saturday night. Since last spring, when Richmond transferred from Seton Hall to St. John’s for his postgraduate season – the first Pirate basketball player ever to switch to another Big East program – this game was circled on Hall fans’ calendar.