St. John's basketball ripping through program record book with no end in sight

The Red Storm are doing things that haven't been done in Queens in quite some time

Jan 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. John's basketball head coach celebrates during the first half against the Georgetown Hoyas at Capital One Arena.
Jan 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. John's basketball head coach celebrates during the first half against the Georgetown Hoyas at Capital One Arena. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

No record in the St. John’s basketball record book is safe this season.

With each game the Johnnies are setting some type of new benchmark and there’s no end in sight.

The most recent was holding Georgetown to 41 points in its 25-point victory on Tuesday night in the nation’s capital, the fewest number of points they have ever given up in a conference game in program history.

Its win also pushed its start in league play to 9-1, which is the best record the team accumulated to begin Big East play since 1984-85 – the last time the school went to a Final Four.

“It means a lot for us,” Aaron Scott said of the record shattering start the Red Storm are on to begin the season, which saw the Johnnies finish an undefeated month of January for just the first time since the iconic ’84-85 season and only the seventh time since World War II.

“This team is getting better and better,” Rick Pitino added. “It’s a really good basketball team getting better.”

The Red Storm have won 13-of-14 games and seven consecutive, its longest winning streak in conference play since 2011. Its 18-3 record is the best overall mark the program has seen since 1985-86 when it was 20-2.

“I’m happiest, not only for the players because they’re the reason this is happening, but I’m happy for the St. John’s fans. It’s been a long time for them.”

The benchmarks should only continue throughout the rest of the season for the Johnnies.

A victory on Saturday afternoon (12:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network) against Providence would put the No. 15 Red Storm in contention for a Top-10 ranking in the Associated Press Poll on Monday after the program has not been inside the Top-15 since it was No. 9 in the final AP Poll of the 1999-2000 season.

St. John’s has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000, the same year it last won a conference tournament championship, and it has not won a Big East regular season title since 1992.

Each one of those stats could be rewritten in the next six weeks.

“I see them so positive as I walk around the streets of New York,” Pitino added about the Red Storm fans. “I see them so happy. They come on the road. We’re going to have 18,000 people for Providence.”

“There’s no reason that St. John’s can’t be a great basketball team.”