At the age of 72, Rick Pitino has St. John’s one win away from its first outright Big East title in 40 years. FOX Sports’ John Fanta explains why this just might be Pitino's finest act yet.

The St. John's Red Storm has been a surprising force in the Big East conference in Rick Pitino's second year as head coach. After a mediocre 2022-2023 season, the Johnnies showed improvement last year.

Rick Pitino’s second-year turnaround has resurrected a program-long absence from the spotlight. Now, St. John's is a force to be reckoned with.

“We wanted to be as the last moment in that episode the team sitting down with the coach, finding out where they were going to be seeded,” Vice TV president Peter Gaffney told Newsday. Sometimes plans change, though, especially when the planner-in-chief is Rick Pitino.

Even while playing in a hostile environment against a gritty Butler team, Rick Pitino and St. John’s basketball did what they have done best all year: win. The Johnnies escaped a valiant upset bid from one of America’s former Cinderellas at Hinkle Fieldhouse,