St. John’s Red Storm vs. Northern Iowa Panthers Round Of 64 Preview | 2026 NCAA Tournament

St. John’s just steamrolled UConn by 20 points in the Big East Tournament final. They won the regular season title. They’ve won 19 of their last 20 games. And the NCAA Tournament selection committee looked at all of that, nodded politely, and handed them a No. 5 seed.

A five. For the Big East champions. If you’re a Red Storm fan, you had every right to throw your remote at the wall on Selection Sunday. And a lot of them did exactly that.

Rick Pitino wasn’t throwing anything. The Hall of Fame coach took the podium, looked his fans in the eye, and said something that tells you everything about where this program is headed.

“We’re gonna represent you in a great way, I guarantee you.”

That’s not bulletin board material. That’s a man who’s been to the Final Four multiple times, who’s built winners everywhere he’s coached, and who simply does not panic. While fans were losing their minds on social media, Pitino was already thinking about Northern Iowa’s three-point shooting percentage.

Why St. John’s Got a No. 5 Seed Despite Winning the Big East

The short answer? The Big East had a rough year in the metrics department, and the NCAA Tournament selection committee doesn’t care about your hot streak.

Pitino explained it plainly. “It’s all metrics from the first game to the last game. The last game doesn’t mean any more than the first game you play.” He pointed to a loss against Providence, a team he actually called “a damn good basketball team,” that counted as a Quad 3 loss in the NET rankings. That kind of thing drags a resume down fast, regardless of how you finish the season.

“The old days — like eight, ten years ago — it counted the last 10 games of the season as what they really looked at,” Pitino said. “They don’t do that anymore.”

Coach K Agrees: The Committee Got This One Wrong

Pitino isn’t the only one raising an eyebrow. Mike Krzyzewski went on The Pat McAfee Show and didn’t mince words. “Connecticut and St. John’s — that never happens,” Coach K said, referring to the fact that both Big East heavyweights landed in the same East Region. “The Big 10 has five teams, but they’re spread out. The Big 12 has four — one in each region. I was a little bit surprised that St. John’s is a five seed with what they’ve done lately.”

And he’s right. Packing the two best teams from the same conference into one bracket is a gift to every other region. Duke, Michigan State, and Kansas are all thanking the committee right now. Meanwhile, UConn’s Dan Hurley already admitted the East is “tough.” That’s coachspeak for “this bracket is absolutely brutal.”

What St. John’s Is Actually Walking Into

Let’s be honest about the road ahead. It is not a pleasant one. St. John’s opens tournament play on March 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST against No. 12 seed Northern Iowa on CBS. Don’t sleep on the Panthers. They shoot a high percentage from three, rarely turn it over, and average 15 assists per game. Pitino said it himself: “The first opponent we’re playing is very tough.”

Win that one, and Kansas, with superstar freshman Darryn Peterson, likely awaits in the second round. And yes, there’s some extra juice to that matchup. St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, transferred from Kansas two years ago. Imagine that second-round game. The storylines write themselves.

Then, if St. John’s can get past the Jayhawks, a potential Sweet 16 clash with No. 1 overall seed Duke looms. And hovering somewhere further down the bracket is the possibility of a fourth meeting with UConn.

Pitino’s Big Picture Message About the Big East

Beyond the tournament seeding drama, Pitino used the moment to say something that matters long-term. The Big East needs to get stronger. He wasn’t complaining — he was identifying a problem and calling it out publicly.

“We gotta get the Big East stronger,” he said. Simple, direct, and absolutely correct.

Only three Big East teams made the tournament this year. The Big 10 sent five. The Big 12 sent four. If the Big East wants its champions to be rewarded with fair seeding, the conference needs more depth — more quality teams pushing each other every single night.

That’s the kind of thinking that goes beyond one season. It’s a coach investing in the long game.

St. John’s Has Everything It Needs To Make a Deep Run

This Red Storm team is not a fluke. They’ve won 19 of their last 20 games. Pitino has reached the Sweet 16 a remarkable 13 times in his career. Ejiofor is one of the best players in the country. Mitchell has Elite Eight experience from his time at Texas. Ian Jackson played in the NCAA Tournament with North Carolina last year.

This is a battle-tested group that has bought into a culture. “If they want to enter this program, it’s more than money,” Pitino said. “You’re getting players that buy into that culture.”

They’ve already beaten UConn twice this season, including that dominant 72-52 championship win. They’re not afraid of anyone in that East bracket. The No. 5 seed might sting. But St. John’s has a chance to make the committee look very, very foolish before this tournament is over.