The No. 2 Seed in the East Region, St. John’s Red Storm(30-4) is preparing to face the No. 15 Seed Omaha Mavericks(22-12) in the 1st Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. These squads will face off in Providence, Rhode Island Thursday night. Which team will prevail and keep their championship hopes alive?
St. John’s Season Summary
The Red Storm is coming off a historic season in the Big East. They won their first outright regular season title since 1985 and their first Big East Tournament since 2000. Head Coach Rick Pitino has the Red Storm playing the best of any team in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament. He has spoken at length this season about what it means for him, as a native New Yorker, to have St. John’s in a great position.
The team has won this season despite a subpar offense. They are 66th in points scored, 155th in field goal percentage, and 343rd in three-point percentage. A hallmark of Pitino’s teams is playing great defense, and this year’s St. John’s team fits that mold. They are 31st in points allowed, 17th in opposing field goal percentage, and 80th in opposing three-point percentage. The team has been led by Guard RJ Luis Jr. He scored 29 points against Creighton in the Big East Tournament Final.
Omaha Season Summary
The Mavericks dominated in the Summit League. They capped off a great regular season by dominating the conference tournament. Omaha has been strong on offense this season. They are 76th in points scored, 78th in field goal percentage, and 53rd in three-point percentage.
The issue with the team this season has been their defense. They are 274th in opposing points scored, 241st in opposing field goal percentage, and 256th in opposing three-point percentage. Omaha’s best player this season has been Forward Marquel Sutton. He leads the team in points and rebounds. He will be in for a stiff test against the stifling defense of St. John’s.
Final Thoughts
It will be a game of strength against strength. Omaha’s offense will face a great St. John’s defense. Even though Omaha has a miserable defense, it is unclear if the Red Storm could take advantage of that part of the team. Pitino is one of the best coaches in college basketball history. He will have his team well prepared and St. John’s should roll in the First Round.
