00:00Another win for St. John's here at the Garden. They're 24th of the season. They win 72-69 over Georgetown.
00:06I got to see it. My guy, Zach Braziller, the great New York Post sports beat writer covering St. John's.
00:12Zach, this was an interesting game because you'd hear that score and you're like, ah, they only won by three
00:16points.
00:17St. John's was so sluggish. It looked like they were still sleeping in the first half, but then they turned
00:22things around in the second half.
00:23Did you like anything about the turnaround, or were you kind of disappointed on senior night that they didn't come
00:27out with the requisite energy in this one?
00:30Yeah, like they played as well as they can on Saturday, blowing out Villanova.
00:37I thought they'd play better tonight. They didn't, but you know what? They found a way to win. That's all
00:41that matters.
00:42They outscored Georgetown by 15 over the last 14 or so minutes. That's all that matters is you find a
00:48way to win.
00:49You know, this team, look, last two years, this team has found a way with obviously different players each of
00:56the two years,
00:56but they've found a way when they're not at their best to win, and that's a good quality to have,
01:01especially as March comes around.
01:03You don't want to be as sloppy and flat, but it happens. You're facing a team that's been losing a
01:09lot, who's hungry, who played harder,
01:11but you dug in and you won the game when it mattered. So look, all that matters is 24-6,
01:1716-2.
01:17Tied with you kind of top the Big East, one game left.
01:20One game left. We'll get to that in a bit, but Coach Pitino, he talked a little bit, didn't talk
01:26long to the media today,
01:27but he did share with us how he felt about this game at St. John's, coming back and getting the
01:31victory.
01:32It was a great win for us. Senior nights are very difficult emotionally for players that we came out flat.
01:40My biggest disappointment was that we had open shots and we constantly counted on misses,
01:48with the exception of this young man to my right, who never met a shot he didn't like,
01:53and came through for us with rebounds, shots, but I'm a little disappointed, but elated we won.
02:03We had to make great plays down the stretch. I'm disappointed because my guys are having a very difficult time
02:09understanding styles of play.
02:11This team has played Connecticut and Villanova to the wire.
02:17They keep it close with tempo, and I tried to explain that to them, and they just thought it was
02:24another game.
02:25So they weren't mature enough to understand styles, and that was very disappointing as a coach.
02:34But we had to really dig deep because we didn't have it to win, and that's what it's all about
02:40with a good basketball team, digging down.
02:42So we did a lot of good things with 10 minutes to go in the game to come away with
02:48a victory.
02:48Okay, so you said it. They get the job done. They get the win.
02:53You cannot talk about the second half of this game without talking about Osan Sanon.
02:57He was tremendous with his shot, hitting shots from the outside, and hit some big shots with confidence.
03:04They don't win this game without him. You can talk about Zuby, and we'll get to him in a second,
03:07but they don't win this game without Osan in this one.
03:09Yeah, I mean, look, that second half performance is kind of what you thought you were getting when he transferred
03:14in from Arizona State.
03:16He's a guy that people think has NBA upside, and he's had a few games here and there.
03:21He's made some big shots, but he hasn't given you a half like that in a while, and he was
03:26terrific.
03:26You know, he made threes. He had six rebounds. He's really working on his defense.
03:32It's still a work in progress, but he's definitely working harder to become a better defender.
03:36You know, it's funny, Saturday we saw Ian Jackson to break out.
03:39Today it was Osan Sanon. You could never get them together, then maybe have something.
03:45But we haven't seen that all season, right?
03:46The Osan Sanon game and the Ian Jackson game at the same time would be really scary for the Johnnies
03:52if that happened.
03:52You know, I've been saying it all year. I mean, those guys might determine this team's ceiling in March.
03:56You know, especially when you're facing bigger teams and you need to make shots.
04:01And I do, look, it is a, I thought Ian Jackson gave them some pretty good minutes there in that
04:05second half as well.
04:07They need these guys to make shots.
04:10And, look, I think you take it.
04:13You need some bright spots from these guys as they're, you know, they're only sophomores as they're moving along here.
04:18Yeah. So, you get sophomores got to grow up.
04:19Sometimes it was a great game for Osan to grow up in this one.
04:23And Zuby Ejiofor, he talked about his teammate and the big shots that he hit in the second half of
04:27this one.
04:28You know, that's the Osan that we need, you know, each and every night.
04:33That's exactly how he is in practice.
04:35You know, one of the better shooters on our team.
04:36And, you know, he was able to make, you know, big time, you know, buckets, you know, down the stretch.
04:42And attack closeouts as well, you know, because he's a deadly shooter.
04:45So, you know, we like it when, you know, Osan's aggressive, you know, especially on both sides.
04:50You know, like he said, you know, grabbing some difficult rebounds and just hitting timely shots.
04:55And I think that's exactly who he is.
04:57So, we hear from Zuby there.
04:59Senior night from him.
05:00You talked about it.
05:01You knew the crowd would be packed.
05:02He got honored.
05:03He has another big game with 23 points.
05:06The captain did his thing.
05:07At this point, we're not surprised at anything we see from Zuby and his leadership.
05:11And we expect him to be named Biggest Player of the Year.
05:14Yeah, he's going to be the Biggest Player of the Year.
05:16I think he's going to be a second or third team All-American when that comes out.
05:21Just a remarkable two years for him here.
05:24Last year, I thought he should have been the Biggest Player of the Year.
05:26As good of a year as RJ Lewis had, Zuby was their most valuable player.
05:29He was their rock on defense.
05:31And this year, he's taken his game up to another level.
05:34Only high major player in the country ever leading his team in rebounds, scoring, blocks, and assists.
05:40Does everything.
05:41Tonight was just typical Zuby.
05:44You know, he scores, he rebounds, he distributes.
05:48I think he's an NBA player.
05:50I was just about to ask you that.
05:52We'll see.
05:52But, yeah, I mean, look, probably, look, it's such a good draft.
05:55It's an absurdly good draft.
05:57You know, maybe sneaks in late first, probably more like early second.
06:01But teams are going to love him when they meet with him.
06:04He's an incredibly hard worker.
06:06You know, he might have to take the same path.
06:08I think it will get drafted.
06:09He might have to take the same path with some former St. John's guys, Julian Champagny, with the Spurs.
06:14Danis Jenkins with the Pistons.
06:16Where, like, have to prove themselves in the G League and then take advantage of that opportunity comes.
06:21But, I mean, he's the kind of guy you want on your team.
06:25I don't think there's any question.
06:25Yeah, we even heard after the game, we heard Ed Cooley talk about the fact that he sees a plague
06:29at the next level on an NBA roster.
06:30You think he's an NBA guy.
06:31I'd always wanted to get your thoughts on that.
06:33But Zuby also shared with us his thoughts on playing his final regular season home game here at the Garden
06:39and what it meant to him.
06:40It was an emotional night.
06:41It was, you know, it was, you know, it was everything that, you know, I thought it would be, you
06:47know, and I appreciate them.
06:50You know, my family was, you know, obviously out there as well.
06:52And, you know, guys were saying I was going to cry, but there was no tears shed.
06:58So, but it was, it was special.
07:01It was a night that, you know, I wouldn't forget.
07:03And, obviously, you know, it's a lot better, you know, coming out with the win.
07:07Okay, Zach, so here we go.
07:08We've been moving through the season.
07:10St. John, one game left in the regular season.
07:12That is Friday night at Seton Hall.
07:14St. John's still have a chance to win the Big East outright, but they need UConn to slip up here.
07:19They win on Friday.
07:21That helps them clinch at least a share of the Big East title.
07:24What are you looking forward to going into that matchup on Friday night?
07:27Yeah, look, it's a rivalry.
07:29Seton Hall had St. John's down 15 here.
07:31St. John's came back and won.
07:33Seton Hall nearly won at UConn on Saturday.
07:36They went out to Xavier, beat Xavier today.
07:39Seton Hall's had a great year when you look at their NIL payroll.
07:43You look at the talent on that roster.
07:44Seton Hall's, they're not barring, you know, beating St. John's and maybe beating UConn in the Big East tournament.
07:50I don't think Seton Hall's going to the NCAA tournament.
07:52They've had a really good year.
07:53They're tough.
07:53They're physical.
07:54They play really good defense.
07:56Yeah, St. John's going to have to play better to win this game Friday night.
07:59I do think you're going to have a ton of St. John's fans there.
08:02Chance to clinch at least a share of the Big East title.
08:05Should be a really fun one in Newark thanks to Big East.
08:089 p.m. starts, so, you know.
08:10You love those 9 p.m. starts.
08:12So the fans will be nice and ready to go, I would think.
08:15I think so on Friday.
08:16Yeah, it should be a fun night.
08:18You know, a nice kind of Big East tournament appetizer.
08:20Yeah, it should be.
08:21And then after that, as you just mentioned, Big East tournament appetizer.
08:23We'll have that coming next week.
08:25So myself and Zach, we will have a lot for everybody coming up in the next week,
08:29including the press conferences for the Big East tournament
08:32where they announce player of the year.
08:33We expect that to be Zuby Edge of Four.
08:35So it should be all very interesting.
08:37That is Zach Braziller.
08:38I'm Dexter Harry.
08:39St. John's win 72-69 over Georgetown.
08:42We'll have more for you coming soon.
Comments