00:00We are moving on with the Red Storm.
00:02They advance to the Big East Tournament Final, 78-68 victory
00:06over the Seton Hall Pirates.
00:08Dexter Henry, Zach Brazile here.
00:10Zach, this was a game, that 78-68 score, a little bit misleading here,
00:15not as close you would think.
00:16St. John's dominated this game early in the paint.
00:20I think the first 20 points were in the paint in this contest.
00:23How impressed were you with their performance tonight
00:25and the ability to advance here to the final?
00:27Yeah, look, they played a really good first 30.
00:31Seton Hall made a run.
00:33They have a habit of digging it themselves, big deficits,
00:38and then coming back and finishing strong.
00:40They really pressured the ball.
00:41But St. John's handled it.
00:42They stopped the run, and they sold it away late.
00:45Both games, they've started incredibly well.
00:48Tonight it was 8-zip out of the jump, really attacking the rim.
00:53They didn't really have to play guys too heavy minutes.
00:55They could mention when they played 37.
00:56But, yeah, like a really, really good performance.
00:59It's kind of like Providence, where third of the regular season,
01:01Providence gave them trouble.
01:03Seton Hall gave them trouble.
01:04Seton Hall played them really tough twice,
01:06and then tonight was a little different.
01:08Yeah, tonight was a little different.
01:09Look, it's never easy beating a team three times in one season,
01:13but the Johnnies, they were able to do that.
01:15And they talked after the game about playing the Pirates for the third time
01:18and coming out on top.
01:19You know, walking over here, John Fanta was asking me a question.
01:23How impressive is it to go to a second, final game?
01:27I said, what's really impressive to me is to beat Seton Hall three times.
01:30That is not easy to do because of the way they get after you.
01:35And we're excited to play.
01:37We played really good offense tonight, moving the basketball,
01:40attacking inside the paint.
01:41We controlled the paint the entire first half,
01:43and that's what you have to do.
01:45All right, Zach, so in beating the Pirates, you talked about them.
01:48You talked about how Providence gave the Red Storm a bit of trouble.
01:51The Pirates, a very good defensive team, very physical.
01:54Has St. John showed you with these two wins here in the Big East tournament
01:57that they can play against any style of play?
02:00Do you like them as a team that can handle any style of play,
02:03or do you still think right now in the postseason there are teams
02:05that could give them trouble?
02:07Yeah, you know, Seton Hall is really tough and physical now.
02:09They don't have a ton of size, especially on the wing.
02:11But, yeah, Seton Hall's a really, you know, good team.
02:14I've been really impressed with how they've played early in these two games.
02:17They've started really well.
02:19You know, they've played, they've really controlled both games, you know.
02:24Both Providence and Seton Hall made runs at some point in the second half,
02:27as all teams will.
02:28And they handled it, they handled it really good.
02:30I mean, I think if you're a St. John's fan,
02:32you've got to be really happy with these first two games
02:35and how they've looked.
02:35And now we learn a little bit more tomorrow night.
02:39Yeah, we'll learn a little bit more tonight.
02:40We're going to get to that.
02:41We are just teasing you a little bit.
02:43We're going to get to that.
02:43But I think one of the players,
02:44we always like to talk about a player that played well,
02:46Joson Sanning, gave you some stuff from the outside,
02:49and he had some interesting comments, which we'll show you later,
02:52after this.
02:52But we've been getting that guard play.
02:54We've been getting that shooting.
02:55We talked about Josiah Sellers after the Providence game.
02:58Now it's Sanning after this game.
03:00Is this kind of shooting?
03:01You might not know who you're going to get it from,
03:02but this is what St. John's needs if they're going to make a deep run
03:06in the NCAA tournament, correct?
03:07Yeah, I thought Sanning in that first half really kind of changed the game.
03:11He comes in, he hits threes.
03:12I think he scored 10 of his 15 in the first half.
03:15Helped them build a 13-point lead.
03:17Really is playing with a lot of confidence.
03:20He's defending better.
03:21And, yeah, he's becoming a weapon for them from deep.
03:24He hit two threes on a Thursday.
03:26Hits three tonight.
03:27Made a big defensive play late in that game.
03:30You know, he's a guy that, and he has a ton of confidence.
03:34He's going to hit the ball if he's open.
03:35You don't have to worry about that.
03:36Yes.
03:37And that's really important for a guard.
03:39And, you know, as these games get more pressure,
03:42and we get into the NCAA tournament,
03:43you need guys who aren't going to be afraid of the moment.
03:46And he's not.
03:46Yeah, he's got all the –
03:47Jack talked about the confidence.
03:49He's got that confidence.
03:50He wants to shoot the ball.
03:51He is not afraid at all.
03:53And you want that, like you said, in postseason play.
03:55And, look, guys, after the game,
03:57Joson Sanning talked about his hot shooting night,
04:00or nice shooting night, I would say.
04:01I'm going to call it hot.
04:02Really good shooting night here at the Garden.
04:04Well, it feels great, you know.
04:06When I was on the – when I come off the bench,
04:08I told Cal, like, yo, we need some threes.
04:11And when Coach put me in, I just did my thing.
04:16Can you tell me that before I put you in?
04:19Just nudge me and say, Coach, I'm ready for threes.
04:24Okay, Zach, here we go.
04:26I know you were waiting for this from the start of this tournament.
04:28St. John's, UConn.
04:29Start of October.
04:31Oh, you were waiting for it that long?
04:32We knew they were going to play three times, man.
04:34Oh, did you?
04:34Come on.
04:35No, okay, but did you know they were going to play three times
04:37in the championship game?
04:38I mean, they were by far the two best teams on paper entering the year.
04:42This was preordained.
04:43Okay, so Zach knew, people.
04:45He knew that this was going to happen.
04:47So he expected round three.
04:49You were there for the first two rounds.
04:50The last round was a beatdown in Hartford.
04:53It was.
04:53Right?
04:54St. John's got beat down in this one.
04:56What are you expecting tomorrow night here at the Garden?
04:58We know the crowd.
04:59I know you're going to expect this.
05:00The crowd is going to be electric here at the Garden.
05:03But what are you expecting when these two teams meet for the third time this season?
05:05Yeah, it's a heavyweight fight.
05:07St. John's beat them here.
05:08UConn then got revenge.
05:10And now we have a third meeting.
05:12Both teams are playing well.
05:14You know, St. John's has lost one game in, what, about 10 weeks?
05:21Yeah.
05:21You know, since the Providence game, they've lost one game in about 10, 11 weeks.
05:25That was to UConn.
05:26And that was to UConn.
05:27And they got humbled.
05:28And they've responded to that really well.
05:32And, you know, that first UConn game, that second UConn game was so weird because I thought
05:37St. John's, for the most part, at least the first half, were getting good shots.
05:39And I feel like they got kind of demoralized as they couldn't score.
05:43And, yeah, I mean, like, it's hard not to focus on the guys in the middle, Edge of Four and
05:47Terrence Reed.
05:48First game, Edge of Four dominated.
05:50St. John's win.
05:51Second game, Reed dominated.
05:53And UConn cruised.
05:54A lot's going to come down to that matchup.
05:56If Reed's could stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor, I think that really helps
05:59UConn.
06:00But if St. John's gets out of foul trouble like that first game, UConn might be in some
06:03trouble.
06:05Look, I think the place is going to be buzzing.
06:07It's going to be electric.
06:08It's going to feel like the old Big East tournament.
06:11St. John's fans got to show up.
06:12There are a lot of UConn fans here tonight.
06:14St. John's fans got to show up tomorrow night.
06:15I was going to ask you about that.
06:17Now, I think a lot of it was UConn fans rooting for Seton Hall.
06:20So it's why it sounded so pro-Seton Hall.
06:23There are a ton of UConns in the building tonight.
06:25St. John's fans got to show up.
06:26You have a chance to win back-to-back Big East tournaments for the first time ever.
06:30You have a chance to possibly get up to a four-seat, I think, if you win.
06:34It's in your home.
06:37Show up.
06:38Now, I'm not saying it's got to be 75-25, but it can't be like 65-35 UConn fans.
06:44It can't be that.
06:45Get in the building.
06:45Show up.
06:46Look, you've waited forever for moments like these.
06:50You had this great year last year.
06:51You're having another one this year.
06:53You have a chance to do something you've never done before.
06:56There's got to be a lot of red in the building tomorrow night.
06:58Okay.
06:58So I'm glad you brought that up, right?
06:59Because I was wondering.
07:00We both expect the atmosphere to be electric.
07:02But what if it is 65-35 UConn?
07:05Not a good look.
07:06I will say at St. John's, I agree with Zach.
07:08You've got to show up.
07:09But if it's that, how much do you think that actually impacts the game?
07:12I don't think it's going to impact the game a ton.
07:16It's going to come down to on the court.
07:19You know, I don't, you know, it'd be one thing if it's like 90-10, but that's not going to
07:25be the case.
07:26But no, I don't think it's going to necessarily impact the game, but I think it is important to St.
07:31John's that their fans get in the building.
07:33That is fair.
07:34Okay.
07:35Since you knew this was going to happen, the great Zach Brazile knew that we were going to have this
07:39three-round heavyweight fight.
07:41What is your prediction for tomorrow night?
07:43Who comes out on top?
07:44I think it's kind of a toss-up game.
07:46I picked St. John's in the paper.
07:48I'm sticking with it.
07:49I'm glad you're not wavering.
07:50I'm glad you're sticking with it.
07:52Zuby is going to be extra motivated by that last UConn game.
07:56I think Zuby is the best player on the floor tomorrow night.
07:59I think St. John's wins.
08:00I think whether it's Sannin, Sellers, Ian Jackson, make threes.
08:06I think they get Tyrus Reid in foul trouble, and I think St. John's wins a real tight one.
08:12It's one of those nights you want to be in the building.
08:14Yeah, one of those nights you want to be in the building.
08:16Guess who will be in the building?
08:17Zach Brazile.
08:18I hope you would show up.
08:19If you don't show up, then I don't know.
08:21There's no hope for the rest of us.
08:22You just told the St. John's fans to show up, so you have to show up.
08:25You'll be here.
08:26I'll be here.
08:26I will be here as well.
08:28It's going to be a fun one on Saturday night at the Garden.
08:30We'll see who comes out on top between St. John's and UConn.
08:33But the Johnnies getting a win today over Seton Hall, 78-68.
08:38I'm Dexter Henry.
08:39That's Zach Brazile, who told you guys St. John's fans.
08:41Three times.
08:42Three times.
08:43Never a doubt.
08:43Never a doubt.
08:44There was never a doubt.
08:45And now he's telling you guys to show up and pack the Garden for the third time.
08:49See you guys tomorrow.
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