NBA Draft

NBA Draft: St. John's Trio Powers Red Storm Past UConn

RJ Luis, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejofor have all made strong cases for First Team All-Big East.

Matt Coletti

Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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In a 12 o'clock matinee at Madison Square Garden, St. John's dominated UConn and was able to secure the first regular season sweep of the Huskies since the 1999-2000 season.

Rick Pitino has led the Red Storm to the school's best winning percentage in Big East play in 40 years with three more games to go. The turnaround this program has made is as impressive as you will see in college basketball.

Led by standouts RJ Luis, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejofor, each has been the best player on the team at different moments this season, but they have been finding their rhythm as a unit lately heading into postseason play.

RJ Luis | Guard | 6'7" | 215 lbs | Junior

RJ Luis
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) shoots in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Despite only shooting 1-of-12 on 2-point field goals, RJ Luis made his impact on the game in other areas. Not known to be a shooter, Luis knocked down three of his six three-point field goal attempts punishing UConn for playing off of him.

Luis looks like a consistent three-point shot away from being an NBA player, but continues to show he is not afraid to take shots from deep. After missing his first two attempts, he knocked down his third with no hesitation. His willingness to shoot and seemingly improved shooting stroke should give NBA teams reason to believe he can improve in this area once he gets time with their player development programs.

Luis also contributed five rebounds, two steals and a block showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor. The junior guard has proven to be a high-level two-way player on one of the best defensive teams in the country. He leads St. John's scoring 17.4 points per game along with 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

Kadary Richmond | Guard | 6'6" | 205 lbs | Senior

Kadary Richmond
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Kadary Richmond (1) shoots past Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kadary Richmond has elevated his game to new heights taking over games for St. John's in the blink of an eye.

The jumbo point guard has established himself as one of the best defenders in the country for his position as he averages a block and two steals per game as he continues to show he is capable of guarding one through five at times. Richmond has some of the quickest hands you will see in the college games consistently forcing turnovers with swipes on the ball no one saw coming.

Although he is poor shooting the ball with funky mechanics, Richmond makes his impact on the game in so many ways that consistently leads to winning. He is currently averaging 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game on 49.5% from the field. Richmond's playmaking ability on both ends of the floor stands out each game he plays and is a massive part of St. John's success.

Zuby Ejiofor | Forward | 6'9" | 240 lbs | Junior

Zuby Ejiofor
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) dunks past Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The big man in the middle for the Johnnies, Zuby Ejiofor has been a force to be reckoned with all season long. Despite being listed at 6'9", Ejiofor plays like one of the biggest players in college basketball.

He causes problems for defenses with his relentless seals under the basket and grabs rebounds out of opponent's hands consistently. Ejiofor has great touch for a big as he can finish around the basket with both hands through contact. Doing most of his damage in the paint, the forward has showcased an ability to knockdown occasional jumpshots from the midrange and has made eight threes on the season.

Ejiofor is the heart and soul of this team anchoring them on both ends of the floor with his defense and paint dominance. Rick Pitino's switch-heavy defense has allowed Ejiofor to showcase his ability to lockdown guards on the perimeter as well. He is the second-leading scorer on the team with 14 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 blocks and one steal per game.

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Matt Coletti
MATT COLETTI

Matt Coletti is an experienced basketball mind with years of experience around the game. He has served as a Basketball Operations Intern for the Indiana Pacers and is playing his fifth year of DIII basketball. Matt covers the NBA and college basketball in depth with an emphasis on scouting the top young talent.

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