RJ Luis went for 22 points and 8 rebounds and Zuby Ejiofor had 15 and 9 for St. John’s (16-3, 7-1 Big East), which has won five straight and is poised for the program’s first NCAA Tournament main-draw bid since 2015.

St. John’s defense put the squeeze on standout Seton Hall wing Isaiah Coleman, who tallied 11 points and six boards but shot just 1-of-12 from the field. A bad game for the Hall got worse when starting guard Chaunce Jenkins (11.3 ppg) limped off the court shortly before halftime and did not return due to a hamstring injury.

After the first one, coach Shaheen Holloway threw his hands into the air as Luis lobbed the ball to Smith in transition, Smith returned an alley-oop back across the paint and Luis finished the dunk. “Let’s go Johnnies” chants even broke out inside The Rock.

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When Kadary Richmond steps on the court at Prudential Center on Saturday night as a member of the St. John’s Red Storm for the first time, he’s probably going to get lustily booed. After all, the Brooklyn native transferred out of Seton Hall to their local Big East rival after helping to lead the Pirates to the NIT championship last season.

The St. John’s Red Storm (15-3, 6-1 Big East) will try to build on a four-game winning run when they visit the Seton Hall Pirates (6-11, 1-5 Big East) at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at Prudential Center. The game airs on Fox Sports 1.

WATCH: Seton Hall fans boo St. John's guard Kadary Richmond during introductions

Rick Pitino laughed at the suggestion. No, the St. John’s coach said with a smile, jeers won’t impact senior guard Kadary Richmond when he returns to Prudential Center as the enemy. “I think being booed is something that he can handle,