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Rick Pitino gives hilarious, outlandish answer on celebrating St. John's Big East tournament title

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•03/15/25
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© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino has already cemented his rightful place as one of the best coaches in college basketball history. And the Hall of Famer has once again worked his magic, guiding the St. John’s Red Storm to their first Big East Tournament Championship since 2000. Following the game, both the players and their coach were ready to celebrate the big win.

How does Pitino plan on celebrating? In style of course. “I’m gonna drink a quart of Jameson’s,” the New York native laughed in his postgame interview.

St. John’s pulled away in the second half, outscoring Creighton 57-38 in the second half. The Red Storm pulled away for a 82-66 victory. RJ Luis was the MVP of the Big East Tournament. And he delivered a special performance exactly when his team needed it–the second half. He poured in 29 points, with 27 of those coming in the second half, propelling St. John’s to their first Big East Tournament crown in over two decades.

Confetti rained down on the Madison Square Garden floor on Saturday night. And it was all smiles for the Red Storm and their fans. In his first year at St. John’s, Pitino guided St. John’s to a 20-13 overall record.

And it only took year two for the team to win the Big East Regular Season Championship and the Big East Tournament Championship. Currently, they boast an impressive 30-4 overall record. In honor of their 2025 Big East Tourney title, the Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in red and white on Saturday night.

Some of St. John’s biggest stars picked the perfect time to shine the brightest. RJ Luis stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points and 10 rebounds. He wasn’t the only one with a double-double. Star guard Kadary Richmond pumped in 12 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out four assists, and two steals. He’s been one of the most complete guards in America and he once again showed up when the Red Storm needed him.

In On3’s James Fletcher III’s latest Bracketology projections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, St. John’s is projected to be selected as a No. 2 seed. It’ll be exciting to see just how far Pitino and the Red Storm can go in the big dance.