Johnnies go west for opening round of NCAA, but could face big names in later rounds

St. John’s gathered at Carnesecca Arena for NCAA Tournament selection show, where Red Storm learned it would meet Northern Iowa in first round of March Madness. (Photo by Kevin Connelly/Storm The Paint)

By Jason Dimaio (@Jaydimaio)

NEW YORK — Mark your calendars and get your travel plans in motion.

St. John’s will be traveling westward to open the NCAA Tournament, but assuming it can win its first two matchups, will find its way back to the east coast for the regionals.

The No. 5 seed in the East Regional, the Red Storm will begin March Madness in San Diego on Friday against Missouri Valley Conference champion Northern Iowa. The winner will face the winner between fourth-seeded Kansas and No. 13 seed Cal Baptist on Sunday.

The draw, which could potentially see the Johnnies face top-ranked Duke, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, as well as Michigan State or a potential rematch with UConn in the regional final, was a mild surprise to St. John’s fans in the wake of the team’s resounding Big East tournament championship win Saturday. Many had expected the Red Storm to have done enough to potentially land a No. 4 seed, but the lack of a standout non-conference win scuttled that chatter before it could gain life.

“Half of our staff thought we were a 4 (seed),” head coach Rick Pitino said during a selection show watch party inside Carnesecca Arena. “I thought we were a 5. We’ll be playing a tough team in the first round, and should we get past them, we will have to play a Kansas team whose fans will pack the house and we’ll maybe only get a few hundred people.”

The Kansas matchup, should it happen, would pit Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor against his former team, from whom he transferred following the 2022-23 season. The Jayhawks were also lined up opposite St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament last season, but lost to Arkansas in the first round before the Razorbacks went on to upset St. John’s two days later. Although Kansas is a significant roadblock standing between the Red Storm and its first trip to a Sweet 16 since 1999, Ejiofor was unfazed by the prospect of a revenge factor.

“You’ve gotta really focus on our first opponent first,” the senior captain insisted. “And if that happens, it happens.”

While Pitino is not overlooking Northern Iowa, some telling stats do bode well for the Johnnies. The Panthers are 356th among 365 Division I teams in offensive rebounding, as well as 363rd (third-lowest) in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. St. John’s will also be the first power conference team UNI will play this season.

“They have a senior-laden team, they shoot a high percentage from three, and they don’t turn it over,” Pitino said after glancing at stats given to him by his staff. “But the stats don’t always tell you everything. You have to watch them, and we’ll watch them tonight.”

The cross-country flight is suboptimal, but Pitino dismissed its impact, owing it to coming with the territory of competing on the sport’s grandest stage.

“That’s the breaks,” he said. “I’ve been to Portland and Arizona (with Louisville) and went on to a Final Four. It’s not ideal traveling to the west coast, but we’ll deal with it and make the best of it.”