Johnnies make statement with wire-to-wire Big East quarterfinal win over Butler

Kadary Richmond flirted with second straight triple-double Thursday, taking control as St. John’s blew past Butler in Big East tournament quarterfinals. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

NEW YORK — They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air.

Rick Pitino has used the Great White Way as a metaphor for playing on the grandest stages, the highest levels of college basketball. With the extra attention generated by the marquee comes a caveat, though: Live up to the hype, or your show can be canceled.

Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm, perhaps the most popular act around these parts currently, got renewed after a commanding 78-57 win over Butler to open a Big East tournament that was in no way symbolic of a one-night-only affair.

The Johnnies opened the latest chapter of their revival in authoritative fashion, scoring 18 of the first 21 points against the Bulldogs and undoubtedly keeping the box office coffers well-lined. But while most reviews will be glowing, the chief critic offered a typical good—but not good enough—synopsis.

“We were a four-star tonight,” Pitino deadpanned. “We did a lot of good things tonight, we did a lot of things we need to get better at, but overall it was a four-star performance. We’ll take it.”

St. John’s, undefeated at home during the regular season, took the stage unfazed as Butler looked to spring the upset playing its second game in as many days. But the Bulldogs proved undermanned both in the paint and in transition, where the Red Storm pounced early and often. Butler committed 15 turnovers, which St. John’s converted into 24 points to make an off day from Zuby Ejiofor (four points, seven rebounds) inconsequential as the Johnnies crushed their opposition in the lane by an emphatic 44-18 margin.

“We focused on blocking out,” Pitino acknowledged after Marquette made life difficult for the Johnnies this past Saturday. “We wanted to get out in transition and make good plays. (Butler) opened up in a 1-3-1 (zone), which we’ve only seen a few possessions, and we handled it well. Like I said, it was a good four-star performance.

One of the most critical keys to a successful production is having a seasoned veteran in a lead role in some capacity. For St. John’s on Thursday, that was Kadary Richmond. The fifth-year senior, searching for his first win on this stage after coming up empty three times at Seton Hall, nearly produced a second straight triple-double. Playing his usual understated self, Richmond stole the show in quiet but decisive fashion, racking up 15 points but supplementing the offense with eight rebounds and nine assists to take the spotlight from Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis (20 points, seven rebounds).

“I feel like I’m just making the right play,” the Brooklyn native said. “(I’m) just going out there, playing basketball and having fun freely. Guys are making shots, that’s really it.”

St. John’s kept its unblemished Madison Square Garden record intact as a result, and will await either Xavier or Marquette in Friday’s semifinal round, the second straight appearance there for a program who had waited 24 years to return. The familiarity with its current backdrop may seem advantageous to the Red Storm, but for the actors on the hardwood set, it is simply all business.

“We feel comfortable in here,” Richmond assessed. “We’ve played here. It’s special, just having one more chance to play in this tournament. There’s nothing like it, it’s a great feeling.”

And the Johnnies won’t quit until they’re stars.