Is there a new giant in college basketball with the resurrection of St. John's?

It took St. John's head coach Rick Pitino just two seasons to help the Red Storm reach the top of the Big East.

The program earned the number one overall seed in the Big East Tournament, and this past Saturday, the Red Storm earned the right to call themselves conference tournament champions.

Pitino has been a winner at every stop in his college career, including championships with Kentucky and Louisville. Actually, the one with the Cardinals doesn't count; however, the people of Louisville still count it.

But all joking aside, Pitino may be the new Dr. Frankenstein, as he may have created a new monster in New York.

Billionaire St. John's alum Mike Repole, who helped recruit Pitino in 2023, promised the team would have plenty of NIL money to work with moving forward.

Full story » https://t.co/02uxGeol5A pic.twitter.com/PPXDq4uHhp
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 15, 2025

Pitino recently made a comment that his program will be more interested in grabbing talent from the transfer portal rather than recruiting high school talent.

With the introduction of NIL, money has been a focal point in every conversation with teams and players they hope to bring in.

St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor celebrates with his piece of the net after defeating the Creighton Bluejays to win the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

However, it appears Pitino will not have to worry about the finance side of recruiting. BodyArmor founder and St. John's alum, Mike Repole, says the program has his hel in whatever it takes to keep them on top of the college basketball world.

Winning cures a lot. Apparently, it will also bring billionaires who are alumni of your school to give you a blank check to create a roster. Times may never be better with the St. John's basketball program, and they have Pitino to thank for this resurrection.

Home/CBB