It’s a late winter night, the crowd is buzzing, and two of college basketball’s fiercest coaches are facing off. One is a legend, Rick Pitino, with decades of championship experience. The other is Dan Hurley, determined to prove that UConn is still the Big East powerhouse it’s known to be. But this year, something unexpected is happening—the script is flipping. St. John’s, under Pitino’s leadership, has surged to the top of the Big East, and UConn, the 2x defending national champions, might just be left in the dust.

St. John’s is having its best start in over two decades. They are sitting comfortably at 8-1 in the Big East, something the program hasn’t seen since 2001. What’s even more remarkable is how they’ve managed to turn their fortunes around after years of struggle. The Red Storm hadn’t even sniffed an NCAA tournament berth since 2019, but with Pitino at the helm, things have changed dramatically. It’s not just about winning games—it’s about a whole new energy around the program.

And let’s not forget, analysts are taking notice. John Fanta from the Field of 68 podcast put it bluntly: “At this moment, it’s St. John’s.” However, he quickly added, “Big picture: St. John’s has yet to play Connecticut, they’ve yet to play Marquette, and they still have to go back to Georgetown after that game was close. I’m interested to see what happens next week when they do go there, and they have Xavier tonight.”

Fanta continued saying, “But when you look at St. John’s schedule in February: February 4th against Marquette, February 7th at UConn, February 12th at Villanova, February 16th against Creighton, then at DePaul, and back home against UConn. That schedule—February is a gauntlet. So, they’re rolling right now; there’s no question about it—they are a really special team.” For now, the Red Storm is on top—and there’s no denying they’re playing some of the most exciting basketball in the country.

One of the big reasons St. John’s is getting so much attention is the coaching genius of Rick Pitino. In just his second season, Pitino has completely transformed the program. The Red Storm are not only atop the Big East, but they’re doing so with an incredibly balanced team.

They’re second in scoring, second in scoring defense, and have one of the best rebounding margins in the league. It’s clear that Pitino’s “fear of losing” mentality is working. His squad doesn’t just play hard—they play smart.

The story gets even more interesting when you factor in the rivalry between Pitino and UConn’s Dan Hurley. The two coaches have been trading barbs all season long. With Pitino even suggesting that their game at UConn should be moved to the smaller Carnesecca Arena.

Hurley didn’t take kindly to the remark, responding with jabs about programs “punching up.” This rivalry is certainly spicing things up in an already wild conference race, and it’s obvious that these two teams take it more serious than ever when they go head-to-head.

Despite their recent struggles, UConn remains a team to watch. Back-to-back national champions, UConn is a program that is tough to count out. But according to Fanta, “If you were asking me who’s going to make the deepest run in the tournament in this league and who’s going to win the Big East tournament, I would actually lean more towards St. John’s,” he remarked.

The Red Storm, under Pitino, has been nothing short of remarkable. And many believe they could surprise some of the more established teams in the conference, including Uconn.

Why Dan Hurley’s team can’t rest on their laurels

Despite their success in recent years, UConn isn’t without its issues. Defending national champions have shown cracks in their defense this season, most notably in rim protection. The losses to Creighton and at the Maui Invitational have exposed these weaknesses and cast doubt on the long term Big East prospects of the team.

UConn has also been inconsistent, dropping two of their last three games and slipping to 6-2 in conference play. Despite being still one of the best teams in the conference, they haven’t shown consistency, which makes them wonder: Can they do it again?

Roster turnover for Dan Hurley’s team is one reason. UConn lost several key players off last year’s title team and while there are some new promising faces like Liam McNeeley, they still haven’t quite figured out their chemistry yet. UConn’s dominance is no longer as secure as it was. As more teams like Marquette and St. John’s prove that there’s competition.

So where does that leave the Big East race? It’s clear that the rivalry between Pitino and Hurley will continue to add drama to an already thrilling conference race. Whether or not UConn can regain its dominance or if St. John’s can seize the moment and claim their first Big East regular-season title in over three decades remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: this season is far from over, and the Red Storm are here to stay.