Latest news with #BigEastChampionship
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Creighton defeats Xavier 11-8, advances to Big East Championship on Saturday
MASON, Ohio (KCAU) – Creighton pulled away in the second half of the game, scoring seven of its eleven runs after the fourth inning on its way to defeating Xavier 11-8 to advance to the Big East Championship. Connor Capece knocked in four RBI on 4-for-5 hitting while Kyle Hess' two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth put the team up for good. Ian Koosman earned the win on the mound for the Bluejays, striking out four batters while only allowing two hits in 3.1 innings of work. Creighton will face the winner of UConn and Xavier on Satuday at 5:00 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
RJ Luis Jr. makes his NBA intentions clear after stunning St. John's transfer
Access the St. John's beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St. John's. TRY IT NOW RJ Luis Jr.'s name is currently in the transfer portal and the NBA draft, but the former St. John's star made it clear Thursday that one of those is a clear preference over the other. 'I'm fully into the draft right now,' Luis said before accepting the Lt. Frank J. Haggerty Metropolitan Player of the Year Award, as decided by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. 'The transfer portal's kind of like a backup plan. Just weighing my options in case I don't like anything that's going on as far as the draft. Definitely fully focusing on the draft right now.' Advertisement Currently, Luis has a 'Do Not Contact' attached to his name in the portal. He's working out in Florida with the full intention of going to the draft combine and keeping his name in the draft, with shooting being a heavy focus. 5 RJ Luis Jr. talks with reporters at the MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards on April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post 5 RJ Luis Jr. attempts a shot during the St. John's game against Omaha on March 20. Charles Wenzelberg Advertisement 'Just staying square,' said Luis, who shot 33.6 percent from 3-point range last season. 'Lot of balance, lot of repetitions. Trying to get a quicker release, obviously shoot the ball on motion. And obviously, the line is a little further back [in the NBA], so just getting used to that.' Luis had a breakout junior season, leading the Johnnies to the Big East Championship and a No. 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament while averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 wing's season ended in ignominious fashion, however, as he was benched down the stretch of a second-round upset loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement 5 Zuby Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr. are pictured April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post He said Thursday that the way the season ended had no bearing on his decision to leave St. John's. 'It was fully determined on entering my name in the draft this year after the incredible season that I had,' Luis said. 'That was always the main goal. I feel like the entire coaching staff was also on board with that decision. It was mutual.' Asked whether he'd fully digested that game, Luis described himself as 'past that now.' Advertisement 'I feel like everything is in the past,' he said. 'I have a great relationship with the coaches still. Just continue to put the work in.' 5 Zuby Ejiofor attempts a shot during the St. John's game against Arkansas on March 22. Charles Wenzelberg That he flew back up to New York to accept the award, representing St. John's while doing so, is an obvious sign that Luis still has a strong relationship with the university. Teammate Zuby Ejiofor, who will be back with the Johnnies next season as a senior, was there with Luis. 'It's one of many awards that RJ Luis has gotten this season,' Ejiofor said. 'The man, he's more than deserving of this award, he put in a lot of work. Just to see him overcoming adversity time and time again, to have the season that he did this past season, myself and everybody can say we wouldn't have had the season we had without RJ Luis. For him to get this award, the amount of time he put in, really supportive of him.' Ejiofor will return to a largely overhauled roster, with a transfer portal class compiled by coach Rick Pitino that includes Bryce Hopkins, Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon, Oziyah Sellers and Dillon Mitchell. The Johnnies even added reigning Big Sky MVP Dylan Darling on Thursday. 5 Zuby Ejiofor is pictured during the MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards on April 24. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Advertisement 'Oziyah, he's probably one of the best 3-point shooters in the country in my opinion,' Ejiofor said. 'He just came in, he did the workout, he just blew the numbers. Dillon Mitchell, really athletic guy. Guy that can get into transition. Really special. Special player. Bryce Hopkins, we already know what he brings to the table, being a first-team All-[Big East]. He worked out as well, he was doing fine. Joson, another great shooter. 'So we have a lot of great shooters. That was the main focal point for this season. I'm really excited for how they're gonna come to the team and contribute and build on the things we did last year.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I want guys who want to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier basketball roster
While the NIL and transfer portal permits college basketball rosters to be built in a matter of weeks, new Xavier head coach Richard Pitino isn't rushing the process. It's not lost on Pitino that he doesn't have enough players for a game at the moment. After his former New Mexico Lobos' forward Filip Borovicanin committed Tuesday night, Xavier had three scholarship players on its roster. Advertisement That was until Thursday, when forward Lassina Traore, who missed all of last season because of injury, entered the transfer portal. "It's very challenging to build a whole roster," Pitino said. "It's way more do-able now in the current landscape than ever before. We're gonna be very patient. Not just a band-aid, not just a quick-fix." The roster construction process takes time, no matter how fast things move during the college basketball offseason as players flood into the portal searching for a new opportunity. Pitino and his staff have a certain type of recruit in mind with the portal in full swing, and how to find them. "You gotta ask the right questions. You gotta really get to know them because it's certainly becoming more transactional," Pitino said. "Although it's changed, I want guys who want to win, and they're coming here because they're gonna give their heart and soul to that. Advertisement "You gotta figure out that piece. You really have to do your homework. Everyone is doing that right now." 'It just fits you.': Why Rick Pitino encouraged his son to become Xavier's next head coach While it's rare for college basketball players to stay at one program, Pitino is still aiming at keeping players at Xavier. Could there be one-year Musketeers as early as next season? Sure, simply because there are a ton of scholarships still on the table. However, Xavier could be targeting players with multiple years of eligibility remaining that they can keep and develop. "Retention is going to be very important for us," Pitino said. "I think it's very important that my staff has clarity of what exactly I'm looking for. The goal is to win. The goal is to win championships." Advertisement 'This community deserves a winner.': The Richard Pitino era begins at Xavier University 'It's a fun way to play.' With the transfer portal commonly revolving around which program gives out the biggest paycheck, Pitino's style of play is an easy recruiting pitch. New Mexico ranked No. 7 in the country in tempo, according to KenPom, and Pitino is bringing his up-tempo approach to Cintas Center. Pace, conditioning and stamina will highlight Xavier next season, an approach Pitino got from Gonzaga and veteran head coach Mark Few. Richard Pitino on taking Xavier job: "Very fortunate to have tasted success at New Mexico. I love the taste of it. My goal is Big East Championships. If you win the Big East Championship, you're gonna get a good seed in the NCAA Tournament." "It's not very hard to sell a vision that we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court," Pitino said. "They gotta push through when they get tired. We have to practice it every single day. It's hard, but it's a fun way to play." Advertisement Defensively, Pitino's teams cause chaos. It's a style inspired by watching one of Kelvin Sampson's practices at Houston on his way back from recruiting in Beaumont, Texas, along with several years under the tutelage of his father, Rick Pitino. "We want disruption. We want you extremely uncomfortable," Pitino said. New Mexico was No. 23 in defensive efficiency in 2024 and No. 19 last season. Pitino's Lobos were No. 51 in turnover percentage and top 35 in the country in steals and blocks. Who is Xavier targeting in the transfer portal? Pitino and his staff were active in the transfer portal in the week between agreeing to terms to become Xavier's next coach and Tuesday's introduction. Advertisement Valparaiso guard All Wright, the MVC Freshman of the Year was on a visit to Xavier Tuesday along with Virginia forward Anthony Robinson, who played sparingly as a freshman for the Cavaliers. Xavier was linked to Summit League Player of the Year Marquel Sutton (Omaha), who just wrapped up a visit with Kansas State. Omaha transfer Marquel Sutton (10) averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Mavericks last season. Xavier also reached out to Brian Moore Jr., who won Lou Henson Award as the nation's top mid-major player this season at Norfolk State and will have several suitors. Jamichael Stillwell listed Xavier in his final six schools along with Oklahoma, West Virginia, UCF, Memphis and Virginia. As a junior at Milwaukee, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged a double-double at 13 points and 10.7 rebounds (No. 7 in the nation) per game. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'The goal is to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier roster
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Creighton-St. John's live updates: How to watch, odds, predictions for Big East final
Creighton-St. John's live updates: How to watch, odds, predictions for Big East final Show Caption Hide Caption College basketball coaches: Who is overpaid and underpaid? USA Today's Paul Myerberg breaks down NCAA basketball coaches who deserve more money, and others that may not be up to their salary standards. Sports Pulse The Big East Tournament comes down to this. St. John's and Creighton will compete in the Big East Tournament Championship on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The stakes are high—the winner will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The St. John's men's basketball team earned the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament for just the third time in program history after clinching the regular-season title for the first time in 40 years. Can the Red Storm (18-2 conference) keep the momentum going? They will have Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. and Coach of the Year Rick Pitino to lead the way. The Creighton Bluejays (15-5) earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament, while the back-to-back champion UConn Huskies (14-6) entered as the No. 3 seed. Marquette Golden Eagles (13-7) earned the No. 4 seed. When is the Big East Tournament Final between St. John's and Creighton? The Big East Tournament Championship game between the Creighton Bluejays and the St. John's Red Storm is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, and tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City. How to watch Creighton and St. John's in the Big East Championship The Big East Championship game between the St. John's Red Storm and the Creighton Bluejays will be televised nationally on Fox, with streaming available on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers. Watch the Big East Championship with a Fubo subscription We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
St. John's Red Storm vs. Creighton Bluejays: Big East Championship live stream, TV channel, start time, odds
St. John's Red Storm vs. Creighton Bluejays: Big East Championship live stream, TV channel, start time, odds Watch to see as the Big East championship is decided Saturday as the No. 1 seed St. John's Red Storm (28-4, 18-2 Big East) meet the No. 2 Creighton Bluejays (23-9, 15-5 Big East) at 6:30 p.m. ET, live on FOX. St. John's was a winner at home over Marquette, 79-63, in its most recent game. Its top scorers were Zuby Ejiofor (33 PTS, 9 REB, 73.33 FG%) and RJ Luis (13 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL, 22.22 FG%). Creighton beat UConn 71-62 at home in its most recent game. Its top performers were Jamiya Neal (19 PTS, 46.15 FG%, 3-5 from 3PT) and Jasen Green (19 PTS, 80 FG%). Get ready for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's college hoops action. Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Watch college basketball on Fubo! St. John's Red Storm vs. Creighton Bluejays Game day: Saturday, March 15, 2025 Saturday, March 15, 2025 Game time: 6:30 p.m. ET 6:30 p.m. ET TV: FOX NCAA Basketball Odds and Betting Lines Spread: St. John's -6.5 St. John's -6.5 Total: 140.5 College basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 4:59 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Watch college basketball on Fubo! Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
