Fans Salute Red Storm as They Head to NCAA Tournament Opener

Brimming with championship enthusiasm, St. John’s University saluted the Red Storm Men’s Basketball team, winners of the BIG EAST Conference, as it departed for Providence, RI, and the opening rounds of the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) Tournament.

Spirits soared on March 18 as Head Coach Rick Pitino’s team walked past delighted St. John’s fans before departing for its first-round game against Omaha. Members of the University’s spirit squads and Pep Band joined several hundred fans and mascot Johnny Thunderbird, who  gathered in the plaza outside Carnesecca Arena for the enthusiastic send-off.

The send-off was the latest event in a week of spirited St. John’s activities that began with the school’s first BIG EAST Tournament championship since 2000 on March 15. The Red Storm captured the BIG EAST Tournament championship after downing second-seeded Creighton (24-9), 82-66, on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. That night the Empire State Building glowed in St. John’s red and white.

The next day, players paraded the BIG EAST trophy to an NCAA Selection Sunday watch party for coaches, their families and supporters held at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, where they learned of their opening-round opponent—Omaha. Simultaneously, the Sodano Coffee House in the D’Angelo Activities Center was the setting for a raucous gathering of students at its  Selection Sunday event. Anxious students waited until the end of the show to hear “St. John’s” name called that was immediately followed by a spontaneous chant of “Let’s Go Johnnies!”

Put me in a roomful of @StJohnsU students any day of the week but especially on this #SelectionSunday Great watch party in DAC! @StJohnsBBall#WeAreStJohnspic.twitter.com/b7O0ahbhQQ

— Brian Browne (@BrianTBrowne) March 17, 2025

Fans hope the week’s events were just the start of March Madness celebrations for the Red Storm. Students can gather on the second floor of the D’Angelo Center to watch Thursday’s NCAA first-round game between the Red Storm and Omaha, scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m.

“The energy around campus has been incredible, especially among my friends,” first-year student Kal Ginnis said. “We all meet to watch the games. There is so much support for the team, and hopefully we go far in the NCAA Tournament.”

The Red Storm, 30–4, are the second-seeded team in the NCAA West Region. Should the Red Storm defeat Omaha, they will play the winner of Thursday’s Arkansas-Kansas game on Saturday, March 22, also in Providence.

The chance to wish the Red Storm well in a historic season drew students, faculty, administrators, and staff to Carnesecca Plaza on March 18. It also attracted a host of news crews eager to report on the team’s success.

Fans formed a two-sided line as the team paraded to a pair of waiting buses. Fans snapped pictures of their favorite players, including Zuby Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr., while asking for autographs. The Pep Band queued up the “Red Storm Sea Shanty,” made famous by Jimmy Fallon on a recent episode of The Tonight Show.

Nearby, Johnny Thunderbird, members of the spirit squads, and even a Red Storm robotic dog stirred up the crowd to support of the team, whose success has united the campus. Pizza and ice cream trucks added to the atmosphere.

“There is so much enthusiasm around campus,” said Dance Team member Brielle Termini. “It is amazing to see how much the program has grown. The games are all sold out, even at Madison Square Garden. It has been wonderful to see.”

“Everyone is coming together; there is so much spirit on the campus,” added fellow Dance Team member Anna Perricone. “Everyone on campus is a part of this journey.”

Fans at the send-off rally raved about the Red Storm’s tenacious style of play. The team has trailed in several games this season only to fight back to win. That is the sign of a good team, fans said, one that might go far in the NCAA Tournament.

“We have a great program, and the culture Coach Pitino has built is incredible,” sophomore Thomas Murphy said. “An event like this inspires you 100 percent. I am hoping for a national championship.”

“Their style of play is so inspiring,” added sophomore Lauren Kolovich. “They never give up and are incredibly determined. Anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament, but no matter what happens from this point, the entire school is proud of them.”