St. John’s looks the part of national championship contender in rout of Quinnipiac

Before the most anticipated St. John’s season this century began, the school looked back on last year. 

A video montage of the Johnnies’ memorable run to the Big East regular season and postseason titles was shown. The four returning players – Zuby Ejifor, Ruben Prey, Lefteris Liotopoulos and Sadiku Ibine Ayo – received their diamond-encrusted rings. 

Rick Pitino got on the microphone. 

“We’re after the biggest prize of all,” he told the sold-out Carnesecca Arena crowd, referring to a national championship. 

On opening night, the fifth-ranked Red Storm looked the part of a contender. The loaded frontcourt of Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell was dominant.

The Johnnies made shots from deep.

They flashed their depth in a wire-to-wire 108-74 victory over MAAC favorite Quinnipiac. 

On Friday, Pitino joked that he wanted to ask Bobcats coach Tom Pecora to push back the game a week, because he didn’t feel like his new-look team was ready. 

That didn’t seem to be the case. 

St. John’s came out with a purpose, scoring 19 of the game’s first 24 points. Dillon Mitchell, an athletic specimen of a forward, scored eight early points, four coming on two ferocious dunks.

St. John’s piled up 54 points in the opening 20 minutes on a blistering 57 percent shooting from the field, and didn’t let up after halftime.

At one point, the lead was 47, on the strength of a 23-4 burst. 

Several Johnnies shined. Mitchell had team-highs of 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Ejiofor, the preseason Big East Player of the Year, had 17 points and six rebounds and limited reigning MAAC Player of the Year Amarri Monroe to 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon, the two high-upside sophomore shotmakers, combined for 29 points and four 3-pointers.