March Madness: 3 takeaways from St. John's win over Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament
St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins gestures after a three-pointer against Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Friday in San Diego. Credit: AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez
SAN DIEGO — St. John’s jumped all over Northern Iowa in its NCAA Tournament opener and rolled to a 79-53 East Regional first-round win on Friday at Viejas Arena. The victory sends the fifth-seeded Red Storm (29-6) into the Round of 32, where they will meet either No. 4 Kansas or No. 13 Cal Baptist.
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s win:
1. Bryce Hopkins has picked up the beat
The 6-7 forward has gotten hot at the right time and scored 13 points, shot 5-for-9 and grabbed six rebounds against the Panthers. In the Red Storm’s four games since the end of the regular season, he is averaging 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. He also is shooting 21-for-32, including 5-for-9 on three-point attempts.
2. Oziyah Sellers & Co. found the range
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino has said it would be important for the Red Storm to take and make more three-pointers during March Madness, and led by the 6-4 guard, they did that Friday. Sellers had three three-pointers and the team made 10 for the game, the most it has made since going 12-for-23 in the Jan. 10 win at Creighton.
3. It’s a chance a year in the making
St. John’s had a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 last season, when it was a No. 2 seed in the West Regional, but the Red Storm got stunned by No. 10 Arkansas in the Round of 32. The pledge since preseason was to go further than the year before, and Sunday will bring that opportunity.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
