St. Johns on cusp of season-long goal and history 40 years in making

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Seven months ago, this version of St.John’s met for the first time. It was then, in the middle of the summer, that the bar was set incredibly high. One of the goals was a Big East regular-season championship. It can become a reality Saturday afternoon at what will, unquestionably, be a raucous and rocking Madison Square Garden.

With a win over local rival Seton Hall, the seventh-ranked Johnnies (25-4, 16-2) will clinch the school’s first outright Big East title since 1984-85. “This is what we spoke about when we all came together in July,” Kadary Richmond said.“It’s nice to have this feeling that it’s right there for us to take.

Nobody is giving it to us.We’re not hoping or wishing for it.

It’s all up to us to go out there and take it.” An on-court celebration is expected, one that will include confetti, a trophy presentation and photos if St.John’s prevails.

The Red Storm is not going to cut down the Garden nets, however.Coach Rick Pitino doesn’t believe any of his teams have ever done that after winning a regular-season championship, and his players voted unanimously to bypass that celebratory tradition. “It was a collective decision, everybody agreed it’s not really the end of the season,” tri-captain Zuby Ejiofor said.

“We haven’t really accomplished a lot as of yet.Saturday is a great opportunity, obviously.

We still got Marquette to worry about [after this game].That’s where our mind is at, just taking care of business Saturday and moving on.” Said Pitino: “Whatever the players want, I’m behind — unless it’s not practicing.” That unflinching focus has been a major part of this group’s success.

It hasn’t let a Top 10 national ranking or the school’s most wins in 25 years sidetrack them.It’s always been about the next game, players frequently talking...