St. Johns magical season will be put to the test by John Calipari-led Arkansas squad

PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Over four months ago, this unexpected journey began with a 32-point throttling of Fordham at Carnesecca Arena.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St.

John’s.It was similar to many openers through the years: A one-sided victory over an overmatched opponent and the feeling that anything was possible. Almost always, disappointment followed in Queens. Not this year.

Not this winter. St.John’s fans were instead treated to a season they have waited nearly forever for, a campaign in which the Johnnies didn’t let them down.

They shocked those loyalists.They kept on winning, claiming the school’s first outright Big East regular-season crown since 1985 and winning its first Big East Tournament in 25 years. RJ Luis Jr.

became the first St.John’s player to be named the league’s Player of the Year since Walter Berry in 1986.

Zuby Ejiofor developed into a star.Kadary Richmond played up to his ranking as the top player to enter the transfer portal. It has led up to this point: A chance to keep playing.

To punch a ticket to the Sweet 16, to become the first St.John’s team to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since Ron Artest, Bootsy Thornton and that Mike Jarvis-led group reached the Elite Eight in 1999. CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST.

JOHN’S STATS“I guess I’m a little excited, surprised at the season,” coach Rick Pitino said on Friday at Amica Mutual Pavilion, where his second-seeded Johnnies will meet longtime coaching rival John Calipari and No.10 Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.

“You never know what it’s going to be like going into it because these are uncharted waters. “I was really excited about last year’s team at the end of the year and then suddenly we just kept winning [this year], getting better, fighting, fighting.We had a lot of close games.

We won at the buzzer with no time l...