The No. 2 St. John’s Red Storm kicked off their 2025 NCAA Tournament run with a commanding 83-53 win over No. 15 Omaha on Thursday at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, matching a program record with their 31st victory of the season. But despite the blowout, the game wasn’t without drama—both on and off the court. A close first half gave way to a St. John’s surge, sparked by a pivotal three-pointer, only for the celebration to take a controversial turn that’s now overshadowing their dominant performance.
The game started competitively, with Omaha trailing by just three points at one point in the first half. However, a St. John’s three-pointer pushed the lead to eight, and the Red Storm never looked back, pulling away in the second half. RJ Luis Jr. led the charge with 22 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, while Simeon Wilcher added 13 points. Omaha’s JJ White managed 15 points, but the Mavericks couldn’t keep up. St. John’s now advances to face No. 10 Arkansas on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. EDT, a matchup that’ll air on CBS.
What should’ve been a straightforward celebration of St. John’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 took a dark turn when a cameraman caught a player on the bench mimicking a gun-shooting gesture after a made three-pointer. The unnamed player, lying on the ground near the bench, pretended to fire multiple rounds, a moment that aired live before the camera quickly cut away. It’s a troubling look for a team already under scrutiny for similar behavior—just a week earlier, during the Big East Championship game against Creighton on March 15, star RJ Luis Jr. was hit with a technical foul for making a gun gesture after a three-pointer. Commentators Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson called that penalty “overblown,” with Johnson asking, “What did he do?” and Jackson noting it was for the signal Luis made while getting back on defense.
This isn’t an isolated incident for St. John’s. The repeat of gun-related celebrations in high-stakes games raises questions about the team’s culture under coach Rick Pitino. While Pitino has led the Red Storm to a 31-4 record, their first Big East Tournament title in 25 years, and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, these moments suggest a lack of discipline—or at least a blind spot—when it comes to player conduct. Posts on X reflect fan outrage, with some calling for the player in the Omaha game to be expelled, arguing that such a gesture would warrant a “threat assessment” in any other setting. Others have criticized the officiating in the Creighton game as overly harsh, but the consensus is clear: these actions are a bad look for St. John’s.
The Red Storm’s on-court success is undeniable—Luis Jr. has been a revelation, earning Big East Player of the Year and Second-Team AP All-American honors while averaging 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in the Big East Tournament. But these off-script moments could haunt them. The NCAA has cracked down on similar gestures in the past, and with St. John’s now in the national spotlight, the pressure is on Pitino to address this behavior before it derails their tournament run. For a team with Final Four aspirations, they can’t afford to let controversies like this overshadow their talent—especially not with a tough Arkansas team up next. St. John’s needs to focus on the game, not the gestures, if they want to keep their dream season alive.
