St. John’s routs Iona at MSG

After a week off, No. 22 St. John’s (6-3) returned to action on Saturday at Madison Square Garden against its coach, Rick Pitino’s former team, Iona (8-4).

The Red Storm, who would have six players in double figures, easily defeated Iona 91-64.

Oziyah Sellers led the way for St. John’s, scoring 16 of his team-high 19 points in the second half; in his return to the starting lineup, Ian Jackson had 14. Also, for the second straight game, Zuby Ejiofor tied a career-high with eight blocks.

St. John’s led by as many as 27 points on Saturday.

Following a slow start, which saw Iona take a 10-2 lead early in the first half, the Red Storm finally came alive and went on an 18-2 run to take a 20-12 lead with just under eight minutes left in the half.  

St. John’s would take a 36-26 lead into halftime.

Just like the first half, the Gaels started strong in the second half. Following a C.J. Anthony three-pointer, who had a game-high 20 points, Iona cut St. John’s’ lead to 48-44. However, the Red Storm would go on a 10-0 run, which was punctuated by a Sellers’ three-pointer, and the rout was on. 

St. John’s outscored Iona 55-38 in the second half.

After the game, the talk was about Jackson’s new look. The sophomore guard, who transferred from North Carolina, cut his dreadlocks and sported a new hairstyle on Saturday.

Sellers loved the new look.

“​I ​love ​his ​haircut,” Sellers said. “​It ​was ​crazy. ​Nobody ​recognized ​him ​when ​he ​came ​in ​the ​locker ​room ​the ​first ​day… We ​all ​joked ​as ​well, ‘Now ​you ​can ​see ​the ​rim ​and ​stuff ​when ​he’s ​finishing.'” ​

Pitino loved the new hairstyle as well and compared Jackson to legendary actor Billy Dee Williams.

“There’s ​an ​old ​actor ​named ​Billy ​Dee ​Williams,” Pitino said. “​He ​was ​one ​of ​the ​most ​dashing ​​hot ​guys ​in ​Hollywood. ​That’s ​who ​you ​look ​like ​right ​now, ​​Billy ​D.”

Jackson, who said he has been growing his hair since seventh grade, explained why he cut his hair.

“I ​would ​say ​this ​is ​a ​fresh ​start,” he said. ”Just ​a ​different ​look… ​I ​wouldn’t ​say ​restart ​or ​start ​over, ​but ​just ​like ​to ​give ​myself ​something ​fresh ​and ​something ​new.”

According to the Bronx native, getting reinserted into the starting lineup had nothing to do with cutting his hair.

“No,” he said. “​I ​think ​prior ​to ​that, ​I ​really ​had ​in ​my ​mind ​I ​wanted ​to ​start ​fresh.”

Pitino believes that Jackson, a McDonald’s All-American, can be just as good at the collegiate level.

“He ​was ​a ​high ​school All-​American,’ Pitino said. “​He’s ​got ​the ​potential ​to ​be ​a ​college All-​American, ​but ​he’s ​an ​All-American ​person. ​He ​has ​confidence, ​but ​he ​has ​no ​ego. ​​It’s ​always ​about ​other ​people, ​about ​the ​team.”

Jackson did have five turnovers against Iona, but overall this was a fresh start off the court with the hair, and a good, fresh start on the court.

St. John’s will begin conference play on Tuesday night when they host DePaul, while Iona will battle Vermont next Friday.

One more thing….

Pitino spent three seasons at Iona(2020-23) and led them to the NCAA tournament twice; following the game, he called Iona a “special place.”

“Iona ​is ​such ​a ​special ​place ​because ​going ​back ​to ​Jimmy ​Valvano,” he said. ​”Every ​coach ​that’s ​coached ​there, ​the ​best ​coach ​of ​them ​all ​is ​Tim ​Cluess, every ​coach ​that ​coaches ​there, ​wins. ​I ​mean, ​Kevin ​Willard ​got ​his ​start ​there​, and ​certainly, ​I ​got ​​rejuvenated ​there, so ​Iona ​is ​a ​special ​place ​with ​great ​tradition.”

Photo: @StJohnsBBall/X