Mike DeCourcy of FOX Sports currently has St. John’s (21-4, 12-2 Big East) as the projected No. 4 seed in the East Region, with a potential Sweet 16 matchup against Cooper Flagg and Duke at Prudential Center. While Pitino isn’t concerned about Saturday’s Top 16- announcement, center Zuby Ejiofor said it would mean something if St. John’s is named.

St. John’s coach Rick Pitino has high expectations for Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond – and says those expectations are rooted in the fact that “we paid him a lot of money.”