New York City is undoubtedly an important hub for college basketball, and there’s little doubt that the most important team in the city is the St. John’s Red Storm. Last-minute St. John’s basketball tickets have always been a treat for basketball fans from the five boroughs. St. John’s was a founding member of the Big East and remains one of the league’s flagship programs. For what it’s worth, the Red Storm also ranks in the top-10 in all-time wins. There’s a lot of pride and history with the program, which is why cheap St. John’s basketball tickets have always been difficult to find.

Joe and Frank

The Red Storm’s rise to prominence started in the 1940s under head coach Joseph Lapchick. At the time, St. John’s dominated the Metropolitan New York Conference and won back-to-back NIT championships in 1943 and 1944. Lapchick handed the program over to Frank McGuire in 1947, and the Hall of Famer continued to make the program a national power. After a few rough seasons following McGuire’s exit, Lapchick returned to St. John’s, and so did the Red Storm’s propensity for winning. Over nine seasons, Lapchick guided St. John’s to two more NIT championships.

Legendary Lou

Lou Carnesecca was the next legendary St. John’s coach. He coached the Red Storm for five seasons before leaving to coach the New York Nets for a few seasons, only to return to St. John’s and put the program back on the map. Between 1973 and 1992, Carnesecca took the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament 11 times and won at least a share of the Big East Tournament four times in the league’s first seven seasons, making St. John’s an East Coast powerhouse.

Replacing a legend

Unfortunately for St. John’s, success after Carnesecca retired in 1992 has been difficult to find. Many established coaches have tried to bring back the Red Storm’s glory days. However, NCAA Tournament appearances have been few and far between. Nevertheless, the name St. John’s continues to carry a lot of weight and prestige in the college basketball world.