A year ago, the Big East was UConn's league and college basketball's mountaintop was claimed by Dan Hurley. The man was in the process of solidifying his Hall of Fame credentials by guiding an all-time-great Huskies team to a sweep of Big East championships and a 37-3 record while clinching  an accomplishment for eventual inclusion in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame: back-to-back national titles.

Steve Masiello is associate head coach at St. John's, so maybe he's a little biased, but he'll eagerly make the case that his boss, Rick Pitino, is the best there ever was in this game.

NEW YORK -- Rick Pitino has Kadary Richmond ’s back. After Richmond starred in yet another victory over Dan Hurley and UConn -- No. 10 St. John’s 89-75 beatdown of two-time defending NCAA champion UConn at Madison Square Garden -- Pitino unsolicited brought up criticism Richmond has faced from Seton Hall fans about his injury history.

St. John's star Kadary Richmond is fighting through multiple injuries as he leads Rick Pitino's team towards a Big East title.

From Deivon Smith to RJ Luis Jr. and now Kadary Richmond, the injury bug has been going around the St. John’s roster for a few weeks. While Richmond played well in Sunday’s commanding 89-75 victory over Connecticut at a sold-out Garden,