St. John's season took a surprising turn when a fight at Providence, which included Bryce Hopkins' return to his former school, led to a togetherness within the team. Despite losing one game, St. John’s has since won every other game and won the Big East regular season. The team's victory over Providence was a turning point for the team, with six players being suspended for three games. Hopkins has been a key to this run, setting a St.John's NCAA Tournament record in Sunday's second-round victory over Kansas with six 3-pointers. The finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award is Zuby Ejiofor.