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St. John’s<\/a> extended its winning streak to seven games Wednesday with a 92-70 victory over Butler<\/a>, pushing the Red Storm to 9-1 in Big East play.<\/p>\n Yes, 9-1.<\/p>\n It’s fair to note that none of those nine conference wins have come against currently ranked opponents, and St. John’s has yet to face UConn<\/a> in either of its two scheduled meetings. So skepticism about restarting any serious conversations regarding Rick Pitino’s team as a potential 2026 Final Four contender is understandable.<\/p>\n That said, context matters.<\/p>\n Since Jan. 6 — the start of this seven-game winning streak — St. John’s has performed like a top-10 team, according to BartTorvik.com’s metrics<\/a>. That doesn’t guarantee the Red Storm will ultimately meet the lofty preseason expectations that followed their No. 5 ranking in the initial AP poll, but labeling them the sport’s biggest disappointment is no longer accurate.<\/p>\n St. John’s sits at No. 23 in Thursday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1, where Arizona<\/a> remains No. 1 for the 18th consecutive day. Up next is a road game Tuesday at DePaul<\/a>, followed by the first of at least two meetings with UConn a week from Friday at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\nBasketball Top 25 And 1 rankings <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n