"I feel this is the most important game of the three-year span that I've been here. [It's] this game - because of what happened last game, because of the meaning of being in first place, because of how good they are this time of year [and] to get back to winning - I think there are about seven variables that are crucial for this game."
"Obviously, we know that people want to see how we respond to this, if we're able to respond or if we crumble. I feel like none of us have that [weak] personality and I feel like we'll be able to bounce back in the right way."
"What we're still fighting for is right there ahead of us, so we can't dwell on it. I think we've definitely just turned the page and look forward to tomorrow's game and coming out with the right energy - picking up where we left off."
St. John's suffered a humiliating 72-40 defeat to No. 6 Connecticut, ending their 13-game winning streak. The Red Storm scored only 14 points in the second half and missed all 24 field-goal attempts in the final 17:28. Coach Rick Pitino called the upcoming Villanova game the most important of his three-year tenure, citing seven crucial variables. Despite the loss, St. John's remains positioned to repeat as Big East regular-season champion, trailing UConn by half a game while holding the tiebreaker. Players expressed confidence in bouncing back, emphasizing they won't dwell on the loss and will bring proper energy to Saturday's matchup.
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