They have a basketball team they are proud to call their own, and outside Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday, an awakened fan base long dormant let its St. John’s Red Storm know that it will be watching with fingers crossed Friday night against Duke, and waiting for them to come back home with a Final Four berth they can all celebrate together. 

Rick Pitino’s Johnnies were reminded again as they departed for Washington, D.C. and their first Sweet 16 since 1999 that they have stoked the flames of a torrid love affair … awakened a fan base too long dormant. 

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It was yet another reminder that there is no better place than New York to win. 

“We want to win a national championship,” Dillon Mitchell said.