In SAN DIEGO, a familiar scene unfolds for St. John’s as they find themselves in a situation mirroring last year. The team is riding high after securing both the Big East regular-season and postseason championships, bolstered by a dominant opening-round win in the NCAA Tournament. Their eyes are set on reaching the Sweet 16, a feat they haven’t achieved since 1999.

Standing firmly in their path is a formidable challenge: Darryn Peterson, who is widely tipped to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and the ever-dominant Kansas team. St. John’s is eager to move beyond the disappointment of the previous year when their impressive season was cut short by a heartbreaking loss to Arkansas, leaving them as the only top-eight seed to miss out on the Sweet 16.

As they prepare for the showdown against the No. 4 seed Jayhawks in an East Region second-round game at Viejas Arena on Sunday, Zuby Ejiofor of the fifth-seeded Johnnies remains determined. “I’m just looking forward to doing whatever it takes to come out with a victory,” he expressed, encapsulating the team’s resolve to rewrite history this time around.

Last year’s memorable season ended at this stage, in a depressing loss to Arkansas. St. John’s was the only one of the top eight seeds to fail to reach the Sweet 16.

“I’m just looking forward to doing whatever it takes to come out with a victory,” Zuby Ejiofor said, as the fifth-seeded Johnnies prepared to meet the No. 4 Jayhawks in an East Region second-round game Sunday at Viejas Arena.

It seems fitting that Sunday’s opponent is Kansas, Ejiofor’s previous school. He didn’t play much there as a freshman and transferred to St. John’s. The 6-foot-9 forward, the Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, has been so critical to this remarkable two-year run that has seen St. John’s (29-6) win 60 games and lose only 11. All that is missing is a trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re going to come with a lot of fire and passion,” Bryce Hopkins promised.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS

This group seems to be in a better spot than it was a year ago because it is bigger up front and more capable from the 3-point line. These Johnnies have also won 20 of 21 games and haven’t trailed in their past four contests. In that stretch, they have gotten off to fast starts in each game, highlighted by the 13-0 burst to start Friday’s blowout of No. 12 Northern Iowa. There is a confidence among them that seems to be growing.

“We don’t fear anybody,” Oziyah Sellers said.

Kansas (24-10), though, is a different animal. Not only is the 6-foot-6 Peterson a uniquely gifted talent, but the Jayhawks have the size and athleticism that gave St. John’s trouble during the nonconference season.

Sophomore big man Flory Bidunga is one of the sport’s premier shot-blockers, and Kansas is seventh in the country in blocked-shots percentage at 15.7.

The Jayhawks own wins over the likes of Final Four contenders Arizona, Houston, Tennessee and Iowa State. They did struggle down the stretch, going 4-5 before topping No. 13 Cal Baptist in the opening round, and St. John’s is a small betting favorite.

“We probably haven’t faced anything like them since Kentucky as far as the length, size and size of the backcourt,” coach Rick Pitino said, referring to a December nonconference loss in which the Johnnies were overwhelmed in the second half.

So much has changed for St. John’s since that game.

Pitino went to a three-forward starting lineup, replacing guard Joson Sanon with do-it-all forward Dillon Mitchell. The Johnnies repeated as Big East regular-season outright champions for the first time in school history, then won all three Big East Tournament games by double figures. That included a stunning 20-point rout of Connecticut in the title game.

“Coach told us to take [the Big East Tournament] as preparation for the March Madness tournaments in not starting slow. Because in [the NCAA Tournament], you’re only guaranteed 40 minutes. That’s the biggest thing, starting fast, knowing this could be our last game.”

A joyous celebration followed. The next night, though, St. John’s was slighted by the selection committee, given a No. 5 seed and sent out West.

It didn’t seem to bother the team, which crushed Northern Iowa in a game experts felt could be tricky. The Johnnies have been adamant they haven’t used it as extra motivation. They have a chance to continue this memorable season Sunday and end the program’s Sweet 16 drought. That’s their inspiration.

“It’s one final opportunity for me and a few of my teammates,” Ejiofor said. “So we’re trying to make the best of this year. And we’ve already [done] some special things. But we have one more goal in mind.”

The individual accused in a tragic 2023 shooting that claimed the lives of a pregnant woman from Seattle and her unborn child has been acquitted on grounds of insanity.

Cordell Goosby faced charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder following the death of 34-year-old Eina Kwon and the injury of her husband, Sung Kwon, during the incident.

On the morning of June 13, 2023, Eina Kwon and Sung Kwon were en route to their Japanese restaurant, Aburiya Bento House. The couple halted at a red light at an intersection at approximately 11:15 a.m.

It is alleged that Goosby dashed towards the driver’s side of their white Tesla, brandishing a firearm.

Cordell Goosby has been declared not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting that resulted in the deaths of Eina Kwon and her unborn child in Seattle in 2023. (Cook County Sheriff/GoFundMe)

“In a short span of time, he fired a gun in the victim’s car window, striking the victims inside the car. After firing all the bullets he had in the gun into the victims’ car, he turned and ran from the scene,” prosecutors wrote in court papers, noting that Goosby got rid of the weapon. “The defendant’s actions left a family and community shattered.”

Officers later located Goosby, who put his hands in the air and said, “I did it! I did it!” according to court documents.

Then-Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell described the broad daylight shooting as an “unimaginable tragedy.”

Authorities said Cordell Goosby was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting that killed Eina Kwon and her unborn child. (Facebook)

Goosby was prohibited from owning a firearm due to his criminal record in Illinois. He allegedly used a stolen gun during the shooting, officials said.

Fox 13 reported that the King County court system said a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity ruling means Goosby “admits that he committed the crimes and agrees to commitment in a state psychiatric hospital.”

Experts for both the defense and prosecution evaluated Goosby and determined he was legally insane at the time of the shooting, leading the court to permit the plea, the outlet reported.

Pregnant Seattle mother Eina Kwon, 34, was fatally shot in her car on June 13, 2023, in front of her husband, Sung Kwon, by a man suffering a mental health crisis. (Fox13 screenshot)

Goosby’s future release would depend on approval from multiple state and court entities, the station added.

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CHICAGO—Developments have emerged regarding the tragic discovery of a woman’s body in an alley on Chicago’s West Side. The victim, identified as Brandy Fleming, was fatally shot behind her residence in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

Chicago police have confirmed that Fleming’s lifeless body was found early in the morning on March 13, in the 200 block of North Kilbourn Avenue. Her family, speaking exclusively to ABC7 Chicago, has made a heartfelt plea for assistance in caring for her 5-year-old son.

Family members remain uncertain about how long Fleming’s body had been outside before it was discovered. They recounted to ABC7 that it was a passerby, on their way to work, who stumbled upon the tragic scene. Meanwhile, Fleming’s young son was inside the home, unaware of the heartbreaking events that had unfolded around him.

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Fleming was found dead around 5:30 a.m. March 13 in the 200-block of North Kilbourn Avenue, Chicago police said.

The victim’s family says they aren’t sure how long her body was left outside in the back of her home. They told ABC7 it was stranger who happened to be driving to work when they found her body in the alley while the victim’s 5-year-old son was in the home and didn’t know his mother was killed.

“You took a really good person with a really big heart that cared about her child,” aunt Shantel Jamison said.

It’s been a heartbreaking week for the family. Relatives said only child was inside their house, at the time, unaware that his mother was taken from him.

“It was a lady actually on her way to work,” sister Esha Love said. “The boots are what caught her attention. That’s what made her come and assist my sister, and I’m grateful that she did. But I’m saying, in a sense, it was like a little too late.”

Her family says they didn’t find out about her death until hours later.

“Where’s her son? That’s what’s going through my mind,” Jamison said. “Is he okay? Is it a strong possibility he is hurt, too?”

Relatives say the boy was found safe at daycare, left with an unfillable void while the West Side alley remains shrouded in mystery amid an ongoing investigation.

“Sometimes people do holler out with silent cries in situations,” Love said. “I just felt like that I wasn’t there at the time of her desperate need.”

Police haven’t determined a motive behind the shooting, only saying the offender is unknown. So far, no one has been arrested.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

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