21 of his points in the second half, as he helped break open a four-point halftime lead into a 17-point final margin. On Saturday, Hardy was deadly from long range again, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to a game-high 18 points.

Hardy was honored by the BIG EAST twice in January, named the BIG EAST Player of the Week for the week ending on Jan. 2, and selected for the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the week ending on Jan. 30. Hardy was the first Red Storm player named to that honor since 2005 when Darryl Hill was selected. Earlier this season, classmate Justin Brownlee was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Nov. 29.

Because of his clutch play in the national spotlight,Top 25 Coaches Poll, ranking 34th.

The Red Storm also received national poll votes on Jan. 10, 17 and 31 in 2010-11, and for five weeks during the 2009-10 season. The last time St. John's was ranked in the AP Top 25 was on Nov. 28, 2000, at No. 24.

Pretty wins on some nights and gritty wins others have added up to a 7-5 mark in BIG EAST conference play for St. John's, which gives the Red Storm a share of fifth place in the league standings. With a 15-9 record that includes six wins away from home and a 3-3 road record in BIG EAST play, St. John's is currently No. 17 in the RPI report according to RPIRatings.com, with the second-strongest schedule in the nation.

The Red Storm