Roger Rubin

Reporter at Newsday

Covering sports for @NewsdaySports. Previously worked at Sports Illustrated and The New York Daily News.

Articles

Yankees walk it off in 10th on Escarra's sacrifice fly

1 week ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

A spectacular pitchers duel that went on for seven innings between the Yankees’ Max Fried and Padres’ Dylan Cease on Wednesday night devolved into a battle of bullpen blunders as the game went to extra innings. The Yankees brought in teetering reliever Devin Williams to the highest-leverage situation since being removed from his role as closer. But where some might have anticipated another meltdown, it didn’t happen.
Yankees' bullpen may soon get lift from Jonathan Loaisiga

1 week ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

At a time when the Yankees’ corps of relief pitchers hasn’t always inspired confidence, something promising has appeared on the horizon. A healthy Jonathan Loaisiga had his minor league rehab assignment moved from Single-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, which means he is entering the final ramp-up to rejoining the big league team.
St. John's gets philanthropic gift for basketball facility

1 week ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

Longtime St. John’s benefactor and chair of the school’s board of trustees William J. Janetschek has given the school the largest philanthropic gift in its 155-year history, a donation that not only benefits the school as a whole but will help keep its basketball teams competitive with the top programs in the country, the school announced Monday. The $32.5 million donation includes $25 million to be directed to previously planned construction of a basketball training facility on the Queens campus.
St. John's to play Kentucky next season in marquee matchup

1 week ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

St. John’s will participate in one of the college basketball’s signature non-conference events next season when it plays Kentucky at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena in the annual CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 20. The game not only has Red Storm coach Rick Pitino squaring off against the program that he took to the 1996 national championship but also its second-year coach Mark Pope, who was the team captain of the Pitino-coached national champion.
St. John's adds Handje Tamba for frontcourt depth

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

St. John’s improved its frontcourt depth on Tuesday when it got a commitment from 6-11 Handje Tamba. Tamba was initially enlisted by Tennessee as a freshman but was red-shirted. He spent two seasons with Weber State and averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8 minutes per game as a sophomore. Last season, he played for NAIA Milligan College and averaged 10.5 points and 8.9 rebounds.
St. John's Zuby Ejiofor excited to see what's ahead for Storm

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

Zuby Ejiofor enjoyed the 2024-25 St. John’s basketball season as much as anyone. He was the main holdover from the previous season and saw coach Rick Pitino spend the offseason bringing in a group of standouts that helped catapult the Red Storm to their finest season in decades. They won 31 games, captured the Big East regular season and tournament titles and made the NCAA Tournament.
St. John's RJ Luis Jr. chosen as Haggerty Award winner

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

RJ Luis Jr. of St. John’s has been voted the winner of the 2025 Frank J. Haggerty Award as the New York metropolitan area’s Player of the Year as voted by the Met Basketball Writers Association. The Haggerty Award is one of the area’s oldest and most prestigious awards and has been given to the area’s top player since 1936. Luis is the 24th St. John’s player to win it and first since Shamorie Ponds in 2018. Chris Mullin won it three times (1983-85).
Shockley, former North Babylon player and coach, dies at 72

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

A highly respected presence on the Long Island basketball scene for decades, Lonny Shockley was a little different from many of his peers. Basketball was his passion from the time he was a youngster to when he helped North Babylon High School win its first county championship to coaching in college and high school.
St. John's adds Cincinnati transfer Dillon Mitchell

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

Defense is a Rick Pitino trademark and the St. John’s coach is bringing in a player who embodies that in Cincinnati transfer Dillon Mitchell, who committed to the Red Storm on Wednesday morning. Mitchell joins what has developed into a powerhouse recruiting class for a team that is a lock to open the 2025-26 season nationally ranked and likely will be in the Top 10. “We are thrilled to have Dillon Mitchell join our basketball family,” Pitino wrote in a social media post.
St. John's gets commitment from Imran Suljanovic, an Austrian swingman

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Roger Rubin

St. John’s continues to bring in strong outside shooters in coach Rick Pitino’s mission to address the program’s biggest weakness from last season. On Tuesday, the Red Storm landed a commitment from 6-8 swingman Imran Suljanovic. Pitino went to Italy earlier this month to watch the Austrian standout play. Suljanovic was in New York to visit the program in March. “Was watching Imran on film and had to see him in person,” Pitino said in a social media post.