Big East releases St. John’s conference slate; soft start, brutal February highlighted
St. John’s opens at Carnesecca Arena on Dec. 16, faces two marquee UConn showdowns that frame a demanding February stretch and closes regular season with a Friday finale to allow extra rest before the Big East Tournament.
The Big East released its conference schedule Thursday, setting a slate that begins gently for St. John’s but builds to a taxing February that includes two meetings with Connecticut and a run of games against several projected NCAA Tournament teams.
St. John’s will open Big East play at home, welcoming DePaul to Carnesecca Arena on Dec. 16. The Red Storm then travel to Washington for a New Year’s Eve game at Georgetown on Dec. 31, return to Madison Square Garden to host Providence on Jan. 4 and visit Butler on Jan. 6. Of those first four opponents, the New York Post noted Providence is the only team widely viewed as a likely NCAA Tournament participant, giving St. John’s what the outlet called a soft start to league play.
The schedule turns more difficult from Feb. 6-25, when St. John’s will meet UConn twice and play road games against two of the league’s stronger teams, Providence and Marquette, while hosting Creighton. The two contests against the Huskies frame that stretch and, with both programs projected among the nation’s top 10 by some outlets, are expected to be the most anticipated matchups of St. John’s conference season. The first UConn game is slated for a Friday-night primetime slot at Madison Square Garden.
On Feb. 9, Xavier — coached by Richard Pitino, son of St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino — visits Queens. Five days later, St. John’s travels to Providence on Feb. 14, where forward Bryce Hopkins will face his former school in what the Post described as a charged atmosphere following his transfer from Providence to St. John’s.
St. John’s last true road trip comes Feb. 18 at Marquette. Three of the Red Storm’s final five regular-season games are at Carnesecca Arena, with the remaining two visits to Connecticut and Seton Hall, both relatively close to Queens. The regular-season finale is scheduled for a Friday against Seton Hall, providing St. John’s an extra day of rest before the Big East Tournament.
The schedule closes with three games against teams expected to finish in the bottom half of the conference: Villanova on Feb. 28, Georgetown at Madison Square Garden on March 3 and the road game at Seton Hall. The distribution of home and away games in the final weeks leaves St. John’s with the chance to finish the regular season on familiar ground before postseason play.
The Big East’s released slate maps a season in which early games could allow St. John’s to build momentum at home, while the February gauntlet — highlighted by two UConn meetings and multiple matchups against potential NCAA Tournament teams — will likely be pivotal in defining the Red Storm’s league standing and postseason positioning.
The schedule release follows typical conference formatting that staggers marquee matchups into prime windows and leaves late-season games to determine seeding for the conference tournament. St. John’s will now prepare for nonconference play and final roster adjustments ahead of the Dec. 16 conference opener.