St. John's University Athletics
Saturday, January 17
Philadelphia, Pa (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
8 p.m.
St. John's University
at
Villanova
RV/RV St. John’s Heads to RV/RV Villanova for Saturday Night Showdown
1/16/2026 8:54:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Red Storm men’s basketball team carries a three game win streak into Xfinity Mobile Arena
QUEENS, N.Y. - Tied for second place in the BIG EAST standings, RV/RV St. John's (12-5, 5-1) and RV/RV Villanova (14-3, 5-1 BIG EAST) will hit the hardwood for an 8 p.m. Saturday showdown at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Red Storm will return to Xfinity Mobile Arena, formerly the Wells Fargo Center, for the first time since Feb. 7, 2018, when it defeated then-No. 1 Villanova, 79-75. The victory marked the program's first over a top-ranked team since 1985.
Saturday's contest will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network with Paul Burmeister and Tarik Turner on the call from The City of Brotherly Love.
The LEARFIELD St. John's Radio Network broadcast will be available with John Minko and Brian Mahoney on ESPN New York 1050 AM. The radio call will also be available on ESPN New York App, the Varsity Network, TuneIn, Sirius XM Channel 386, the SiriusXM App and the St. John's Red Storm App.
The Red Storm is off to a 5-1 start in BIG EAST play for the second straight year and has won six of its last seven games. The Johnnies are seeking their third Quad 1 victory in an 11-day span, which would surpass the total of 341 NCAA Division I teams have all season as of Jan. 16.
In its last contest, St. John's rolled past Marquette on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, 92-68. The Red Storm posted 52 points in the second half to reach to 90-point mark in back-to-back regular season games for the first time in the program's BIG EAST history. Oziyah Sellers (24) and Zuby Ejiofor (22) combined for 46 points on 63.0 percent (17-27 FG) shooting from the floor in the decisive victory. The 24 points marked a season-high for Sellers, who has registered four double-figure scoring performances in his last five outings.
Ejiofor has lived up to the billing of his BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year honor. The senior currently ranks top-five in the BIG EAST in scoring (4th at 16.2 PPG), rebounding (5th at 7.5 RPG), blocks (3rd at 2.1 BPG) and made free throws (1st with 99). Ejiofor is also one of two players in NCAA Division I to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game alongside Quion Williams of Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The Garland, Texas native is one block shy of moving into sole possession of 10th all-time in St. John's Men's Basketball history in career rejections, as he is currently tied with 1986 National Player of the Year Walter Berry at 121. The big man's 20-plus point performance on Tuesday marked his fifth of the season and third during BIG EAST play. The team captain is averaging 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game during league action.
St. John's shot over 50 percent from the floor on Tuesday for the third consecutive game, marking the first time since Feb. 7-14, 2015 that the Johnnies have eclipsed the 50 percent threshold in three straight BIG EAST contests. The Red Storm is 9-0 when shooting above the 50 percent from field goal range this season.
The Johnnies carry a six-game road BIG EAST winning streak into Saturday's contest, which marks the fourth longest in program history. St. John's won seven league tilts away from home during the 1997-98 and 1982-83 campaigns. In addition, the Red Storm has won its first three BIG EAST road games for the first time since 1984-85.
Head Coach Rick Pitino will square off with one of his former assistants in Kevin Willard at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Pitino is 6-1 all-time against Willard and 43-14 (.754) against his former assistant coaches. The first year Wildcats Head Coach spent six seasons on Pitino's staff at Louisville from 2001-07. Pitino, is two wins shy of tying Bob Knight (899) for fourth all-time in career on-court victories and three away from becoming the fourth coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 900 career victory mark.
The Wildcats have raced off to a 14-3 record and a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play while receiving in votes in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches' polls. In its most recent contest, Villanova outlasted Providence at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Tuesday, 88-82.
Bryce Lindsay has paced the Wildcats averaging 15.2 points on 40.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. The James Madison transfer ranks atop the conference sinking 2.9 3-pointers per contest. Three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Acaden Lewis ranks second in the league dishing out 5.4 assists per game. Forward Duke Brennan ranks eighth in NCAA Division I dominating the glass with 10.7 rebounds per game.
Following Saturday's fourth road contest in a six-game span, the Red Storm will return to Madison Square Garden to face No. 25/ RV Seton Hall on Tuesday.
The Red Storm will return to Xfinity Mobile Arena, formerly the Wells Fargo Center, for the first time since Feb. 7, 2018, when it defeated then-No. 1 Villanova, 79-75. The victory marked the program's first over a top-ranked team since 1985.
Saturday's contest will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network with Paul Burmeister and Tarik Turner on the call from The City of Brotherly Love.
The LEARFIELD St. John's Radio Network broadcast will be available with John Minko and Brian Mahoney on ESPN New York 1050 AM. The radio call will also be available on ESPN New York App, the Varsity Network, TuneIn, Sirius XM Channel 386, the SiriusXM App and the St. John's Red Storm App.
The Red Storm is off to a 5-1 start in BIG EAST play for the second straight year and has won six of its last seven games. The Johnnies are seeking their third Quad 1 victory in an 11-day span, which would surpass the total of 341 NCAA Division I teams have all season as of Jan. 16.
In its last contest, St. John's rolled past Marquette on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, 92-68. The Red Storm posted 52 points in the second half to reach to 90-point mark in back-to-back regular season games for the first time in the program's BIG EAST history. Oziyah Sellers (24) and Zuby Ejiofor (22) combined for 46 points on 63.0 percent (17-27 FG) shooting from the floor in the decisive victory. The 24 points marked a season-high for Sellers, who has registered four double-figure scoring performances in his last five outings.
Ejiofor has lived up to the billing of his BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year honor. The senior currently ranks top-five in the BIG EAST in scoring (4th at 16.2 PPG), rebounding (5th at 7.5 RPG), blocks (3rd at 2.1 BPG) and made free throws (1st with 99). Ejiofor is also one of two players in NCAA Division I to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game alongside Quion Williams of Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The Garland, Texas native is one block shy of moving into sole possession of 10th all-time in St. John's Men's Basketball history in career rejections, as he is currently tied with 1986 National Player of the Year Walter Berry at 121. The big man's 20-plus point performance on Tuesday marked his fifth of the season and third during BIG EAST play. The team captain is averaging 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game during league action.
St. John's shot over 50 percent from the floor on Tuesday for the third consecutive game, marking the first time since Feb. 7-14, 2015 that the Johnnies have eclipsed the 50 percent threshold in three straight BIG EAST contests. The Red Storm is 9-0 when shooting above the 50 percent from field goal range this season.
The Johnnies carry a six-game road BIG EAST winning streak into Saturday's contest, which marks the fourth longest in program history. St. John's won seven league tilts away from home during the 1997-98 and 1982-83 campaigns. In addition, the Red Storm has won its first three BIG EAST road games for the first time since 1984-85.
Head Coach Rick Pitino will square off with one of his former assistants in Kevin Willard at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Pitino is 6-1 all-time against Willard and 43-14 (.754) against his former assistant coaches. The first year Wildcats Head Coach spent six seasons on Pitino's staff at Louisville from 2001-07. Pitino, is two wins shy of tying Bob Knight (899) for fourth all-time in career on-court victories and three away from becoming the fourth coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 900 career victory mark.
The Wildcats have raced off to a 14-3 record and a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play while receiving in votes in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches' polls. In its most recent contest, Villanova outlasted Providence at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Tuesday, 88-82.
Bryce Lindsay has paced the Wildcats averaging 15.2 points on 40.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. The James Madison transfer ranks atop the conference sinking 2.9 3-pointers per contest. Three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Acaden Lewis ranks second in the league dishing out 5.4 assists per game. Forward Duke Brennan ranks eighth in NCAA Division I dominating the glass with 10.7 rebounds per game.
Following Saturday's fourth road contest in a six-game span, the Red Storm will return to Madison Square Garden to face No. 25/ RV Seton Hall on Tuesday.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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