St. John’s can secure its first outright Big East title since 1985 with a win over Seton Hall on Saturday. The Red Storm (25-4, 16-2 Big East) clinched a share of the crown Wednesday in a 76-70 win at Butler, but second-year coach Rick Pitino said afterward that “we didn’t come here to share anything.”
Even if St. John’s secures the solo crown, Pitino said the team won’t cut down nets inside Madison Square Garden to commemorate the occasion. Perhaps it’s because the Red Storm have their sights higher than just winning a league title. Not only is St. John’s a lock to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, but it’s tracking to get its best seed since 2000.
The Red Storm enter as a projected No. 3 seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology and has the makings of a team that could make the program’s first Sweet 16 run since 1999. Seton Hall, by contrast, is playing for pride. At 7-21 (2-15), the Pirates are limping through a nightmare campaign. However, they showed the ability to play the role of spoiler two weeks ago in a stunning 69-68 overtime win against UConn.
St. John’s won the first meeting between the teams 79-51 on Jan. 18. The Red Storm held Seton Hall to a season-worst 26.3% shooting in that game. Scoring on the Red Storm has been a chore for everyone in the Big East as St. John’s enters with the top scoring defense in league play.
How to watch St. John’s vs. Seton Hall live
Date: Saturday, March 1 | Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Location: Madison Square Garden — New York
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
St. John’s vs. Seton Hall prediction, picks
All odds via SportsLine consensus
St. John’s won the first meeting by 28 points on the road. Now, the Red Storm get Seton Hall inside Madison Square Garden on a potentially historic day for the program. A win would clinch the program’s first outright Big East title since 1985 and give second-year coach Rick Pitino another milestone in his illustrious career. Look for the Red Storm to play inspired basketball and cruise to a comfortable win. Pick: St. John’s -21.5
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