Big East Tournament game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Seton Hall

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) is introduced before a game against the Providence Friars during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Welcome to the thread for Friday’s Big East Tournament semifinal game between St. John’s men’s basketball and Seton Hall. Please be respectful in the comment section and do not share any illegal streams of the game.

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Game information

Who: 1-seed St. John’s Red Storm (26-6) vs. 4-seed Seton Hall Pirates (21-11)

When: Friday, March 13, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

TV: FOX

Radio:ESPN New York 880 / 1050

Series History: St. John’s leads all-time series, 67-50. The Red Storm have won the last five meetings with the Pirates, including their last Big East Tournament matchup in 2024.

KenPom Predicted Score: St. John’s to win, 71-64 (75% chance of St. John’s win)

Injury news

There is no injury news for Friday’s Big East Tournament game.

What to watch for

Cold as Bryce: Bryce Hopkins put on the performance he needed in St. John’s’ dominant 85-72 win over his former team, Providence. Hopkins had a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double, his third of the season. Rick Pitino said after the game that Hopkins is improving in his quickness and verticality. If he can maintain this aggressiveness, it would be a boon for St. John’s this March.

TheCutting Ej’: Rinse and repeat, Zuby Ejiofor continues to dominate. The Big East Player of the Year had 21 points, ten rebounds, five assists, and three blocks versus Providence, becoming the first player to post that stat line in the 46-year history of the Big East Tournament. Ejiofor is playing like an All-American in his last four games, averaging 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 64.7% shooting.

Stepping Up: Dylan Darling had a performance he would like to forget, missing all eight of his shots and finishing with a donut hole in the scoring column in Thursday’s game against Providence, yet his backcourt mates covered for his off-day. Oziyah Sellers scored 14 points (6-of-12 shooting, 2-of-6 from three) and played strong defense in 32 minutes of action. Ian Jackson’s playing time was cut down due to foul trouble, but that didn’t stop him from also scoring 14 points (4-of-11 shooting, 2-of-4 from three).

Super-Dar: Seton Hall senior forward Jacob Dar went from seldom-used bench player to the reason the Pirates are playing on Friday night. Dar entered the Big East Tournament averaging 2.8 points, but scored all of his season-high 16 points in the second half to propel the Hall to a 72-61 win over Creighton. For a team that ranks dead-last in the conference in two-point and three-point shooting, the Pirates will need all of the offensive help they can get to keep their season alive.

Second-Half Swing: St. John’s closed out Seton Hall in their regular season meetings by either hitting the glass harder or out-shooting them. In their first meeting back in January, the Red Storm won the board battle by 27-19 to spark a 15-point second-half comeback. Last week in their regular season finale, the Red Storm were outplayed on the glass, but shot 65.2% in the second half to pull away. The Johnnies are capable of defeating the Hall by playing the game in their terms or the Pirates’.

Pregame links

• The Old Big East is alive and well: For the first time since 1994, the Big East Tournament semifinals will feature St. John’s, Seton Hall, UConn, and Georgetown
• Providence has fired Kim English one day after the Red Storm eliminated the Friars in the Big East Tournament
• Bryce Hopkins got revenge game he needed against former team — Zach Braziller, New York Post
• Rick Pitino not impressed with Zuby Ejiofor’s historic game at Big East Tournament — Kevin Connelly, Storm The Paint
• Seton Hall advances to Big East semifinal matchup with St. John’s — Adam Zagoria, NJ.com
• Ian Jackson thrives in Big East Tournament debut while fasting — Zach Braziller, New York Post

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