It didn’t take Rick Pitino long to put St. John’s back on the map in the Big East. In Year 2 Pitino’s Johnnies are off to the program’s best start since 1986, ranked No. 12 in the country and sitting in first place in the conference at 20-3 (11-1) after a 70-64 win over No. 11 Marquette on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The win was St. John’s first against a ranked opponent this season and first against the upper echelon of the conference, which includes Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s, and the two-time reigning national champions: UConn. Pitino’s group made a statement on Tuesday night, but Dan Hurley’s program is still the true measuring stick, especially now that his team will be (mostly) back at full strength.
Hurley’s Huskies are ranked No. 19 in the country – seven spots behind Pitino’s Johnnies – and are fourth in the Big East at 16-6 (8-3). However, all three of those conference defeats came without star freshman Liam McNeeley, who hasn’t played since New Year’s Day because of an ankle injury.
Now, McNeeley is set to make his return on Friday night as the Johnnies visit Storrs for a massive showdown between two of the best teams in the Big East and biggest personalities in the history of the sport.
A 2024 five-star recruit, McNeeley was immediately one of the primary offensive engines for a team that coming off back-to-back national titles shed immense talent to the NBA. Through his first 14 collegiate games, McNeeley averaged 13.6 points a game and 2.6 assists. The 6-foot-7 forward’s shot-making ability papered over many of the Huskies’s flaws, but his absence also allowed for crucial development in the backcourt.
UConn lost Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, and Stephon Castle off last year’s roster, forcing sophomore Solo Ball into a point guard role. So, McNeeley and senior forward Alex Karaban were leaned for offensive creation, but with both missing time, the ball has been in Ball’s hands, and he’s starting to thrive.
In the eight games without McNeeley, Ball is averaging 18.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field and 47% from three. In Saturday’s win over Marquette, Ball had a career-high 25 points while shooting 7/11 from the field with all of his makes from three and 11 rebounds. Crucially, his performance came while veteran guard Hassan Diarra played through a leg injury and backup guard Ahmad Nowell was out with an ankle issue. With a six-day layoff, Diarra may be closer to 100%, but Nowell is unlikely to return.
Ball’s emergence in the backcourt will take tremendous pressure off McNeeley and with both on the court together, could turn Hurley’s group into a real threat for a Big East title and a three-peat. Still, it won’t be easy to get past St. John’s, especially with 6-foot-6 senior guard Kadary Richmond playing some of the most efficient basketball of his length Big East career.
St. John’s and UConn might be the best two teams in the conference, and fittingly, they’ll play twice this month, first on Friday night, then on Sunday, February 23, and those two matchups could decide the regular season Big East title. Though, they won’t be the last in this budding rivalry between Pitino and Hurley.