UConn at St. John's: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
St. John's has a chance at beating the No. 1 team in the country this weekend, hosting the UConn Huskies.
TV schedule: Saturday, February 3rd, noon, FOX
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
In a weekend filled with a ton of great matchups, somehow, the No. 1 team in the country playing in Madison Square Garden flies under the radar. But there's plenty of starpower, both on the court and on the sidelines between these Big East schools.
UConn (19-2 9-1) is No. 1 overall, having won nine straight games. Their latest win was 74-65 over Providence this week, with freshman Stephon Castle having a team-high 20 points. Tristen Newton had a double-double, while Donovan Clingan played 15 minutes as he's still getting back into the fold after a foot injury.
Clingan wasn't around in the first matchup between these two, when the Huskies won a close game, 69-65. St. John's showed they could compete with UConn and will be at home in this matchup. It's now an important game for the Red Storm, considering that they've lost 4 of the last 5 games, including a road defeat this week at Xavier, 88-77.
Daniss Jenkins had 25 points to lead the team, while Joel Soriano, the star big man, had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks. The offense for the Red Storm has had some ups and downs but relies on Soriano and his interior production to win them games. That's going to be tough against Clingan, one of the better defenders in the country.
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St. John's finds itself on the bubble after this recent losing skid but has the best opportunity possible for a signature win. It should be a close game but these are the type of matchups that Coach Pitino lives for. Look for them to end UConn's win streak to start the Saturday slate off with a win.
Prediction: St. John's 84, UConn 78