UConn and St. John's Collide in NCAA East Bracket

Big East powers face off in rugged East Region after strong regular seasons

Mar. 16, 2026 at 10:00pm

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UConn and St. John's, the two top teams in the Big East this season, have been placed in the same East Region bracket for the NCAA Tournament. UConn is the No. 2 seed, while St. John's earned a 5-seed, setting up a potential second-round matchup between the conference rivals. Both teams had impressive regular seasons, with UConn flirting with a No. 1 seed and St. John's losing just once since early January.

Why it matters

The pairing of UConn and St. John's in the East Region creates an intriguing early-round matchup between two of the Big East's best teams this season. It also means one of the conference's top contenders for a Final Four berth will be eliminated before the Sweet 16, making the path to the national semifinals more difficult for the Big East overall.

The details

UConn (29-5) spent the final month of the regular season in contention for a No. 1 seed, while St. John's (28-6) lost just once after early January. The Red Storm won the Big East Tournament championship with a 20-point victory over the Huskies. However, St. John's had some struggles in its top nonconference games, going just 5-5 in Quadrant 1 matchups.

  • UConn started the season 22-1 but has gone 7-4 since.
  • St. John's lone loss since early January came in a blowout defeat at UConn on Feb. 25.
  • The teams will meet in the NCAA Tournament's East Region, with their first game scheduled for Friday.

The players

Dan Hurley

Head coach of the UConn Huskies.

Rick Pitino

Hall of Fame head coach of the St. John's Red Storm.

Keith Gill

Selection committee chairman and Sun Belt Conference commissioner.

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What they’re saying

“I've been to Portland and Arizona and went to a Final Four. It's not ideal traveling to the West Coast, but you deal with it and you just make the best of it.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's Red Storm

“The fact that we earned such a high seed speaks to the overall season that we had. We had a great season. It is the time of the year when you have to turn all of your experience, the confidence from the success, the resolve and the resilience from the struggles to get out on the court and try to play your best ball.”

— Dan Hurley, Head Coach, UConn Huskies

What’s next

The first-round matchups for UConn and St. John's are set, with the Huskies facing 15-seed Furman and the Red Storm taking on 12-seed Northern Iowa. The potential second-round clash between the Big East rivals could come against a blueblood program like Kansas in Duke's half of the East Region bracket.

The takeaway

The pairing of UConn and St. John's in the East Region sets up an intriguing early-round matchup between two of the Big East's best teams this season. While the conference's top contenders are on a collision course, the rugged East Region also features No. 1 overall seed Duke and other Hall of Fame coaches, making the path to the Final Four even more challenging for the Big East's top programs.