UConn, St. John's clash in high-stakes Big East matchup

Huskies look to avenge earlier loss, tie Red Storm atop league standings

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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UConn's chances at a share of the Big East regular season title will largely come down to Wednesday's top-15 matchup in Hartford against St. John's. Rick Pitino's Red Storm, looking to repeat as champions of the league, carry a half-game lead over the sixth-ranked Huskies after taking the first matchup, 81-72, and snapping UConn's 18-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 7.

Why it matters

A UConn win on Wednesday would tie the programs atop the league standings with two losses a piece and set up a gripping final two weeks of the regular season. The Huskies will have two games left against Seton Hall and at Marquette, while St. John's has to host third-place Villanova and Georgetown before its season finale at Seton Hall.

The details

If UConn wins and both teams win out the rest of the way, the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament would still go to St. John's based on the current league standings. The tie-breaker is based on head-to-head results — both teams would be 2-0 against third-place Villanova and 2-0 against fourth-place Seton Hall, so it would come down to Creighton, which St. John's swept and UConn split.

  • The teams first met on Feb. 7, 2026 at Madison Square Garden, with St. John's winning 81-72.
  • Wednesday's game will be played at 7 p.m. in Hartford.

The players

Rick Pitino

Head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, looking to lead his team to a repeat as Big East champions.

Silas Demary Jr.

UConn's starting point guard, who has struggled with turnovers against St. John's in the past.

Zuby Ejiofor

One of the key frontcourt players for St. John's, who combined with Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell for 50 points in the first matchup.

Tarris Reed Jr.

UConn's starting center, who will need to help protect the paint against St. John's physical frontcourt.

Eric Reibe

UConn reserve big man, who will be counted on to provide quality minutes and help keep Reed fresh.

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What they’re saying

“I just think they're so avoidable for him. They're a little bit casual. Just every dribble you take as a guard, like you've got to change angles, you've got to change the cadence of your dribble, you've got to change speeds.”

— Dan Hurley, UConn Head Coach (Hartford Courant)

“I thought what was most impressive about our bigs today was that they showed the ability to get out and blitz and blow up ball screens and zooms and different things, but then also made it tough on (Villanova's bigs) in terms of rolling. That's the capability that Tarris and Eric have. We can't let each other down anymore.”

— Dan Hurley, UConn Head Coach (Hartford Courant)

What’s next

The winner of Wednesday's game will have the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament, though the final standings could still come down to the final week of the regular season.

The takeaway

This high-stakes matchup between two of the Big East's top teams will likely have major implications on the conference regular season title and tournament seeding. UConn will need to shore up its ball security and get more production from its bench to avenge the earlier loss to St. John's and pull even atop the league standings.