Brawl Erupts After Hard Foul in Providence-St. John's Game

Coaches Rick Pitino and Kim English react to the scuffle that led to multiple ejections.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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A physical altercation broke out during the second half of the Providence-St. John's basketball game after Providence forward Duncan Powell delivered a hard foul on Bryce Hopkins in transition. The flagrant foul sparked a brawl that resulted in several players being ejected from the game, including Powell, Providence's Jaylin Sellers, and St. John's Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey and Lefteris Liotopoulos.

Why it matters

Brawls and physical altercations in college basketball games are concerning incidents that raise questions about player safety, sportsmanship, and the ability of coaches to maintain control of their teams. The reaction from the coaches provides insight into how they view such incidents and their impact on the game.

The details

The scuffle occurred with Providence holding a 40-39 lead. After Powell's hard foul on Hopkins, a fight broke out that led to the multiple ejections. St. John's was able to pull away late, securing a 79-69 road victory despite the disruption.

  • The brawl occurred in the second half of the February 14, 2026 game between Providence and St. John's.

The players

Duncan Powell

A Providence forward who delivered the hard foul that sparked the brawl.

Bryce Hopkins

The Providence player who was on the receiving end of Powell's hard foul.

Jaylin Sellers

A Providence guard who was ejected for his involvement in the scuffle.

Dillon Mitchell

A St. John's forward who was ejected for his part in the brawl.

Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey, Lefteris Liotopoulos

St. John's players who were ejected for leaving the bench during the altercation.

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What they’re saying

“I think you saw it as well as me. But I didn't have the film in front of me to look at everybody. You're not supposed to come off the bench, but you can't let your players get beat up. So.”

— Rick Pitino, Providence Head Coach (on3.com)

“I thought we came out really good in the second half. The scrum happened, I thought at a bad time for us. We had the lead. We're up one. I thought it was a manageable play in transition, flagrant. And then everything else ensued. And then, ran out of guys. Ran out of guys.”

— Kim English, St. John's Head Coach (on3.com)

“There's absolutely a time to have hard fouls. There's a time to have hard fouls through a guys arm. You never want to hit anyone in the head intentionally obviously. I didn't think that was a time for hard fouls. As I watched it live, I thought he could have just ran harder and got in front of him and had a good legal play honestly.”

— Kim English, St. John's Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

The conference and NCAA will likely review the incident and determine if any further disciplinary action is warranted against the players and coaches involved.

The takeaway

This brawl highlights the need for better sportsmanship and player control in college basketball. Coaches must emphasize playing hard but fair, and officials must be prepared to quickly de-escalate physical confrontations to prevent them from spiraling out of control.