Overview
- Tip-off is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with streaming on Peacock.
- Both teams enter 5-1 in Big East play and tied for second place behind UConn, setting up a pivotal positioning game.
- KenPom projects Villanova by one point (75–74) with roughly a 49% chance for a St. John’s win, while later betting lines shifted to St. John’s -1 with a 149.5 total.
- St. John’s has won five of six, including a 92–68 rout of Marquette, while Villanova has taken seven of eight after an 88–82 road win at Providence.
- Key figures include St. John’s do-it-all forward Zuby Ejiofor and hot-shooting Oziyah Sellers, against Villanova’s backcourt of Bryce Lindsay and freshman Acaden Lewis plus elite rebounder Duke Brennan; St. John’s reports no new injuries.