St. John’s Basketball Matchup With Arizona Is Must-Watch

College basketball fans will be tuning in to see the St. John's Red Storm against the Arizona Wildcats.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino looks on during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Given the rise back to prominence that the St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team has achieved under head coach Rick Pitino, it should come as no surprise that they are becoming a marquee draw during the non-conference schedule.

St. John’s will be participating in the Players Era Festival again in Las Vegas, with a first-round matchup against the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the new bracket-style tournament. At least two games will be played there and as many as four, depending on how deep in the bracket they make a run.

There is also a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide scheduled for Dec. 12. However, a week before traveling down south for that neutral site game, the Red Storm will be playing in one of the most highly anticipated non-conference games of the season.

On Dec. 5, St. John’s will be welcoming the Arizona Wildcats to New York. Right now, Carnesecca Arena is listed as the venue, but it is hard to imagine that game not being played in front of a massive crowd at Madison Square Garden.

St. John's has huge matchup with Arizona

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd before a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Projected as the No. 1 team in the Big 12 and a national title contender, this is a matchup between what looks to be two of the best teams in men’s college basketball entering the 2026-27 campaign.

Arizona is coming off a 36-3 season in which they lost to the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four. Similar to the Red Storm, the Wildcats lost a lot of talent from their team, but are bringing back some key players and have restocked the roster with highly-rated high school recruits and established players in the transfer portal.

Caleb Holt is a five-star shooting guard who will help replace the production of Jayden Bradley and Brayden Burries in the backcourt. Derek Dixon is a great addition to the backcourt as well in the transfer portal.

If RJ Godfrey gains clearance and is eligible to play, he steps right into the physical frontcourt role that Tobe Awaka provided the team last season.

Eligiblity rulings will determine how much star power is in matchup

Auburn Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall (7) celebrates a basket as Auburn Tigers take on Wofford Terriers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Wofford Terriers 93-62. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This matchup will be a truly premier one if all players currently seeking eligibility are cleared to play. For St. John’s, the list is extensive, with international players Quinn Ellis and Babacar Sane and fifth-year hopefuls Keyshawn Hall and Reed Bailey awaiting decisions.

This will be the third meeting between the Red Storm and Wildcats ever. Each team has won once previously. Arizona won the first-ever matchup on Nov. 17, 2011, and St. John’s returned the favor on Dec. 21, 2019.

Both were neutral-site games. The Wildcats won at Madison Square Garden, and the Red Storm won at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.