Coming off a 95-83 win over Georgetown that was more dominant than the final score implied, the Red Storm are hoping to keep it rolling against the Providence Friars at home on Saturday, who are desperate for a victory after starting Big East play with an 0-2 record for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Game information
Who: St. John’s Red Storm (9-4) vs. Providence Friars (7-6)
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When: Saturday, January 3, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN New York 880 / 1050
Series History: St. John’s leads the all-time series, 68-58. The Red Storm have won four of the last five meetings with the Friars.
KenPom Predicted Score: St. John’s to win 92-79 (87 percent chance of win)
Injury news
There are no injury news to report for St. John’s heading into Saturday’s game.
What to watch for in the Storm
Friar – Plenty of attention will be paid to Bryce Hopkins on Saturday, who will play in his first of two scheduled games against his former team. Back on February 11, 2023, Hopkins posted 29 points and nine rebounds in his first Madison Square Garden game which pitted St. John’s and Providence against each other. He’s hoping for a repeat performance, or at least a scoring night that’s better than his eight points on 2-of-7 shooting against Georgetown.
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Thank You – There was no shortage of dimes dropped by St. John’s on New Year’s Eve, with their 20 assists being the third-most they’ve recorded in a single game this season and the most against a power conference opponent. Leading the team with seven assists was Zuby Ejiofor, who might be turning into a point center. According to BartTorvik, Ejiofor has the 29th-highest assist rate (19.3%) among all NCAA Division I players 6-foot-8 or taller. Don’t be shocked if Ejiofor carries the playmaking mail again on Saturday.
Mindset – St. John’s turned Madison Square Garden into a fortress last season, going a perfect 11-0 against the Big East in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Meanwhile, they’re facing a Providence team that’s struggled away from home in the last two seasons. Last year, the Friars were only 2-14 in road or neutral games. This season, they have only one road/neutral-court victory, but it was against Penn State and required only a quick schlep to the nearby Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Scouting the Friars
There’s no sunshine and rainbows in Friartown at the moment. With no impressive wins heading into 2026, Providence will likely miss the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season unless they mount an impressive rally through Big East play. Another March spent at home bodes poorly for Kim English, who is drawing calls for his ousting by a growing contingent of the Friar fanbase.
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The Friars’ issues stem on the defensive end of the ball, where they rank 162nd in adjusted defensive efficiency and allow opponents to shoot 37.4% from three, ranking 322nd nationally. Providence is also a below-average team on the glass by national standards, ranking 197th in offensive rebound percentage and 209th in defensive rebound percentage.
Fortunately for Providence, they have the scoring talent capable of turning around their season and giving them a chance to win every night no matter the opponent. Their offense ranks 43rd nationally in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency, they’re an elite free-throw shooting team by hitting 79.1%, and they take care of the ball with a 15.1% turnover percentage that ranks in the top 60 nationally.
Very few teams have the luxury of hauling in the leading scorer of a power conference team that went to the NCAA Tournament, but Kim English got an incredible pickup in Vanderbilt transfer Jason Edwards to serve as the Friars’ spearhead.
Edwards is a three-level scoring dynamo, leading the team with 18.5 points per game and shooting 45.3% from the floor, 36.5% from three, and 80.3% from the free throw line. The Atlanta native had his best performance of the season in a double-overtime thriller against Butler, leading the team with 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 6-of-13 from three. Playing as a shooting guard on the shorter side at 6-foot-1, Edwards has more than doubled his assist rate from 11.1% a season ago to 24.2% this season.
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St. John’s isn’t the only Big East program boasting a 6-foot-4 three-point marksman named Sellers. Joining Edwards in the Providence backcourt is UCF transfer Jaylin Sellers, who ranks second on the Friars in scoring with 16.1 points per game and is a team-best 43.3% from long range among players averaging at least one three-point attempt per game.
Sellers will also have the three-point help of senior guard and top returning scorer Corey Floyd, Jr. The New Jersey native is averaging 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 37.8% from three.
Estonian guard Stefan Vaaks is an early favorite to win Big East Freshman of the Year, and it’s plain to see. The 6-foot-7 swingman is averaging 13.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds, and he has scored in double-figures in every game played. Vaaks is a tad inefficient, shooting 39.2% from the field, though that’s weighed down by him shooting 33.7% from three on 7.8 attempts per game. His ability to shoot off the dribble and whip cross-court passes out of nowhere could unglue the Red Storm defense.
Holding it down in the paint is sophomore Oswin Erhunmwunse, who is emerging as one of the most feared shot blockers in the country. The 6-foot-10 center is averaging 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and ranks fifth in the country with 3.1 blocks per game. Erhunmwunse is also an incredibly efficient paint scorer, leading the Big East with 77.4% shooting. However, he frequently gets into foul trouble, averaging 3.5 personals per game and fouling out in his last two games.
Prediction
No matter how well or how poorly they’re playing, Providence always seems to give St. John’s a stress-inducing game. Their last seven meetings have been decided by five points or less, and each of the Red Storm’s two wins against the Friars came down to a basket in the final seconds. Although the Red Storm are 12-point favorites on KenPom, this could be another dramatic game between these two teams, given the Red Storm’s defensive inconsistency between halves and the Friars’ shooting talent.
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Ultimately, Saturday’s game will come down to rebounding and free throws if it goes to the wire. Oswin Erhunmwunse might cause problems inside if he can stay out of foul trouble, but Providence overall does not have enough size or rebounding skill to win on the glass.
St. John’s holds on and wins, 85-82.
