On Sunday, Syracuse gets a familiar Big East stage back when it heads to Madison Square Garden to face St. John’s, but the matchup won’t quite carry the extra jolt it was supposed to.
The Orange are 2-1 after a tough 83-80 loss to Indiana, while Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team comes in at 3-0.
Even with Zuby Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell gone to the NBA, the Red Storm still look dangerous, thanks in part to exhibition wins over Rutgers and No. 7 Texas.
For Gerry McNamara, this game checks a box he made clear he wanted checked when he took the Syracuse job: getting the Orange back on the floor at Madison Square Garden. That matters for a few reasons.
It brings back some of the old Big East feel for fans who remember the conference tournament there. It gives this current group a chance to play in a huge arena, which should help prepare it for bigger games and, ideally, NCAA Tournament runs.
And it puts Syracuse on a brighter stage, something that can matter in recruiting and overall visibility.
There’s also the history. McNamara has leaned into it, scheduling an exhibition against UConn and regular-season games against St.
John’s, Rutgers and Providence, all former Big East opponents. He has spoken with respect about the league’s past, and this trip to New York fits that approach.
The Orange own a 52-43 edge all-time against St. John’s, but the teams haven’t met since Nov.
22, 2022. Syracuse lost that one 76-69, and it has dropped four straight in the series.
The missing piece is Donnie Freeman.
That’s why this one doesn’t have quite the same edge. Freeman, now a junior, was Syracuse’s best player last season before transferring after Adrian Autry was let go.
He signed with St. John’s, but he is expected to miss the season after tearing his Achilles in the offseason.
He’ll be back next season, but his absence takes away the version of this game that would have carried the most bite - Syracuse’s past colliding with its present in the middle of a revived rivalry.
The game is set for 7 p.m. ET and will air on Peacock.
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