Villanova Preview: Fired Up St. John’s at the Garden

Villanova Men’s Basketball will have their last chance at a regular season statement win when they travel to face No. 15 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Feb. 28.

The game will begin at 8 p.m., with FOX holding the broadcast rights. St. John’s endured a 72-40 beatdown at the hands of UConn their last time out, one of the worst losses of head coach Rick Pitino’s storied career. As such, the Wildcats (22-6, 13-4 Big East) will face a highly motivated opponent with something to prove.

St. John’s won the first matchup in South Philly 86-79, dominating the second half against this youthful Villanova squad. 27.3 percent of ESPN Analytics simulations end in a Wildcats win: they’re a +275 underdog on the money line with a point spread set at -7.5 and an over/under of 146.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook).

Villanova enters at No. 30 in the NET rankings, six spots behind St. John’s, making this a Quadrant 1 opportunity. Red Storm starter Ian Jackson is dealing with an ankle injury that held him out against Creighton on Feb. 21 and limited him to 14 minutes against the Huskies; Jackson dropped 18 points in 23 minutes against Villanova during the first game, so his availability could prove pivotal.

Scouting the Red Storm

St. John’s dominated down low the first time these teams faced off, outscoring Villanova 42-22 in the paint and making 25 of 43 (58 percent) two-point shots. Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins led the field with 20 points, 6-foot-8 senior Dillon Mitchell notched a double-double and Zuby Ejiofor added 17 points and seven rebounds.

Wildcats’ head coach Kevin Willard praised the Red Storm’s experience and physicality after the game, describing them as grown men compared to the many freshmen and sophomores getting major minutes for Villanova. 

While the Wildcats kept it close on the glass — St. John’s outrebounded them 31-28 — the Red Storm managed 12 offensive boards, extending possessions and wearing Villanova down. Ejiofor and Mitchell dominate the stat sheet for St. John’s, doing a bit of everything, while Hopkins provides an excellent secondary scoring option. The Red Storm’s balance makes them a tough draw, with plenty of other contributors ready to step up if someone runs cold. In the first game, Acaden Lewis and Duke Brennan both struggled, digging a hole the Wildcats couldn’t climb out of.

Scouting Villanova

Lewis has come into his own since the first game against St. John’s, one in which he made one of seven shots and committed six turnovers. Averaging 16 points and five assists per game in February, the true freshman point guard has an opportunity to show his growth. Brennan, similarly, serves as the Wildcats’ last line of defense down low and struggled against the Red Storm’s size. Villanova is a small team, which can hang Brennan out to dry at times, but down-ballot contributions from players like Malachi Palmer and center Braden Pierce, both coming into their own in recent weeks, could help balance out that mismatch.

Tyler Perkins and sixth man Devin Askew dominated the scoring against St. John’s the first time, each clearing the 20-point barrier. The Wildcats tried to balance out their struggles in the paint by attempting 26 of 54 shots from three. They sank 11, good for a 42.3 percent success rate against a strong defensive team, it wasn’t enough.

Other potential contributors include redshirt freshman Matt Hodge, who fouled out in 23 minutes and attempted just one shot during the first game, and guard Bryce Lindsay, currently working his way out of a brutal slump to start 2026. This is a tough matchup on paper for Villanova, but they’ve played better on the road than at home this season. Another month of experience from a young squad could help them win the rematch.