St. John’s Announces Non-Conference Schedule
QUEENS, N.Y. – Highlighted with seven local dates and appearances in three of New York City’s boroughs, the complete St. John’s men’s basketball team’s out-of-conference schedule was revealed Thursday. The Red Storm has a 13-game docket lined up against non-league opponents in 2016-17, which also includes marquee contests outside the metropolitan area as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis, Gavitt Tipoff Games and a road game with longtime rival Syracuse.
Under second year head coach Chris Mullin, the young and talented Johnnies will tip off the 110th season of St. John’s basketball on Nov. 11 at Carnesecca Arena against Bethune Cookman. Three days later, the Red Storm returns to its home court in Queens to take on Binghamton (Nov. 14) for the opening round game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. One of the premier regular season tournaments, the Battle 4 Atlantis continues Nov. 23-25 at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, an iconic resort known worldwide as a leading destination in the Caribbean.
St. John’s travels to Minneapolis for the second annual Gavitt Tipoff Games to square off with Minnesota (Nov. 18), one of three Big Ten opponents on the schedule. It will be the program’s fourth all-time meeting with the Golden Gophers in a series that dates back to 1994. Most recently, St. John’s topped Minnesota, 70-61, at Madison Square Garden in the 2014 NIT Season Tip-Off.
A loaded Battle 4 Atlantis eight-team field awaits the Red Storm for the highly anticipated tournament in the Bahamas. St. John’s begins the three-day event with reigning Big Ten champion Michigan State on Nov. 23 inside Imperial Arena airing live on AXS TV. Nearly four decades since their last meeting, St. John’s and Michigan State will square off for only the third time in the history of the storied college basketball programs.
St. John’s second game at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 24 will be against another 2016 NCAA Tournament participant, either Baylor or VCU. The opposite side of the bracket includes Louisville, LSU, Wichita State and Old Dominion. The 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis field has combined for 169 NCAA Tournament appearances, including St. John’s 28 trips to the Big Dance.
The Red Storm returns to Queens for three of its next four contests. St. John’s hosts Delaware State (Nov. 29), Cal State Northridge (Dec. 5) and Fordham (Dec. 8) at Carnesecca Arena. A road game at Tulane is scheduled for Dec. 2.
St. John’s will participate in the 2016 BROOKLYN HOOPS Winter Festival doubleheader at Barclays Center on Dec. 11. The Red Storm takes on LIU Brooklyn and Kentucky faces Hofstra.
Following a week layoff from outside competition, the Johnnies will make their season-debut at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” against Penn State on Dec. 18 in the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival.
St. John’s wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule at the Carrier Dome on Dec. 21 for the 91st all-time meeting with Syracuse. It is the Red Storm’s first trip back to Central New York since downing the Orange, 69-57, on Dec. 6, 2014. Last season, Mullin’s squad knocked off Final Four bound Syracuse, 84-72, at MSG.