St. John's basketball will meet Providence in Big East Tournament for first time after altercation

"I don't know what made me feel like that, but it was just a feeling I had that we were going to match up with them again - or possibly matchup with them again. So, I mean, it is what it is. Hopkins has struggled against his former team this season, shooting 6-for-27 in the two games and averaging 9.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game."

"We can't really worry about all the verbal altercations or anything like that. We're playing for a Big East Tournament [championship], and that's what matters above anything else. That's what you have to really go into the game thinking about, coming out with a win, advance, and playing for a championship."

"Had the fight not occurred, St. John's could have been swept by Providence. It saw a 13-point lead vanish as the Friars had all the momentum before the hard foul."

St. John's and Providence meet in the Big East Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden, marking their third matchup of the season. The teams previously clashed in February when Duncan Powell's clothesline on Bryce Hopkins sparked an altercation resulting in six ejections. St. John's won that game 79-69 after trailing, while Providence had defeated St. John's at Madison Square Garden in their first meeting. Hopkins, a former Providence player now with St. John's, has struggled against his former team, shooting poorly across both games. St. John's leadership emphasizes focusing on winning the tournament rather than the rivalry's verbal tensions.

Read at Storm The Paint