Uconn Basketball hosts No. 15 St. John’s in Hartford while Jaylin Stewart is sidelined
uconn basketball faces a pivotal test Wednesday as No. 6 UConn (25-3, 15-2) hosts No. 15 St. John’s (22-5, 15-1) at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, with the Huskies needing a win — and some outside help — to remain in title contention in the Big East. The matchup matters now because UConn will be without Jaylin Stewart for the game and because simmering tension between Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley adds an extra edge to the rivalry.
Uconn Basketball and St. John’s: records, rankings and stakes in Hartford
UConn enters the matchup 25-3 overall and 15-2 in conference, sitting No. 6 in the Poll, No. 11 in KenPom and No. 10 in the NET. St. John’s is 22-5 overall and 15-1 in conference, ranked No. 15 in the Poll, No. 22 in KenPom with the No. 45 offense and the No. 15 defense, and 23rd in the NET. The game is set for Wednesday, February 25, 7: 00 p. m. ET at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut. A UConn win could pull the Huskies into a tie with St. John’s for first place in the Big East, but UConn is no longer in full control of the regular-season title: if both teams finish 18-2, St. John’s would claim the title under tiebreaker rules and head-to-head comparisons down the standings.
Availability and lineup notes: Jaylin Stewart out; report due three hours before tip-off
The UConn men’s basketball team will be without Jaylin Stewart for the St. John’s game Wednesday. That sits alongside another detail in the pregame notes: as of now, everyone should be available for the Huskies, and the Big East availability report comes out three hours before tip-off, leaving some uncertainty around final lineups.
Recent form and a season rematch: Feb. 6 meeting, history and a KenPom prediction
These programs have played 74 times in their histories, with St. John’s holding a 40-34 advantage. In the Dan Hurley era, UConn has won six of 11 matchups. The teams last met on Feb. 6, 2026, when St. John’s beat UConn 81-72 at Madison Square Garden; Silas Demary Jr. led UConn with 18 points as one of four Huskies in double figures. KenPom’s projected score for the upcoming game lists UConn 76, St. John’s 70. This meeting marks the third ranked-versus-ranked matchup of the Big East regular season, and each of those games has involved UConn.
How both teams got here: St. John’s surge and UConn’s defensive rebound
St. John’s has surged after a lackluster non-conference slate; Rick Pitino has the Red Storm in position to reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the program made three straight from 1998–2000. In their last outing, St. John’s handled the same Creighton team that recently beat UConn in Storrs by 29 points, doing so at Madison Square Garden.
UConn has had uneven defensive stretches this season. The Huskies carry the 13th-most efficient defense nationally now, but they fell out of the top 10 following a rough four-game defensive stretch in early February. In the 12 Big East games preceding that first matchup with St. John’s, UConn allowed more than 70 points just twice — both were against Providence. In the 2-2 run that followed, the Huskies surrendered an average of 79. 3 points per game. They bounced back on Saturday with a quality win at Villanova, paced by a dominant second half and strong bench production; Villanova shot 41% from the field, UConn allowed just 63 points, swatted eight shots and protected the paint better than it had in recent weeks.
Pitino and Hurley: coach-to-coach tension adds another subplot
The matchup carries off-court intrigue as well: there is visible tension between Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley that has become part of the rivalry’s narrative. Among fans there has grown a fascination with the Pitino–Hurley relationship, and each meeting draws attention to their interactions. The dynamic invites unavoidable comparisons to a notorious moment 32 years ago when Temple’s John Chaney appeared poised to strike UMass’ John Calipari in a press-room confrontation — Chaney famously yelled, "I'll kill you!" at Calipari — and while things have not escalated to that level between Pitino and Hurley, the matchup has taken on extra heat.
Final puzzle pieces before tip-off
Beyond the headline items — UConn’s need for a win to stay in title contention, Jaylin Stewart’s absence, KenPom’s 76–70 projection and the charged Pitino–Hurley subplot — the immediate clarifier will be the Big East availability report released three hours before tip-off. Fans will also watch whether the adjustments that steadied UConn’s defense at Villanova hold up against St. John’s versatile wings in a sold-out Hartford setting.
