St. John’s matchup with Texas is going to be an important litmus test

St. John's Red Storm Quinn Ellis puts up a shot past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense during the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, Sunday, October 18, 2026. St. John's Red Storm Quinn Ellis puts up a shot past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense during the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, Sunday, October 18, 2026. — St. John's Red Storm Quinn Ellis puts up a shot past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense during the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Sunday marks the final dress rehearsal for St. John’s, and it will be a significant test after uneven performances against Drexel and Rutgers.

Texas, which is expected to be one of the premier teams in the country this season, is coming to the Garden for a noon tipoff. Coach Sean Miller’s Longhorns are big, deep, physical and ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason poll.

It is a good barometer for the new-look and No. 13 Red Storm, similar to the exhibition game against eventual national champion Michigan prior to last season.

“We are nowhere near where we need to be on offensively or especially on defense to play a team like Texas,” Pitino said over Zoom. “So it’s going to be great for us to gauge where we have to improve and get better. This is a tremendous game for us, similar to Michigan last year.”

You may like

After Chelsea Lost 2-0, Here is How EPL Table Stands

Abraham Kiptum Eyes Athletics Comeback After Serving Four-Year Ban

The João Pedro Blind Spot: Chelsea’s Hidden Scoring Problem

Liverpool news: Bayern Munich chief fires accusation at Iraola as star speaks on death threats

Hansi Flick Revives Karim Adeyemi at Barcelona