Pitt basketball will make its return to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 18, as the Panthers will face St. John’s in a matchup of former Big East rivals, according to a report by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
The game, which had previously been announced, will be part of a doubleheader along with Seton Hall and Iona, matching another former Big East school with legendary former Providence and Louisville coach Rick Pitino’s Gaels.
The game could have featured a meeting of brothers, with Pitt’s Justin Champagnie facing his brother Julian, but Justin announced on Monday that he’ll be entering the 2021 NBA Draft.
After playing in New York every year since first joining the Big East, trips to the Big Apple have been less frequent for Pitt as of late. The Panthers haven’t played in New York since facing Saint Louis in the Barclays Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 21, 2018.
Pitt hasn’t been to Madison Square Garden since playing SMU and Marquette in the 2K Classic on Nov. 17-18, 2016.
The Panthers and Red Storm haven’t met on the hardwood since Pitt left the Big East, with the last meeting between the team occurring at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 24, 2013 — a 63-47 Pitt win.
The Panthers have won eight of the last nine between the teams, but St. John’s holds the all-time series, 34-24.
The Red Storm went 16-11 and finished fourth in the Big East last year under second-year head coach Mike Anderson.
