St. John’s releases non-conference slate

On Monday afternoon the St. John’s Red Storm announced their non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2017-18 season. The out of conference slate is headlined by a matchup with Duke on February 3rd, at Madison Square Garden.

The Johnnies season will commence on November 10th at Carnesecca Arena. Their opponent will be the New Orleans Privateers. New Orleans is fresh off a 20 win season in which they made the NCAA Tournament’s First Four.

Only four days later, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils will travel up to Queens. The Blue Devils are coached by former NBA player and UConn legend Donyell Marshall. In Marshall’s first season, Central Connecticut won only 6 games.

St. John’s will remain at Carnesecca following their bout with Central Connecticut, as they square off with Nebraska in the third annual Gavitt Games. The Red Storm have split contests in this Big East-Big Ten matchup, beating Rutgers two years ago, but falling short in Minnesota last season. The Johnnies will conclude their home stretch with a contest against the Molloy.

As Thanksgiving approaches, St. John’s will pack their bags and head south for the AdvoCare Invitational. Their first game comes on November 23rd against Oregon State. The winner of that contest would play the winner of Missouri/Long Beach State on November 24th. If St. John’s were to win both contests, the AdvoCare Invitational championship is set for November 26th.

The Johnnies return home on December 2nd for a game with Sacred Heart. The Pioneers won 13 contests last year in the Northeast Conference.

Chris Mullin and company will then travel to Phoneix, Arizona, squaring off with a tricky Grand Canyon. This matchup will be played at a neutral site, with Talking Stick Resort Arena playing host.

Just days later, St. John’s will play Arizona State at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Coached by Duke legend Bobby Hurley, the Sun Devils will be a formidable task for St. John’s.

Just over a week later, the Johnnies will play Iona at the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival. The Gaels are sure to provide St. John’s with a tough test. Only 3 days later, Mohegan Sun in Connecticut will play host to a matchup between the Red Storm and the St. Joseph’s Hawks.

The Johnnies conclude their non-conference lineup with the highly anticipated game with Duke. The Blue Devils look like the team to beat after the number 1 prospect Marvin Bagley III committed and reclassified to the class of 2017. This February contest will mark the 23rd all-time meeting between St. John’s and Duke.

Below you can find the whole non-conference slate.

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Fri. Nov. 10 New Orleans Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

Tues. Nov. 14 Central Connecticut Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

Gavitt Tipoff Games

Thurs. Nov. 16 Nebraska* Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

Mon. Nov. 20 Molloy Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

AdvoCare Invitational

Thurs. Nov. 23 vs. Oregon State Orlando, Fla. (HP Field House)

Fri. Nov. 24 vs. Missouri/Long Beach State Orlando, Fla. (HP Field House)

Sun. Nov. 26 TBD Orlando, Fla. (HP Field House)

Sat. Dec. 2 Sacred Heart Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

Valley of the Sun Shootout

Tues. Dec. 5 vs. Grand Canyon Phoenix, Ariz. (Talking Stick Resort Arena)

Basketball Hall of Fame Classic

Fri. Dec. 8 vs. Arizona State Los Angeles, Calif. (STAPLES Center)

Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival

Sun. Dec. 17 Iona New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)

Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase

Wed. Dec. 20 vs. Saint Joseph’s Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)

Sat. Feb. 3 Duke New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)