This afternoon’s St. John’s–Arkansas matchup is loaded with storylines. It marks the Red Storm’s first second-round appearance since 2015, following their best regular season in over 30 years.
It’s also a renewal of a coaching rivalry between two of the winningest active coaches in college basketball: John Calipari and Rick Pitino.
Arkansas Ascendant?
Arkansas edged out Kansas on Thursday with a 79–72 win, led by senior Jonas Aidoo’s 22 points. Aidoo has been on a tear, averaging 18.5 points over his last four games — a major jump from his season average of 6.9 points per game.
Junior Trevon Brazile also came in clutch with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Calipari’s gamble to play star freshman Boogie Fland — returning from injury — paid off. The Bronx native could be the X factor in this battle against St. John’s, just a few miles from his hometown in Queens.
St. John’s: 3 and D Are Key
As for the Johnnies, their defense will need to rise to the occasion, as it has in every one of their wins this season.
In their win over Omaha, it was their intensity on that end of the floor that sparked the turnaround — and they’ll need more of the same to keep their tournament run alive.
Expect Arkansas to follow Omaha’s playbook by forcing St. John’s to shoot threes, where they are woefully deficient. The Red Storm flipped the script, eventually beginning to hit shots from downtown against Omaha.
Today, RJ Luis Jr. will not only need to hit open shots with consistency, but he and Kadary Richmond will also have to break down the Arkansas defense by driving into the paint, drawing fouls, and creating opportunities for Zuby Ejiofor.
But this game — as every Red Storm game has this season — will go down to the St. John’s defense. The size and athleticism of Arkansas could pose a challenge for the Johnnies. But expect Rick Pitino’s squad to deliver today and continue their wonderful run.
How to Watch St. John’s vs. Arkansas
The St. John’s–Arkansas game tips off at around 2:40 PM Eastern and airs nationally on CBS. That means there are multiple ways to watch for free.
If you have an antenna, you can watch the game for free over the air.
The March Madness Live app or website offers this and other CBS games for free.
The first-round game also streams on the CBS, Paramount+, and Sling apps and websites.
(2) St. John’s vs. (10) Arkansas
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
Time: Just after 2:40 PM Eastern
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
TV: CBS
Streaming: CBS, Paramount+, Sling, March Madness Live App, DirecTV Stream (free trial), Hulu + Live TV (free trial), YouTube TV (free trial)
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