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Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Syracuse Returns To MSG To Renew Rivalry With St. John's
10/2/2026 12:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Syracuse will be back in its most familiar non-Dome arena when it plays St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m.
The matchup renews a rivalry between two founding members of the BIG EAST Conference. Syracuse has played 175 games in Madison Square Garden, starting with its first appearance in 1938-39.
The Syracuse-St. John's Series:
Former Syracuse standout Gerry McNamara is in his initial year at the helm of his alma mater. McNamara spent the last two seasons in charge at Siena, where he led the Saints to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The Orange have two returning regulars, sophomores Kiyan Anthony (8.0 ppg., 1.4 rpg.) and Sadiq White Jr. (6.1 ppg., 3.3 rpg.). Six incoming transfers include juniors Aiden Tobiason (16.3 ppg., 3.7 rpg.), a Temple guard, and Gavin Doty (18.0 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), a guard who was the 2025-26 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) first-team honoree at Siena.
St. John's
St. John's was 30-7 overall and 18-2 in the BIG EAST last season. The Red Storm claimed the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles for the second consecutive year. St. John's then advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 before losing to top-seeded Duke, 80-75.
Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, a former assistant coach for Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, is in his fourth year at the helm at St. John's.
The Red Storm have two former Syracuse players on their roster – graduate guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., who transferred from Mercer, and junior forward Donnie Freeman. The top returning performer is Ian Jackson (9.4 ppg.), a junior guard who was named to the 2026 preseason All-BIG EAST first team.
Tickets
Syracuse men's basketball tickets are available at cuse.com/tickets.
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The matchup renews a rivalry between two founding members of the BIG EAST Conference. Syracuse has played 175 games in Madison Square Garden, starting with its first appearance in 1938-39.
The Syracuse-St. John's Series:
- Syracuse has a 51-41 advantage in the all-time series.
- The two programs first met on Feb. 8, 1912, a game won by Syracuse, 25-19.
- The most recent encounter between the Orange and the Red Storm was Nov. 23, 2022, in the final of the Empire Classic in Brooklyn. St. John's won 76-69 in overtime.
- St. John's has captured the four most recent pairings.
- Syracuse had nine straight wins in the series between 2006-07 and 2013-14 prior to the recent St. John's run.
Former Syracuse standout Gerry McNamara is in his initial year at the helm of his alma mater. McNamara spent the last two seasons in charge at Siena, where he led the Saints to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The Orange have two returning regulars, sophomores Kiyan Anthony (8.0 ppg., 1.4 rpg.) and Sadiq White Jr. (6.1 ppg., 3.3 rpg.). Six incoming transfers include juniors Aiden Tobiason (16.3 ppg., 3.7 rpg.), a Temple guard, and Gavin Doty (18.0 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), a guard who was the 2025-26 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) first-team honoree at Siena.
St. John's
St. John's was 30-7 overall and 18-2 in the BIG EAST last season. The Red Storm claimed the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles for the second consecutive year. St. John's then advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 before losing to top-seeded Duke, 80-75.
Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, a former assistant coach for Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, is in his fourth year at the helm at St. John's.
The Red Storm have two former Syracuse players on their roster – graduate guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., who transferred from Mercer, and junior forward Donnie Freeman. The top returning performer is Ian Jackson (9.4 ppg.), a junior guard who was named to the 2026 preseason All-BIG EAST first team.
Tickets
Syracuse men's basketball tickets are available at cuse.com/tickets.
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Players Mentioned
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