The St. John’s Red Storm is replacing UCLA at the CBS Sports Classic and will face off against Kentucky on Dec. 20 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
This matchup between the Johnnies and the Wildcats will be their first meeting since 2011. The tip-off time will be announced at a later date, but the game will be aired on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.
It’ll be a doubleheader of games, as Ohio State will take on North Carolina before St. John’s takes the floor.
There’s some history between St. John’s and Kentucky. Reigning National Coach of the Year Rick Pitino spent eight seasons leading Kentucky from 1989 to 1997, where he compiled a 219-50 (.814) overall record.
Pitino guided the Wildcats back to national prominence, winning five SEC Tournament titles, advancing to three Final Fours, and capturing the 1996 National Championship.
Kentucky’s head coach is Mark Pope, who was the team captain for Pitino’s Wildcats on that championship team. In his first season, Pope led his alma mater to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2019.
“Obviously, Kentucky was Camelot for me, I’ve said it many times,” Pitino said. “So now to play against The Captain [Mark Pope], who made so many special moments for me and the team, in a battle that CBS is putting on is quite special. I will remember it for a long, long time.”
The Johnnies are coming off a historic season with a 31-5 record, securing the Big East Title for the first time since 2000. They also earned themselves the No. 2 seed in the West region of the NCAA Tournament. Their season was cut short by John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Round of 32.
St. John’s enters a season with the No. 1 ranked transfer class, as they look to reach new heights next season and hoist the NCAA National Championship trophy.
