EN GARDEN: Another Big East scramble is on tap at MSG tonight when UConn visits St. John’s. (Anthony J. Causi)
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I’m ready to be shamed — again.
Several weeks ago, St. John’s played at Rutgers. At the time, it was a huge Big East game. The winner would move into fourth place in the conference and could start thinking about March Madness.
Revenge was in play. The Scarlet Knights had edged the Johnnies, 58-56, at the Garden and this was the rematch. The setting was the RAC, a decrepit old gym that can hold a great home-court advantage, despite its gothic lighting and bleachers courtesy of the Garden State Splinter Co.
I would have bet Joe Flacco’s next contract the place would be rocking, metropolitan area basketball fans yearning for an important Big East game between two tri-state area teams.
But a mere 4,742 fans, many of whom apparently swore an oath of silence that Jan. 23 night, sashayed in and did a lot of texting. St. John’s won 72-60, and the fortunes of the two squads went in opposite directions. The Scarlet Knights have not won since. The Red Storm completed a five-game win streak before losing at Georgetown on Saturday.
I made a note: The next time a fan writes and complains about the lack of important, local Big East games, reference this Rutgers-St. John’s dud and send them on their way.
But the fool in me is going all in again: The Red Storm (14-8, 6-4 Big East) host UConn (15-5, 5-3) tonight at the Garden (7:00, ESPNU), and I’m certain the World’s Most Famous Arena will be rocking. It’s St. John’s-Connecticut, for crying out loud.
If the Johnnies win, they join a group of Big East schools in the top tier of the standings with seven league wins. If the Huskies win, their last memory of playing at the mecca is a sweet one.
Connecticut is ineligible for the postseason tournament for failure to meet Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards. So this is it, no March trip to the Big Apple for Huskies Nation.
“I’m coming ready to play,’’ UConn’s Omar Calhoun of Brooklyn told The Post. “It’s my last chance to play in Madison Square Garden this season. It’s against St. John’s, the New York team. A lot of my people, friends and family are going to be there.’’
Sorry to break it to you, Omar, but there might not be as many fans in the seats as we hoped. At the start of the week, only about 8,000 tickets had been sold.
Maybe this is no longer college hoops country. Maybe we are living in the past. Why else would the Garden not have to open the concession stands in the upper sections?
The NFL has crowned its champ. Pitchers and catchers haven’t reported. NHL teams are playing tripleheaders to make up for games lost during the strike. The NBA is still two months away from truly meaningful games.
This is college basketball time and this is the city game.
“We would love to have fans at our game,’’ said St. John’s forward Sir’Dominic Pointer. “If they don’t show up, we can’t blame them. We’ve been losing a little bit. But we’re winning now, so I would love for fans to show up and show us some support.’’
Guard Phil Greene IV said, “It’s going to be a very big game, I think. The energy is going to be high. They’re going to come out ready to play. It’s Madison Square Garden, so everyone loves to play here.’’
I still remember the day I got to play on the Garden court. Dr. J was pitching a product called the “Hot Hand,” which was supposed to improve ball control. Made for a nice cycling glove.
Anyway, luck of the draw, I’m placed on the good Doctor’s team, throw him a perfect alley-oop from the foul line and he dunks it with the ease of an 8-year-old plucking a chocolate chip cookie off a baking tray. I walked off the court: game, set, memory.
There’s a good chance a memory will be made tonight. It would be a shame if not many come to see it.
* Guard Jamal Branch (sprained left MCL) will not play. He is questionable for Sunday’s game at Syracuse. Forward/center Chris Obekpa is expected to start, Greene said, meaning the Johnnies won’t use a three-guard lineup for the first time since Jan. 12. Coach Steve Lavin could start guard Marc-Antoine Bourgault, who had a career-high 12 points on Saturday.