To some, the draw of the Big East Tournament was too confusing to compute. To Bryce Hopkins, it was a gut feeling.
When the final league game of the regular season concluded on Saturday night, the bracket was finalized and the top-seeded Red Storm found out it would face the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between Providence and Butler.
“I don’t know what made me feel like that, but it was just a feeling I had that we were going to match up with them again – or possibly matchup with them again – so I mean, it is what it is,” he said on Monday night at a team autograph signing at Applebee’s in Fresh Meadows, NY.
“I’m just looking forward to being in the Big East Tournament again.”
The history between St. John’s, Hopkins, and Providence doesn’t need much hype.
After the Friars upset the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden in early January, Providence freshman Jamier Jones said that he would start over Hopkins had he remained with the school.
During the rematch in mid-February, he was clotheslined on a breakaway by Duncan Powell that led to a skirmish which saw six ejections and a three-game suspension for Powell.
The odd part of the newly created rivalry is that the two Friars that have been in the middle of it were never teammates with Hopkins.
Providence center Oswin Erhunmwunse, a teammate of Hopkins last season, actually pulled him away from the fracas and tried to deescalate things.
“I know the guys I played with on the team were all good guys,” Hopkins explained.
He said that he texted Erhunmwunse after the game and thanked him for getting him away from any further trouble or damage.
“It means a lot to me for him to do that and have my back in that situation,” he continued. “Just showing the love we have for each other while we were there together.”
Bryce Hopkins expects a potential rubber match between the teams to feel the same as the previous two.
“I feel like it’s going to be very aggressive, high emotions all over the place, and they’re going to come with their best shot again,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to be a tough, physical game again, that’s what the coach likes over there, and whatever the case may be we’re going to be ready for it.”
Still, Providence needs to beat Butler on Wednesday afternoon (4:00 p.m. ET, Peacock) to get a shot at St. John’s on Thursday (12:00 p.m. ET, Peacock). If the Friars win, it’ll be one of the most anticipated games of the iconic week at The Garden.