QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John’s men’s basketball team will host Rutgers men’s basketball on Saturday, October 21 for an exhibition game benefitting the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside Carnesecca Arena.
This will be the second straight season Pikiell’s Scarlet Knights have had an exhibition for charity at RU. Last season, RU competed against Fairfield at Jersey Mike’s Arena, where all net proceeds went to support Rutgers football legend Eric LeGrand of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Rutgers started the 2022-23 campaign off with a 78-65 exhibition victory. The game will not be broadcast on radio or television as fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in benefit of a great cause.
General admission tickets to the contest will be $20 for lower-level, $10 for upper-level seating and $5 for student tickets with all net proceeds going to support innovative pediatric cancer research. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the St. John’s Ticket Office at 1-888-GO-STORM.
“We are excited to partner with Rick Pitino, Dick Vitale, and the Jimmy V Foundation on October 21,” said Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell. “Jimmy V was recently named a Basketball Hall of Famer and is one of the all-time great Scarlet Knights. Dick Vitale’s legendary career is intertwined with the success of Rutgers Basketball. We are thrilled to help this great charity to push forward research to help any child facing pediatric cancer. We are excited to face off against a great program run by another Hall of Fame coach for a great cause and look forward to tip-off.”
“Personally, there is no better charity than helping pediatric cancer research through the Jimmy V Foundation,” said St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino. “There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a young child suffer, so we are delighted to join with Rutgers to donate money from this exhibition to the V Foundation. The fact Jimmy V. played for Rutgers is a great sidebar.”
The legendary late Jim Valvano was just inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 Class on August 11-12. Valvano is a graduate of Rutgers College in 1967 and was a co-captain with Scarlet Knight 2nd all-time in scoring, Bob Lloyd. In the 1966-67 season, Jimmy V was part of a team that went 22-7 and was the first Rutgers men’s basketball team to appear in a postseason tournament. Valvano was labeled the Rutgers Senior Athlete of the Year, scoring 1,222 points in three seasons which is 31st all-time.
Dick Vitale’s first coaching job in college basketball was at Rutgers in 1971. The Scarlet Knights assistant coach worked under Bob Lloyd until 1973 and is credited with recruiting many of the players on the 1975-76 Final Four team. Vitale went on to coach at the University of Detroit from 1973-77 and was the head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 1978-79. Vitale has had one of the most successful college basketball broadcasting careers spanning over 40 seasons at ESPN.
“I am so thankful to St. John’s Rick Pitino and Rutgers [head coach] Steve Pikiell to play an exhibition game to benefit The V Foundation for kids battling cancer,” said Vitale. “All the dollars donated will go for pediatric cancer research. Personally, it means so much to me as I have dedicated myself for years with my [Dick Vitale] Gala for pediatric cancer research. We have raised $68.1 million thus far, but so much more is needed. Once again, a big THANK YOU to Coach Pitino and Coach Pikiell! You guys are AWESOME BABY!”
St. John’s and Rutgers will meet in the preseason for the first time since 2017 when the Johnnies visited Jersey Mike’s Arena for an exhibition game that benefitted the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The programs last squared off in the regular season on November 16, 2018, with the Red Storm earning an 84-65 victory in Piscataway as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. St. John’s previously hosted Rutgers inside Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 19, 2015, as the Red Storm edged the Scarlet Knights, 61-59, in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games.
Inspired by its co-founder and namesake, Jim Valvano, the V Foundation has awarded more than $310 million in cancer research grants since its inception in 1993. One hundred percent of donations to the V Foundation go directly to cancer research. Through the Dick Vitale Pediatric Research Fund, the V Foundation has awarded almost $69 million to end pediatric cancer. Vitale is a long-time V Foundation Board member and passionate advocate for pediatric cancer research. For more information visit V.org.