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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino will not be on the sideline for Tuesday night’s game at Seton Hall while he recovers from COVID-19, the school announced.
Associate head coach Steve Masiello will serve as the Red Storm’s acting head coach.
Tuesday’s game is a crucial tilt for both St. John’s and Seton Hall. The Red Storm’s four-game winning streak ended Saturday at Creighton, while Seton Hall has won four in a row and seven of its past eight to move into a tie with UConn atop the Big East standings.
Both teams need the win to help boost their NCAA tournament chances. ESPN’s latest Bracketology showed St. John’s (12-5) as a 7-seed and Seton Hall (12-5) as a 9-seed.
Pitino is in his first season at St. John’s. The Hall of Fame coach was hired last spring after three seasons at Iona. He has won two national championships and been to seven Final Fours.