Saint Louis will host the Iona Gaels at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday, Jan. 8. Tip time is 7 p.m. (CT), though subject to change based upon potential TV coverage. Bob Ramsey and Earl Austin Jr. will have the call on the radio on KFTK 97.1 FM.
The game, which was hastily scheduled in the last 12 hours, comes as the Billikens’ originally scheduled game on Saturday at St. Bonaventure was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols in the Bonnies’ program. Iona had its two games this weekend – at Saint Peter’s and at Monmouth – postponed due to opponent COVID-19 protocols.
Coached by Rick Pitino, Iona is 11-2 on the season and No. 47 in the NCAA NET rankings. The Gaels are on a five-game winning streak. Their lone losses came against Belmont and Kansas in the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
This will be the fifth time Travis Ford has faced Pitino, his former head coach at Kentucky. Ford is 1-3 in games against Pitino. Ford’s Eastern Kentucky teams went 0-3 against Pitino. While at UMass, Ford led the Minutemen past Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals in 2006.
