Seton Hall won the game it was supposed to lose. The young Pirates stunned Kentucky, beating the Blue Blood powerhouse in overtime at the Garden, a sign this year could be as much about reloading as rebuilding after graduating the core from the past three NCAA Tournament teams.

This Saturday, against rival Rutgers in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic, coach Kevin Willard’s team gets the chance to prove that result wasn’t an anomaly and that the difficult non-conference schedule has sped up its development.

“This is a big test,” Willard said in a phone interview Friday. “We obviously had a big win at the Garden, but now you got to step up and play a really good team on your home floor. Are you going to be focused? Are you going to be ready to take on another big challenge? Because that’s what this is.”

Motivation shouldn’t be needed, not after how last year’s meeting finished, with Rutgers stunning then-No. 15 Seton Hall at a sold-out RAC. The Scarlet Knights fans would storm the court after the home team erased a nine-point deficit in the final 5:41.

The Prudential Center is sold out for Saturday’s game, creating what should be an electric atmosphere. This Seton Hall team is different, but current starters Myles Powell, Myles Cale, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Mike Nzei played in that game. They know what that defeat felt like, losing New Jersey bragging rights and the taunting that followed.

“They remember,” said Willard, who is 6-6 in his career against Rutgers as Seton Hall’s coach. “This is a hard game wherever it falls. It’s always a battle, it’s always a tough game. It’s always an emotional game. No matter where this falls, it’s always a big game.”

The two teams enter the annual showdown from different vantage points. The Pirates, further along than most expected at this point, believe they can challenge for a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Scarlet Knights are hoping not to finish in the Big Ten cellar for the fifth straight season.

Seton Hall (6-3) just upset Kentucky, its biggest non-conference victory in more than two decades, while Rutgers lost at Fordham, a dismal setback. But otherwise, the Scarlet Knights (5-4), led by impressive sophomore lead guard Geo Baker, have been impressive, beating Miami and playing well in losses to ranked foes Michigan State and Wisconsin. They’ll have to slow down Powell, the Big East’s leading scorer at 23 points per game, to repeat last year’s result.

“They’re playing with tremendous confidence,’’ Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said of Seton Hall. “We’re a team figuring it out a little bit. But when we figure it out, we’re pretty good.”

Rutgers at Seton Hall (Saturday, 2 p.m.)
The two teams enter from opposite sides of the spectrum — Seton Hall is coming off its thrilling overtime upset of Kentucky and Rutgers is looking to rebound from an ugly loss to Fordham — but that doesn’t mean the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic will lack juice. Just look at the Scarlet Knights’ upset of the then-No. 15 Pirates a year ago. Anything can happen in this rivalry.

Wagner at St. John’s (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.)
A sellout crowd is expected at Carnesecca Arena as the Johnnies aim for their first 10-0 start in 26 years. Wagner’s do-it-all senior guard Romone Saunders, averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists, will need to be at his best to give the Seahawks a shot at the upset.

Hofstra at Stony Brook (Wednesday, 7 p.m.)
The area’s two best mid-major programs meet in the annual showdown on Long Island. With wins over George Washington, Rhode Island and South Carolina, Stony Brook has the more impressive body of work, but Hofstra has the best player in explosive senior guard Justin Wright-Foreman.

1. St. John’s
Record: 9-0
Up next: Sunday (4:30 p.m.) vs. Wagner

2. Seton Hall
Record: 6-3
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Seton Hall

3. Rutgers
Record: 5-4
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) at Seton Hall

4. Stony Brook
Record: 9-2
Up next: Sunday (2 p.m.) vs. Delaware

5. Hofstra
Record: 8-3
Up next: Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Stony Brook

6. NJIT
Record: 10-2
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) at FDU

7. St. Francis Brooklyn
Record: 6-4
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. St. Peter’s

8. LIU Brooklyn
Record: 5-5
Up next: Friday (12 p.m.) vs. Binghamton

9. Fordham
Record: 7-3
Up next: Sunday (2 p.m.) vs. Howard

10. Wagner
Record: 4-4
Up next: Sunday (4:30 p.m.) at St. John’s