Preview Three years ago, Steve Lavin put together one of the memorable recruiting classes in Big East history, but the results have not returned St. John's to the national spotlight.
It was St. John's that stood toe to toe with Georgetown and Syracuse in the first decade of the conference, having not missed the post-season from 1965 through 1993. Now, it's been 14 years since the Redmen appeared in a Big East final and St. John's has played in just two post season games since 2003.
For the Big East to thrive, it needs a powerful team in the New York market, and Lavin returns the nucleus of that 2011 class. Maurice Harkless is long gone, having left for the NBA in 2012, but the 2013-14 Redmen have the talent to beat anyone. Execution, however, remains a problem.
St. John's entered the conference opener with Xavier as a clear favorite, but finished the game missing 22 of its last 30 attempts in a 70-60 loss, only its second game this season played outside New York City. In its next road game in Washington, St. John's will look to get better shooting from its leading scorers, D'Angelo Harrison and Jakarr Sampson. Harrison has struggled in previous games against the Hoyas, but leads the team with a 19.6 points per game average and has led the team in scoring in ten of 13 games. The 6-9 Sampson poses matchup problems with a shaky Georgetown front line, while St. John's will hope to use shot blocker Chris Obekpa to force the activity with Josh Smith inside.
One player to watch will be 6-9 junior college transfer Orlando Sanchez, who leads the Johnnies in field goal and free throw percentage. If Georgetown can shut off Harrison from outside, Sanchez could play an important scoring role.
Georgetown's uneasy play over the past two weeks has been a result of poor outside shooting. Markel Starks is shooting just 30 percent from outside, and excepting Starks and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, the rest of the team has combined for 18 threes in 12 games, a 24% shooting average. Opening from outside will alleviate the pressure on Josh Smith to score from inside, but will not reduce the need for Smith to be a more effective rebounder.
Keys To The Game:
It was St. John's that stood toe to toe with Georgetown and Syracuse in the first decade of the conference, having not missed the post-season from 1965 through 1993. Now, it's been 14 years since the Redmen appeared in a Big East final and St. John's has played in just two post season games since 2003.
For the Big East to thrive, it needs a powerful team in the New York market, and Lavin returns the nucleus of that 2011 class. Maurice Harkless is long gone, having left for the NBA in 2012, but the 2013-14 Redmen have the talent to beat anyone. Execution, however, remains a problem.
St. John's entered the conference opener with Xavier as a clear favorite, but finished the game missing 22 of its last 30 attempts in a 70-60 loss, only its second game this season played outside New York City. In its next road game in Washington, St. John's will look to get better shooting from its leading scorers, D'Angelo Harrison and Jakarr Sampson. Harrison has struggled in previous games against the Hoyas, but leads the team with a 19.6 points per game average and has led the team in scoring in ten of 13 games. The 6-9 Sampson poses matchup problems with a shaky Georgetown front line, while St. John's will hope to use shot blocker Chris Obekpa to force the activity with Josh Smith inside.
One player to watch will be 6-9 junior college transfer Orlando Sanchez, who leads the Johnnies in field goal and free throw percentage. If Georgetown can shut off Harrison from outside, Sanchez could play an important scoring role.
Georgetown's uneasy play over the past two weeks has been a result of poor outside shooting. Markel Starks is shooting just 30 percent from outside, and excepting Starks and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, the rest of the team has combined for 18 threes in 12 games, a 24% shooting average. Opening from outside will alleviate the pressure on Josh Smith to score from inside, but will not reduce the need for Smith to be a more effective rebounder.
Keys To The Game:
- Guard defense: If the Hoyas halt Harrison, they can control the game.
- Offensive Rebounds: Georgetown turned in a season low effort on the glass with DePaul. It must be more aggressive on rebounds without turning the game into a free throw shooting contest. Both teams rank among the weakest rebounders so each needs a better effort.
- Mikael Hopkins:: Georgetown needs Hopkins to be more than a spot contributor. The matchups with St. John's forwards are favorable for Hopkins to be a key in the game.
