For St. John’s, opportunity isn’t just knocking, it’s banging and screaming at its door.
Monday night’s 84-63 win over Seton Hall kept the porch light on for the Johnnies. A win, Saturday afternoon, at No. 14 Villanova, positions them for a key stretch in their Big East schedule.
Four games in eight days begins now for St. John’s
Following Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, St. John’s will play games just about every other day starting with Tuesday’s game against No. 17 Providence. Ed Cooley’s team has won 12 of their last 13 games.
Getting a signature win over Seton Hall was a big step for the Red Storm, it calmed any concerns over their shaky start to this season.
A signature win — yes. But there’s still room for improvement, plenty more room.
Because if St. John’s wants to open eyes across the nation, this next stretch of games — beginning Saturday at Villanova — is the key.
The Red Storm had been 0-6 in games against Quad One opponents going into Monday; they were 2-4 against Big East opponents.
What went right for them against Seton Hall, must continue going into the month of February. This means bringing high energy on both ends of the court.
There was a sense of urgency from St. John’s on Monday night. For the first time, they looked like the team many predicted to see this season. Getting after it on defense, relentless drives to the basket, receiving meaningful contributions from the bench.
“That’s the team I’ve been looking for,” head coach Mike Anderson said after the win. “That’s the team. Everything is in and I even told them I’m taking the handcuffs off. You’re not going to hear my voice, just go out there and play. Play hard, play for each other and I thought they did. They went out and they just played basketball.”
The Johnnies will need to establish consistency in those areas of the game Coach Anderson pointed to. Monday’s signature win was proof they’re capable, now it’s time to build credibility.
Four points to know for St. John’s at Villanova
- For St. John’s, Monday night’s win at Seton Hall was their first road win of the season. Three of their next four games, beginning Saturday at Villanova, will be on the road.
- After averaging just 4.5 points per game during non-conference play, Aaron Wheeler has flipped a switch in January, posting 12.7 points per outing during league action. In the win over Seton Hall, the Purdue transfer registered his first double-double as a Johnnie, scoring a career-high 17 points and grabbing 10 boards. Wheeler has reached double figures in six straight, is shooting 48.3 percent from downtown against BIG EAST opponents.
- Can the Johnnies turn over Jay Wright’s Wildcats? Villanova, which has seen four of its five losses this season come against teams currently ranked inside the top 25, including three against the top-seven, ranks fifth in Division I with just 9.2 turnovers per contest. Monday night, Seton Hall turned it over 20 times, the Johnnies thrive when their defense leads the way. They’re one of the nation’s best at pressure defense.
- Julian Champagnie must get going for St. John’s. Slumps will happen to the best of them, and Champagnie is in the midst of a brutal one. Coming into last weekend averaging 21.1 points per game, Champagnie scored nine points on 3-of-14 shooting against Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden before netting just five points on 2-of-10 shooting on Monday night in South Orange. For the Johnnies to make this run, they’ll need a complete team to do it. Their second leading scorer in the BIG EAST, needs to get going.
Keys to beating Villanova
Jay Wright’s team is still a powerhouse in the Big East. The top half of the conference is stacked with Providence and Marquette (yep — Shaka Smart’s squad is for real) currently playing great basketball. The Wildcats are right there, having won eight of its last nine games. Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore continue to form an explosive backcourt.
The Johnnies must keep Villanova off the free throw line, where they’re leading all of Division I shooting 82.3 percent.
It’s an all-hands effort required from the offense. Can the Red Storm duplicate their energy from Monday night and get to the basket? Villanova has held opponents to just 60.0 points per game this season. Through 10 Big East games, the Wildcats lead the league giving up only 58.5 points per game. Champagnie breaking out of his shooting slump would provide a huge lift for St. John’s.
Image: Nick Bello
