Villanova basketball is surging, winning eight of its last nine games. Keep reading for the Villanova vs St. John’s prediction and preview.
General Information:
Teams: Villanova (11-5 overall, 4-1 Big East) and St. John’s (13-3 overall, 4-1 Big East)
Tip-Off Time: 7 p.m.
Watch: CBSSN
Listen: Villanova Sports Radio Network
Latest on St. John’s basketball:
St. John’s and Villanova have won eight of its last nine games.
The Johnnies have one of the best defenses in the country—it wins them games. Entering tonight’s game, St. John’s has the sixth-most efficient defense in the country.
Junior forward Zuby Ejiofor leads the defensive effort in the paint, averaging a team-high 2.2 blocks and 8.1 rebounds per game. The six-foot-nine forward’s size and physicality make it hard for anyone to score effectively.
St. John’s ranks third in the country in blocks per game with 6.3 blocks. The team averages 41.9 rebounds per game. Ejijor’s 75 offensive rebounds are second in the country.
The team’s offense attempts 67.4 field goals per game, ranking second in the league and first in the Big East. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino runs a fast-paced offense. The team prefers to have the ball as little as possible in their possession.
Junior guard RJ Luis Jr. averages a team-leading 16.6 points.
Graduate guard Kadary Richmond was an offseason pickup for the Johnnies, transferring from Big East rival Seton Hall. Richmond is averaging 10. 3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Villanova has one of the best offenses in the country. If St. John’s wants to walk out of Madison Square Garden with a win, it will need to lean on its strong defense.
Latest on Villanova basketball:
Villanova has the most momentum it had in over two years, coming over with an impressive 68-66 win over No. 9 UConn on Jan. 8.
A win over St. John’s could put Villanova back in the discussion for a spot in the NCAA tournament. With big losses to Columbia and St. Joe’s at the beginning of the season, a lot of work needs to be done if Villanova wants a bid. Currently, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats as the first four out.
Graduate forward Eric Dixon had one of the worst scoring performances of his season against UConn and still finished with 23 points. He has led the Wildcats in scoring every game this season. Dixon is averaging a league-leading 25.7 points per game.
Most teams will try to structure their game plans around shutting down Dixon which worked in the early part of Villanova’s season. As the season progressed, however, other Wildcats have stepped up offensively to help Dixon.
Senior guard Wooga Poplar is surging through Big East play. He is averaging 15 points and 7.8 rebounds through Villanova’s five conference games. In two of those games, Poplar has two double-doubles. He has paired well with Dixon’s style of play.
Villanova ranks 10th on offense by KenPom. What makes offenses so efficient is ball movement.
Graduate guard Jhamir Brickus is Villanova’s primary ball handler. He has a team-high 5.8 assists per game. From his no-look passes to his shifty ball handling, Brickus has become a key piece in Villanova’s game plan.
When he is not bringing the ball up the court, Villanova struggles at times to put together scoring runs.