Villanova vs St. John’s Prediction and Preview

Villanova basketball will face No. 9 St. John’s looking to pick up its first Quad 1 win. Keep reading for a full Villanova vs St. John’s prediction and preview.

The Red Storm will play its first regular season game as an AP top-10 team since Feb. 27, 1999. St. John’s also happened to play Villanova in the Finneran Pavilion. Villanova won, 66-60.

General Information:

Teams: Villanova (13-10, 6-6) and No. 9 St. John’s (21-3, 12-1)

Tip-Off Time: 6 p.m. EST

Watch: FS1

Listen: Villanova Sports Radio Network

Latest on St. John’s basketball:

St. John’s is ninth on the AP Poll, marking its highest ranking since the 1999-2000 season. That season, the Red Storm finished ninth on the final AP Poll.

In head coach Rick Pitino’s second season at the helm, St. John’s has climbed to the top of the Big East standings. St. John’s is riding a 10-game win streak, with its last loss coming to Creighton, 57-56, on Dec. 31. The streak is the team’s longest conference win streak since 1999.

What makes the team lethal is their elite defense. St. John’s has the second-best defensive efficiency in the country, according to KenPom.

The Red Storm does not lack size whatsoever. They average 41.2 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the country. It is rare for St. John’s to allow second-chance opportunities. Through Big East play, the Red Storm has led the conference in rebounds per game with 35.5.

What supports the defensive efficiency is six-foot-nine junior forward Zuby Ejiofor. He leads the Red Storm with 8.2 rebounds per game. Ejiofor has also scored double-digit points in his last 16 games. During that stretch, St. John’s is 15-1.

Junior guard RJ Luis Jr. is playing the best basketball of his collegiate career. He is averaging 17.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Luis can do it all for the Red Storm. His versatility on offense and defense gives head coach Rick Pitino multiple ways to attack an opponent.

Both teams in this matchup contrast each other. St. John is better at defense. Villanova leans on its offense. St. John’s needs to rely on its defense to shut down a pretty solid Villanova offense.

Latest on Villanova basketball:

Every game for the rest of Villanova’s season is a must-win, but especially against a ranked St. John’s team. The Wildcats are coming off a much-needed 80-68 win against Xavier on Feb. 9. The win allowed Villanova to take sole possession of fifth in the Big East.

The Wildcat defense is improving at the right time. KenPom ranks Villanova 130th in defensive efficiency. While it is still low, it is an improvement after sitting in the 180s of KenPom rankings a few weeks ago.

Senior guard Wooga Poplar has begun to return to form after a few off games. He is coming off a 23-point, 8-rebound performance in the win over Xavier. It was just shy of a career-high in points.

In Poplar’s last three games, he is averaging 19.7 points, six rebounds and 3.7 steals.

Villanova’s bench has struggled to stay consistent when it comes to scoring. Sophomore Tyler Perkins had a hot start to Big East play but then missed 28 consecutive three-point attempts. 

In the game against Xavier, however, Perkins found his rhythm, knocking down four of his five three-point attempts. He finished the game with 20 points. Villanova is 7-0 when Perkins scores double digits.

The Wildcats continue to be one of the best free-throw shooting schools in the country. The team currently has the fourth-best free throw percentage, hitting 80.9% of attempts.

Villanova vs St. John’s prediction: Red Storm by 5