UConn is in the Big Apple to take on St. John’s at Madison Square Garden in a showdown between the Big East’s top two teams.
“It’s a different electricity, it’s a different atmosphere, a different level of intensity, intention, compassion, fanbases that I’m sure loathe each other,” Dan Hurley said.
Much maligned for its struggles, the Big East outside of UConn has barely won anything of note, and teams like Marquette, Providence, and Creighton are having disappointing seasons.
St. John’s (17-5, 10-1 Big East) partially fits the bill but has picked it up lately. They lost four games outside of conference play, grabbing one decent victory over Baylor before losing to Providence in their Big East opener.
Since then, they’ve won eight in a row, winning close ones over Xavier, Villanova, and Seton Hall, and sit second in the conference standings.
“We know each other better, we’re more fluid on offense,” head coach Rick Pitino said. “We’re not a dominating basketball team like Connecticut has been.”
Like UConn, the Red Storm have taken care of inferior opponents comfortably in their last two games, beating Butler by 22 before a 12-point win at DePaul. Their strengths line up with areas where the Huskies have been inconsistent, as Hurley noted. They also beat UConn twice last year.
“We’ve turned the ball over way more than we should, and at times we haven’t been that team on the backboard,” Hurley explained. “Those are two things that St. John’s exposes.”
The Johnnies are 10th in OR%, 26th in defensive turnover rate, and 51st in eFG% allowed. The team is big and experienced.
Zuby Ejiofor (15.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG) has been their rock, while Bryce Hopkins (13.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.3 APG), formerly of Providence, has returned to form after dealing with injuries, and they’re also getting a lot from forward Dillon Mitchell (9.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.6 APG), a transfer from Cincinnati who started his career at Texas.
Hurley said their roster is “tailor-made for Big East conference play: the rebounding assault on the glass, the relentless physicality, the denial, the pressure.” He called them “men that play with great physicality.”
At guard, they’re led by Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers (11.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and UNC transfer Ian Jackson (11.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG). Surprisingly, Ejiofor, Mithcell, and Hopkins are their top three in assists, and the team is 21st in blocks per game.
“It’s a big game, we’re both fighting over something and playing for something,” Mitchell said. “It’s one of the best [offenses] I’ve seen just as far as how they move off the ball…Their defense is elite as well. They really just have no flaws.”
UConn (22-1, 12-0 Big East) has improved its offensive ratings after two stellar outings against Creighton and Xavier.
The Huskies are up to 25th in offensive efficiency and fifth in defensive efficiency, eighth overall in KenPom. They’re approaching the elite balance that Hurley is looking for, with the third-best eFG% allowed in the nation, 51st OR%, and the 34th-best eFG% offensively.
They’re still turning the ball over at a high rate, 142nd in the country, and have not been good at getting to the line or keeping opponents from it.
“It’s gonna start on defense for us, the game is going to be won on defense,” Ejiofor said. “We gotta be the more physical team to come out with a victory.”
After inconsistent health throughout the season, the Huskies are expecting to have everyone available on Friday night. You can read more on the matchup in Brian Kervick’s scouting report.
Braylon Mullins returned from a one-game absence due to concussion protocol and has returned with a flourish, dropping 16 at Creighton before a rapid 13 scored against Xavier. Pitino complimented the freshman’s shooting prowess and the quality of the UConn roster in general.
Silas Demary Jr. has been absolutely feeling it with his performance on both ends of the court. His emergence, along with the restabilization of the bench, including Jayden Ross’ return from injury, has given the team a boost as of late.
Alex Karaban has been leading the Huskies to victory as he has throughout his career, and he’s moving up in the record books as a result. The senior from Massachusetts is one win away from tying Samson Johnson for the career wins mark at 115, and he’s 14th all-time in scoring with 1,660 career points, closely behind Cliff Robinson (1,664, 13th) and Wes Bialosuknia (1,673, 12th).
Tip-off is at 8 p.m. from NYC, and the game will be televised on FOX. The Huskies will host St. John’s for the regular-season rematch on Feb. 25th at PeoplesBank Arena.
