When St. John’s and Villanova matched up earlier this season, the Pink Storm had been beginning to set up themselves as a real nationwide championship contender.
Quick-forward precisely one month later and No. 9 St. John’s has climbed into the Related Press Prime 10 for the primary time since March 2000 as head coach Rick Pitino’s workforce prepares for Wednesday’s street matchup with the Wildcats.
“(Our workforce is) having a hell of a 12 months,” Pitino stated. “We simply obtained to stick with it.”
The Pink Storm (21-3, 12-1 Huge East) have received 10 video games in a row, which incorporates an 80-68 dwelling victory over Villanova on Jan. 11 that represents the third win on this streak. RJ Luis Jr. collected 30 factors whereas St. John’s annoyed Wildcats star Eric Dixon into 6-of-19 capturing.
“Coach Pitino is a superb coach,” Dixon stated after that recreation. “They got here with a whole lot of completely different defenders and did an ideal job.”
Moreover, St. John’s crushed Villanova on the boards (44-28) with Luis grabbing 10 and Zuby Ejiofor snatching 9 boards to associate with 11 factors.
“As a workforce, collectively, we’re all crashing the boards, and I am the one who ended up arising with the rebound,” Luis stated. “That is what Coach stated: We have now that hustle and that grit to simply play exhausting.”
Extra not too long ago, St. John’s posted back-to-back wins in opposition to ranked foes. The workforce nipped Marquette and UConn final week, notching a 68-62 win over the Huskies on Friday as Luis scored 21 factors and Kadary Richmond added all 13 of his factors within the second half.
Luis is hoping to get again to the free-throw line at an analogous tempo as the primary matchup in opposition to Villanova — when he shot 16 of 20 from the stripe. Since that recreation, Luis has tried a complete of 27 foul pictures during the last seven video games.
He is also hoping to enhance his 3-point capturing after going 1 of 10 from lengthy distance within the final two video games.
Dixon is in an analogous temper after capturing 4 of 16 from 3-point vary during the last three video games. He scored 24 factors in Sunday’s win over Xavier and shot 50 p.c from the ground after not reaching that mark in any of the earlier eight video games.
“I would not say something actually modified,” Dixon stated. “They had been operating guys at me within the first half, however I believed steadily I started to get a really feel for what they wished to do. It is at all times good to see the ball undergo the basket.”
Dixon was one in all three 20-point scorers in opposition to Xavier as Wooga Poplar went for 23 factors and Tyler Perkins contributed 20 factors on 7-of-9 capturing off the bench.
“I am simply attempting to do no matter I can to assist the workforce, whether or not that is speaking, vitality, bringing the juice,” Perkins stated.
Villanova (14-10, 7-6) has received two video games in a row following a 1-5 stretch wherein the workforce’s solely win was a two-point nail-biter in opposition to Windfall.
The Wildcats, amid a disappointing season, are nonetheless 2-1 in opposition to ranked foes this season. They topped No. 14 Cincinnati 68-60 in early December and slipped previous UConn 68-66 in early January. Extra not too long ago, they misplaced to Marquette Jan. 24.
–Area Stage Media