St. John's looks to build on statement win in matchup with No. 19 UConn
St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. drives to the basket against Marquette Golden Eagles guard Kam Jones during the second half at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Brad Penner
While it might be hard to say the hunter has become the hunted, St. John’s did make a statement on Tuesday night. The 12th-ranked Red Storm played grilling defense and rebounded with abandon to beat No. 11 Marquette, 70-64, at the Garden for their first signature victory of the season.
St. John’s (20-3, 11-1 Big East) can claim another on Friday when it meets No. 19 Connecticut (16-6, 8-3), the two-time defending national champion, at 8 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion.
The Red Storm are alone in first place in the conference and on a nine-game winning streak. The Huskies also are coming off a win over Marquette last Saturday in Milwaukee. Following the win over the Golden Eagles with a road win over UConn certainly would make St. John’s a Top 10 team.
After Tuesday’s game, Marquette coach Shaka Smart said of the Red Storm, “They played with incredible violence.” The Huskies heard his words.
“I’ve suggested that the players watch ‘Gladiator,’ ” UConn coach Dan Hurley told reporters Thursday. “If they haven’t watched it, they should, because it’s that type of game [coming]. Just their physicality, and to listen to Shaka’s comments after the game and what the experience was like? I mean, every time a shot goes up, it’s going to be a war to get a rebound.”
The only film St. John’s has been watching is of the Huskies. In the Red Storm’s eyes, the win over the Golden Eagles is only a start.
“We can’t get comfortable,” Deivon Smith said Thursday. “Practice was good yesterday . . . . [and] just to study and just be prepared, because it is a big game, and they’re talented. They [also] did beat Marquette.
“We have a huge target on our back now. We created a great buzz, so I just think we can’t get comfortable and complacent. We just got to keep going and achieve more goals.”
“This whole season, I don’t think we’ve really been satisfied,” Zuby Ejiofor said. “We know exactly what we want . . . what we could be able to reach, and we’re not even close to our potential.
“[We’ve] got a big game against UConn, and we know exactly the level of competition that they bring to the table, so we have to be able to match that and beat that to get this win.”
The Huskies are 10th in the nation in offensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com, and St. John’s has the fourth-ranked defense.
UConn will be getting a lift as gifted freshman Liam McNeeley, who averages 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists, will return from an ankle sprain that sidelined him for five weeks.
St. John’s may have the vintage Smith back. He’s been hampered by a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss three of four games, but he’s played in the last two and played his best five minutes since returning at the end of Tuesday night’s win.
“I think it was mental,” Smith said. “I just had to see a few baskets go in, just finding myself again. I couldn’t shoot for a few weeks or really do anything . . . I definitely feel more comfortable.”
The Red Storm also have Kadary Richmond playing at the very top of his game. In their last five contests, he is averaging 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists and is shooting 64%. And he does seem to bring out his best for the Huskies, averaging 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 steals in seven games.
“He looks like an NBA player,” Hurley said. “He looks like one of the two or three best players in the league. He absolutely is dominant, and these last couple performances? It’s an enormous task to deal with him.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
