- Georgetown is 2-5 versus St. John's at Madison Square Garden since the 2013-14 season.
- St. John's is 10-1 at home this season.
- The schools have three common opponents to date this season. St. John's is 2-1 versus Marquette, Creighton, and Butler, Georgetown 1-2.
Preview
Three weeks removed from their overtime game at Capital One Arena, Georgetown and St. John's return to action with some pressure on both teams to produce, but for different reasons.
Since the Jan. 6 game, Georgetown has dropped three of its last four and approaches a critical week of th standings needing some momentum to avoid a fourth straight season in the Big East doghouse. And even while St. John's is a robust 15-4, it has lost three of its last four and faces a run where its place in the NCAA tournament could be at risk.
Close games are nothing new to these teams, but both teams are at a tipping point. This game also could get out of hand quickly for either team.
Shamorie Ponds figures to have another big effort for the Redmen. Ponds scored 37 in the St. John's win on Jan. 6, and is averaging 21.6 points in his last three games. Ponds needs a stronger outside against Georgetown than he has exhibited in his past two games, combining for 4 for 13 from three point range in losses to Creighton and Butler. For his part, James Akinjo struggled in containing Ponds earlier this month and Ponds should have another strong game as a result.
The St. John's three guard offense will look to Justin Simon for another solid effort. Simon shot 7 for 11 in the Jan. 6 game bit has been less consistent of late, shooting just 2 for 7 in the loss to Butler. Simon is not a particular threat from three point range (7-23 this season) but is an efficient shooter and one Georgetown will look to contain. But where Simon has been less productive, Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron has stepped up, leading the Redmen in scoring in its last game and averaging 16.3 points over his last three. With a 20 point, eight rebound effort versus Butler, Heron has firmly prioritized his play as vital if the Redmen are to stay in range of Villanova and Marquette in the Big East first division.
These three guards accounted for 63 of St. John's 97 points versus the Hoyas on Jan. 6. Forwards L.J. Figueroa and Marvin Clark each added 11 in the win, and that's a comparable number for St. John's to expect Sunday. Figueroa is coming off a 3 for 10 effort in the Butler game, but he figures to be a particular problem for the Hoyas on defense. St. John's forced 15 steals in the previous game and a 17-0 run on fast break points. Less effective is their defensive game, allowing a net 6.2 deficit in rebounding and a -16 on free throws in Big East play.
Neither Mac McClung nor Trey Mourning saw action in the previous game, so this is an intangible entering Sunday's action. The Hoyas got 80 points out of its starting lineup in that game but has been less effective in recent games, with continuing questions raised on the late game play of James Akinjo and Jamorko Pickett. Georgetown can certainly put points on the scoreboard but its defense is last in the conference and 318th or 351 Division I teams. St. John's has been held to 71 points in each of its last three losses and if GU were to do that to the redmen Sunday, a win would be highly probably. The problem is that Georgetown hasn't held an opponent under 71 since mid-November.
Keys to the game:
1. Turnovers: Georgetown is currently the ninth in the league in turnovers allowed, St. John's first.
2. Second Half Mac: McClung did not play in the second half of the Creighton game, and has generally made most of his impact early in games. If the ankle allows, can he be a second half force?
4. Akinjo? The freshman guard is 3 for 21 in his last two games. Ewing expects better Sunday, and should get it.
5. Forty Minutes Georgetown has not closed out games. Does that change, or can it?
St. John's plays with a decided home advantage Sunday, and Georgetown must be careful not to lose hope if they struggle early. Both teams face an uphill schedule after this weekend, and as for the Hoyas, it will be a long February if they are unable to get a couple road wins. This is one of those that they'll need to be competitive down the stretch.
