Live game thread: St. John’s vs Merrimack

The Red Storm lace it up in a Game That Counts - and one of those games where anything but a blowout will raise questions, red flags, angry message board screeds, heart rates, you name it.

Let’s get to chatting about the Johnnies as they take on Merrimack.

Game preview was here if you missed it.

Game Information

Who: St. John’s Red Storm (17-15 last season) vs Merrimack Warriors (14-16 last season)

When: Monday, November 7, 2022, 6:45 PM

Where: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, New York

TV: FS1 for merged Big East wraparound coverage | Full game on FoxSports or Foxsports app

Odds: St. John’s -20.5

History: With Merrimack beginning only their fourth season of Division-I basketball after making the switch from D-II, the two programs have never faced off.

Let it be known that I think Posh Alexander and Andre Curbelo will at least be solid together, even if both are ball-dominant point guards who can make some crazy passes. I think their passing and quickness will be infectious at times, and Mike Anderson has liked playing with two ball handling, ball pressuring guards.

The questions should be around shooting overall, David Jones’ ability to become the go-to guy on this team, and whether the team will play the kind of defense that actually ends possessions with a rebound. Speeding up the other team is great, but if it ends up in a corner three from an open shooter... is it still good defense?