St. John’s at Georgetown: Preview, Prediction, Odds

St. John’s will play on the road tomorrow night when they take on the Georgetown Hoyas. The Red Storm, hoping for a late-season surge that will put them in postseason contention, look to sweep the season series against the team in the bottom of the conference standings.

St. John’s most recently played on Saturday, when they suffered a 10-point home loss to Creighton.

Against Creighton, the Johnnies did a solid job on defense, applying pressure in the backcourt which forced turnovers, and holding the Bluejays to a field goal percentage below 40. They struggled offensively, especially in the backcourt, as the Red Storm committed 15 turnovers and did not have a guard finish in double figures. This was also due to the fact that two key guards, Andre Curbelo and Rafael Pinzon, did not play for disciplinary reasons. It is unclear if either player will be active for tomorrow’s matchup.

Game Information

Who: St. John’s Red Storm (16-12, 6-11 Big East) at Georgetown Hoyas (7-21, 2-15 Big East)

When: Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 9:00 PM

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington DC

TV: CBS Sports Network

Odds: Not published yet

First Matchup: St. John’s snuck out a 75-73 win at the Garden

Catching up with Both Teams

Recapping the First Matchup

St. John’s started the game off as expected leading 35-25 after 16 minutes had passed. They then fell apart in the final four minutes of the first half, allowing a 14-0 Hoyas run that brought the halftime score to 35-39.

In the second half, the Johnnies battled, keeping the game close but never managing to take the lead back. They finally did so with four seconds left in the contest, as a clutch AJ Storr three put them up 75-73. Georgetown’s Bryson Mozone had a chance to win the game with a buzzer beating three point attempt, but his shot rimmed out and the Johnnies took home the win.

David Jones led the scoring effort in that game at Madison Square Gardenpouring in 17 points and 7 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. Dylan Addae-Wusu had a solid game with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, and AJ Storr filled up his stat sheet with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Joel Soriano was held to 3-14 from the field, but still gave the Red Storm a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Guard Primo Spears was Georgetown’s best offensive player, playing all 40 minutes and scoring 25 points. Center Qudus Wahab had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and guard Brandon Murray 17 points and 4 rebounds.

Georgetown Since the First Matchup

Georgetown continued losing after playing the Johnnies, dropping five straight after that game. Their losses came to Creighton, UConn, and Marquette at home, and Providence and Seton Hall on the road. In their most recent game, the Hoyas picked up their second Big East win and first road win over the last two seasons, defeating Butler 68-62.

One key to Georgetown’s win, which is something they rarely do, was that they outrebounded the Bulldogs, as the Hoyas won the rebound battle 42-26. They also defended the three well, as Butler converted only 7 of their 26 three point attempts. This is something they will look to use towards their advantage, as the Red Storm are very capable of having poor shooting performances.

Before beating Butler, Georgetown had three straight games with double-digit turnovers, which is something the Red Storm can take advantage of. Georgetown also struggles a lot with efficiency, as 4 of their last six games have seen them shoot 40% from the field or worse.

St. John’s Since the First Matchup

Besides their two game stretch with wins over Providence and DePaul, the Johnnies have struggled since beating Georgetown, losing the four other games they have played. The Red Storm have been able to win when they have played good defense, as they held both the Friars and the Blue Demons to field goal percentages below 40%.

The Johnnies have struggled with turnovers, posting 29 of them in their last two games. This is something the Red Storm needs to improve against a bad Hoyas defense, especially if they are missing two key guards again.

Keys to the Game

Rebound. This is something that the Red Storm can and should do against Georgetown, as they have the better center and better overall team. They cannot allow the Hoyas any second chance points and need to control the glass.

Better offensive guard play. Whether it’s AJ Storr, Dylan Addae-Wusu, or Posh Alexander, the Red Storm need a guard to step up with a big offensive game, with limited turnovers and points scored.

Win the turnover battle. The Red Storm need another good game in terms of backcourt defense, where they apply “40 minutes of hell” and force turnovers from the Georgetown guards. They also cannot afford to turn the ball over as much as they have been, and need a clean game distributing the ball.

Prediction

St. John’s toughs out a 68-65 win.