St. John’s may have lost their last game by 25 points against Syracuse, but among the positives for the Red Storm were yet another 20-point game from D’Angelo Harrison, who has established himself as one of the go-to guys on the youngest team in school history.
Harrison will have to fight to reach the 20-point mark again in his next effort, however, as Cincinnati comes into town for a shot at redemption following a loss to St. John’s at home, where Moe Harkless‘ last-second tip-in gave the Red Storm the victory. JohnnyJungle.com gets you caught up on what will be the Bearcats’ first trip to Madison Square Garden since 2010 with the information below.
Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 7:00 PM EST
TV: ESPNU (Adam Amin, LaPhonso Ellis)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
St. John’s Red Storm (10-13, 4-7)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 31-25, 176-103 overall)
*- Assistant coach Mike Dunlap will serve as interim coach while Lavin recovers from offseason prostate cancer surgery
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Phil Greene (6-2 Fr., 7.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 36% FG, 77% FT, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 16.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 39% FG, 38% 3pt, 80% FT, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 6.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 41% FG, 55% FT, 1.0 APG, 1.2 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 41% FG, 57% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.7 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 16.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 46% FG, 64% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.7 BPG, 1.6 SPG)
Key Reserves:
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 10.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 56% FG, 69% FT)
Keys To Victory:
– Harrison. With Cincinnati’s abundance of three-point shooters, the Texan becomes the most important man on the court. St. John’s will need him to effectively manage his shot selection and avoid foul trouble in order to control the Bearcats.
–Bench productivity. Even though only two players can do this, it is still necessary. God’sgift Achiuwa, who has struggled at the Garden, needs to play fundamentally sound basketball; while Malik Stith, who has been a non-factor lately, just needs to facilitate things.
– Fordham, Part II. That will most likely be the result if St. John’s wins this one. In the Fordham game this past December, the Red Storm used a six-man rotation to wear the Rams down defensively while only scoring 56 points. Cincinnati is not known to be a group of prolific scorers, so each missed shot can turn into a long possession on the other end.
Looking for revenge is a team still on the NCAA Tournament bubble in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bearcats (16-7, 6-4)
Head Coach: Mick Cronin (6th year at UC; 103-84, 172-108 overall)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Cashmere Wright (10.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40% FG, 40% 3pt, 68% FT, 4.8 APG, 1.8 SPG)
G Dion Dixon (13.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 37% FG, 71% FT, 2.2 APG, 1.7 SPG)
G Sean Kilpatrick (6-4 Jr., 15.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 43% FG, 39% 3pt, 73% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.4 SPG)
G JaQuon Parker (6-3 Jr., 8.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 44% FG, 46% 3pt, 77% FT, 1.2 APG)
F Yancy Gates (12.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 48% FG, 55% FT)
Key Reserves:
F Justin Jackson (6-8 So., 5.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 52% FG, 52% FT, 1.3 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG)
Keys To Victory:
– Post presence. Yancy Gates and Justin Jackson fill this vacancy for the Bearcats, and both need to stay out of foul trouble. Gates is once again playing at the high level he was at before the infamous Xavier brawl, while Jackson has regressed in recent games. Against a St. John’s front line that is much longer and athletic, Cincinnati will have open lanes inside the paint that need to be exploited.
– Homecoming. Sean Kilpatrick hails from nearby White Plains, and should have scores of family and friends on hand to support him. Already the Bearcats’ leading scorer, the junior will have added incentive to put on another show in front of the hometown crowd.
– Selection Sunday. It may be more than a month away, but Cincinnati needs to have an elimination game mindset for this one. St. John’s is not the team they were a year ago, and a bad loss for the Bearcats would be a major shot to the gut for their NCAA Tournament chances.
So, Who Wins?
Simply put, the first one to 50 points. If recent history is any indication, this will be the latest installment of a rivalry that has featured a guaranteed rock fight in every meeting over the last three years. St. John’s has a road trip to Georgetown up next and cannot overlook the Bearcats, while Cincinnati could very well be playing for their postseason lives. Cincinnati has played in a greater amount of close games than the Red Storm, and are usually able to take the back end of the home-and-home series when St. John’s wins the first game. That is reason enough to give the Bearcats the victory here, keeping their at-large hopes alive after holding off a game St. John’s team.
Final Score: Cincinnati 56, St. John’s 55
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