Following a road trip that featured a last-second win over Cincinnati and a humbling loss to Marquette, St. John’s next appearance comes under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden against a school that has been their archrival for well over three decades.
Forget about Syracuse, or even Connecticut. The rivalry between the Red Storm and Georgetown University has its roots in the 1980s, when the Lou Carnesecca-led Redmen squared off against the Hoyas in matchups that pitted future NBA legends Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing against one another.
The names have changed; but the bitterness remains, especially considering that the last three meetings inside the “World’s Most Famous Arena” have been decided by a grand total of just eleven points. JohnnyJungle.com prepares you below for the latest installment of this heated rivalry, a Manhattan matinee on Sunday afternoon.
Date: Sunday, January 15, 2012
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
Time: 12:00 PM EST
TV: MSG/ESPN3 (Bob Picozzi, Tim Welsh)
Radio: WBBR 1130 AM (John Minko, Tim O’Toole)
St. John’s Red Storm (8-8, 2-3)
Head Coach: Steve Lavin* (2nd season at STJ; 29-20, 174-98 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., 6.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 30% FG, 75% FT, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG)
G D’Angelo Harrison (6-3 Fr., 15.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 38% FG, 34% 3pt, 81% FT, 1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG)
F Sir’Dominic Pointer (6-5 Fr., 6.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 45% FG, 47% FT, 1.4 APG, 1.4 SPG)
F Moe Harkless (6-8 Fr., 15.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 45% FG, 70% FT, 1.6 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.6 SPG)
F God’sgift Achiuwa (6-8 Jr., 12.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 54% FG, 72% FT, 1.0 BPG)
Key Reserves:
F Amir Garrett (6-6 Fr., 3.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 39% FG, 40% 3pt, 36% FT, 1.0 SPG)
G Malik Stith (5-11 Jr., 3.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 41% FG, 77% FT, 1.3 APG)
Keys To Victory:
– Grand slam. St. John’s has won each of the last three games against Georgetown at Madison Square Garden dating back to March of 2009, with late-game heroics involved in each one. This game can be had too; and after a 19-point loss to Marquette in a game that the Red Storm led at halftime, you can bet that Mike Dunlap and his staff will have their young team ready to pull off the upset against the 11th-ranked Hoyas.
– God’s on our side. God’sgift Achiuwa has had solid games everywhere except Madison Square Garden this season, where he has struggled in each appearance. Georgetown has a noted size advantage, so the sense of urgency for the Nigerian big man is at its highest point of the season.
– Foul trouble. Anyone who watched the Marquette game knows how much of a danger this is after D’Angelo Harrison fouled out with 11:22 remaining in regulation. With a short bench and no proven offensive leader, St. John’s can ill afford to lose anyone to any kind of infractions that they can control.
Making their way up from the nation’s capital is a team looking to right the ship after losing their last two.
No. 11 Georgetown Hoyas (13-3, 3-2)
Head Coach: John Thompson III (8th season at GU; 173-76, 241-118 overall)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Markel Starks (6-2 So., 9.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 50% FG, 41% 3pt, 76% FT, 1.4 APG)
G Jason Clark (6-2 Sr., 15.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 49% FG, 34% 3pt, 76% FT, 1.3 APG, 1.9 SPG)
F Hollis Thompson (6-8 Jr., 14.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 53% FG, 52% 3pt, 74% FT, 1.6 APG)
F Nate Lubick (6-8 So., 4.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 50% FG, 48% FT, 2.1 APG)
C Henry Sims (6-10 Sr., 11.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 48% FG, 75% FT, 3.8 APG, 1.6 BPG)
Key Reserves:
F Otto Porter (6-8 Fr., 8.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 51% FG, 67% FT, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG)
G Jabril Trawick (6-5 Fr., 3.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 43% FG, 77% FT)
Keys To Victory:
– Revenge. This is about as simple as it gets for the Hoyas after dropping each of their last three at the Garden to the Red Storm by a total of just eleven points. Georgetown has a more experienced team on paper, so the key will be execution in close quarters. This game will be a war no matter what, so Georgetown needs to make each possession count.
– Princeton offense. The Hoyas are masters of the Ivy League-style backdoor cuts and unorthodox yet popular system. Forward Hollis Thompson (52 percent from three-point range) and center Henry Sims (3.8 assists per game) are the unsung heroes who make this system work, and will give the young Red Storm fits closing outside and getting inside.
– Otto-matic. Freshman forward Otto Porter has already earned that nickname through just sixteen games as the first man off the bench, and he brings an energy level unlike any other reserve in the Big East. Averaging eight points and a team-leading 6.4 rebounds per game, Porter’s fresh legs will be counted on to maintain what the Hoyas hope will be a frontcourt advantage in their favor.
So, Who Wins?
Georgetown is coming off of two upset home losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati, making this a must-win game of sorts, considering the nature of the Big East. On the other side of the court, St. John’s has a potential trap game on the road against a USF team that just beat Seton Hall on the Bulls’ home floor two weeks after nearly doing the same to reigning national champion UConn. This game will not be decided until the final minute; and despite the advantages Georgetown enjoys on paper, the Red Storm come back home and get up in the end for this one, which will be their fourth straight against their bitter adversary at the Garden in a game that will provide yet another silent press conference for the visitors, as has usually been the case after a Hoya loss.
Final Score: St. John’s 60, Georgetown 56
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.