The Big East Tournament is an event unlike any other in sports. Taking place at Madison Square Garden, we have already seen instant classic games, like the double-overtime thriller between DePaul and Creighton. With that being said, UConn is looking to make it to the NCAA Tournament and win their third straight National Championship, while St. John’s is looking to keep their dream season on track with a Big East Tournament win.
Big East Basketball Tournament Semifinals Preview
St. John’s vs Marquette | Big East Tournament Semifinals
The Big East Tournament semifinals tip off with a matchup between the St. John’s Red Storm and Marquette Golden Eagles. Throughout the season, St. John’s has been at the top of the Big East, winning their first outright conference title since 1984-85. The Red Storm has won 19 conference games this season and is looking to add two more. As for Marquette, the Golden Eagles have certainly had a disappointing end to the regular season. They came away with a major two-point win over Xavier in the Big East Tournament.
When we talk about St. John’s, the top thing that has to be mentioned is their defense. According to KenPom, the Red Storm features the second-best defense in the country. As a team, they give up just 66.3 points per game (PPG) to opponents. On the offensive side of the ball, St. John’s is led by Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis, who scores 18.1 PPG on 44.6% shooting from the field and 30.8% from the three-point line. Forward Zuby Ejiofor averages 14.1 PPG on 57.3% shooting from the field and 25.7% from behind the three-point line. The other double-digit scorer for the Red Storm is Kadary Richmond who scores 12.7 PPG.
For Marquette, the Golden Eagles are pretty balanced on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. They are led by Kam Jones, who scores 18.9 PPG on 48.5% shooting from the field and 30.6% shooting from behind the three-point line. David Joplin scores 13.9 PPG on 41.7% from the field and 31.2% from behind the arc and Stevie Mitchell scores 10.7 PPG on 46.5% shooting from the field and 36.1% from behind the arc. Chase Ross rounds out the double-digit scorers for the Golden Eagles, scoring 10.6 PPG.
In the teams’ previous two matchups this season, St. John’s has come away with two victories, including a buzzer-beating game-winner during the last regular season day of the season. It certainly looks like Rick Pitino has his best team since his Louisville championship and with two wins already over Marquette, as well as possibly the best defense in the country, it would be hard to pick against them in this spot.
Creighton vs. UConn | Big East Tournament Semifinals
The next and penultimate game of the Big East Tournament is a matchup between the Creighton Blue Jays and UConn Huskies. While the Huskies certainly don’t have the team that has won the past two national championships, they are playing their best basketball of the season right now. As for Creighton, the Blue Jays’ double overtime victory over DePaul has encapsulated an up-and-down season.
When looking at Creighton, the Blue Jays, much like Marquette, are balanced when it comes to the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner still leads the Blue Jays, as he averages 19.4 PPG on 66.3% shooting from the field and 34% shooting from three. Guard Steven Ashworth averages 16.8 PPG on 40.6% shooting from the field and 38% shooting from three. Pop Isaacs is the third player who averages over 16 PPG, as he scores the ball at a 16.3 PPG clip on 41% shooting from the field and 38.3% shooting from three. The final double-digit scorer for the Blue Jays is Jamiya Neal, who scores 11.3 PPG on 43.9% shooting from the field and 30% shooting from three.
For UConn, the Huskies are once again led by a strong offensive game. Solo Ball is the leading scorer for the Huskies, as he averages 14.8 PPG on 44.4% shooting from the field and 42.8% shooting from behind the three-point line. Liam McNeeley has been one of the best freshmen in the country this season, averaging 14.7 PPG on 39.5% shooting from the field and 34.7% from three. National champion Alex Karaban is still around and averages 14.5 PPG on 44% shooting from the field and 35.3% shooting from three. Tarris Reed is the last double-digit scorer for the Huskies, averaging ten PPG on 66.8% shooting from the field. As a team, the Huskies score 78 PPG, which ranks as the 15th-best offense according to KenPom.
When looking at predicting this matchup, the previous matchups between the teams have resulted in a split with both teams winning a game a piece. Given UConn’s strong offense, partnered with a five-game win streak and one of the best coaches of all time when it comes to March, the Huskies are the pick here.
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