Villanova, St. John’s step up in class after topping Big East also-rans
Villanova and St. John's have notched plenty of wins lately, but the Big East foes expect to face a tougher test Saturday when the Wildcats host the Red Storm in Philadelphia.
The Wildcats (14-3, 5-1 Big East) and Red Storm (12-5, 5-1) enter the weekend tied for second place in the league, trailing only UConn (17-1, 7-0). Villanova has won seven of its past eight games, while St. John's has captured five of its past six.
Both teams are coming off a victory against a Big East bottom-feeder.
The Wildcats slipped past Providence on Tuesday, riding Devin Askew's 20 points to an 88-82 road triumph. Four other Villanova players scored in double figures: Tyler Perkins (15 points), Duke Brennan (14), Matt Hodge (11) and Malachi Palmer (10).
Villanova led 46-34 at halftime and held on to win despite a second-half push by the Friars.
"We were just able to play defense and let our defense create offense for us," Palmer said of the first-half effort by the Wildcats.
The Red Storm trounced Marquette 92-68 on Tuesday in New York, as Oziyah Sellers scored 24 points and Zuby Ejiofor chipped in with 22 points. St. John's held a six-point lead at halftime before putting up 52 points in a dominant second half.
"I just think the second half we came out with a different mindset, different intensity, different effort," said Dillon Mitchell, who had eight points, eight rebounds and four assists. "That's something that we have to have for 40 minutes like that."
Each team is looking to get one of its key players back on track on the offensive end.
For Villanova, Bryce Lindsay (team-high 15.2 points per game) has shot just 7 of 30 from the field for 22 points over the last three games. St. John's guard Ian Jackson, meanwhile, is averaging 10.7 points on the season, but that figure is just 7.3 (on 9-of-29 shooting) over the past four outings.
The Saturday contest is the first of two meetings between the Wildcats and Red Storm this season. The teams split their two matchups in 2024-25.