Eric Dixon and Villanova prepare for Saturday night matchup with St. John’s at Madison Square Garden | Villanova vs. St. John’s Preview
Written by David Szczepanski on January 11, 2025
NEW YORK, NY—Villanova will travel almost two hours on the New Jersey Turnpike to battle St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening. The World’s Most Famous Arena has been kind to the Wildcats over the years. Since 2017, Villanova is 13-4 at Madison Square Garden. After their win against UConn earlier this week, the Wildcats look for another gritty win against St. John’s.
Villanova has won eight of its last nine games since November 27th. The Wildcats are averaging 80 points per contest in this nine-game stretch. They are 11-5 overall in 2024-25. The Wildcats have won four of their first five conference games with wins over Seton Hall, Butler, DePaul, and #9 UConn.
Villanova defeated UConn, 68-66, on Wednesday evening at the Finneran Pavilion. It was the first time the Huskies visited the Pavilion with fans since 1995. Eric Dixon, a forward from Willow Grove, PA, scored 23 points. Dixon continues to lead the country with 25.7 points per contest. Wooga Poplar finished the game with 18 points and four rebounds. The Wildcats converted 40% of their three-point attempts.
Villanova defeated #9 UConn on Wednesday evening at the Finneran Pavilion.
The Wildcats’ defense won Villanova the game on Wednesday. The Wildcats limited UConn to 25 points in the first half. They held UConn to under 70 points for the first time since November 27th and just the second time this season. Villanova got some late defensive stops and survived UConn’s second-half comeback.
Villanova will play a tremendous defense on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. According to Kenpom.com, St. John’s is ranked 22nd in the country and sixth in defensive efficiency.
St. John’s 13 Wins + Great Defense
St. John’s has won 13 of its 16 contests this season. The Red Storm are 4-1 in Big East play in 2024-25. They have defeated DePaul, Providence, Butler, and Xavier. Like Villanova, St. John’s lost to Creighton by one point on December 31st in its only Big East loss. In addition to the loss to the Bluejays, the Red Storm also lost to Baylor and Georgia.
Tough win against Xavier in Cincinnati
The Red Storm most recently defeated Xavier, 82-72, on Tuesday at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. RJ Luis Jr. scored a team-high 18 points and accumulated 10 rebounds. Zuby Ejiofor, a junior from Garland, TX, also finished the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Dominant Duo of Luis Jr. and Ejiofor
Luis Jr., a junior guard from Miami, FL, is the Red Storm’s leading scorer with more than 16 points per contest. After playing his freshman season with UMass, Luis Jr. averaged 10.9 points per game for St. John’s last year. He has scored at least 10 points in 15 of the 16 games this season.
Ejiofor has played extremely well for St. John’s in 2024-25. He averages 14.9 points and eight rebounds per game. Ejiofor played just 11 minutes per contest last season in 33 games played. He converts 58% of his field goal attempts. Despite the loss of Joel Soriano, who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets’ G League Team, St. John’s has rebounded nicely with Ejiofor’s quick success and ascendency as the Red Storm’s main forward and paint presence.
Richmond Moves from Seton Hall to St. John’s
Kadary Richmond, a transfer from Seton Hall, has also found success in his new home just a few miles from his old home, the Prudential Center. Richmond averages almost 11 points per game in his first season with Rick Pitino and St. John’s. Deivon Smith, a fifth-year guard transfer from Utah, averages 10.7 points and six rebounds per game.
St. John’s’ Poor Three-Point Shooting
St. John’s averages 82 points per contest. The Red Storm convert 46% of their field goal attempts and 30% of their three-point attempts. Although the Red Storm get a lot of credit for their defense, St. John’s’ offense is also dangerous with the amount of scoring options. However, the Red Storm will struggle from behind the arc and the free throw line with just a 68% success rate from the charity stripe.
St. John’s is a tremendous rebounding team with 42 rebounds per contest. Luis Jr. and Ejiofor average almost 15 combined rebounds per game.
The Red Storm’s Biggest Strength
The Red Storm have limited their opponents to 67 points per game this season. Even in its conference schedule, St. John’s has contained its rivals to 64 points per contest. The Red Storm are excellent at forcing turnovers. They average 16 forced turnovers and 10 steals per game.
Villanova’s Struggles against St. John’s and the Full-Court Press Last Season
Villanova lost both games last season to Coach Pitino and the Red Storm. The Wildcats had difficulty breaking out of the full-court press and scoring consistently. Villanova’s defense also had trouble guarding Joel Soriano and St. John’s numerous scoring threats. However, the Wildcats’ offense currently averages almost 80 points per game and should have a better game plan for the press, especially with Jhamir Brickus.
Villanova vs. St. John’s at Madison Square Garden in January 2024.
Villanova has committed only 20 turnovers in its last four games. Brickus’ basketball IQ, ability to read defenses, and overall passing skills have greatly contributed to the Wildcats’ ability to limit turnovers. He averages 5.8 assists per game, which ranks 28th in the nation.
The Wildcats are tied with the Red Storm at 66 wins in the all-time series. Both teams have also won eight of their last nine games.
St. John’s is 1-0 at Madison Square Garden this season. They defeated New Mexico, 85-71, at the World’s Most Famous Arena on November 17th.
WXVU’s Live Coverage of Villanova vs. St. John’s
Saturday’s contest in New York City begins at 7pm. WXVU’s live coverage from Madison Square Garden starts at 6:30pm. One can listen on the local 89.1 FM dial, the WXVU website, and the RadioFX App.
