New York, NY – St. John’s headed into Wednesday night’s matchup vs Butler at MSG winners of their last six games and ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time in five weeks. As it turned out, they would continue their recent dominance in this showdown against the Bulldogs as well. The first half of this one was all Johnnies as they led the entire half and shut Butler down, allowing only 29 points on 35% shooting. St. John’s would also get solid all-around production offensively led by Dillon Mitchell (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Ian Jackson. The Red Storm dominated in the paint which is where they scored 26 of their 43 first half points, they would also shoot 41% from beyond the arc as well. This would lead to St. John’s taking a 14- point lead heading into halftime.
The offensive brilliance would continue in the second half for St. John’s as they would go on to score 49 points on even better efficiency. They ended up with four players in double figures. Even though the frontcourt duo of Ejiofor and Mitchell had great games, it was good to see Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon combine for 31 points and shoot the ball well. St. John’s has had up and down guard play all season but getting some consistency especially from Jackson could be huge at this point in the season. Butler struggled with the size and physicality of St. John’s frontcourt. When you mix that in with the Red Storm’s red hot perimeter shooting it made for a rough night for the Bulldogs. St. John’s extended their winning streak to seven and went to 9-1 in conference play with their 92-70 win.
The play of Jackson was exciting to see as he showcased the potential he brings to the table when he’s going the right way. Jackson was St. John’s leading scorer last night with 18 points and the shotmaking was on full display. He has the ability to be crafty at the rim and his athleticism really stands out when he’s on the attack downhill. Jackson is quick and shifty as a ball handler and can get to his shots. Though as a jumpshooter he can be streaky, when his jumper is falling he’s a tough cover for anyone because of the fact it opens up the floor. Jackson can also be very spotty with his decision making but he was brought to this team to do what he’s done in his last two games vs. Butler and Xavier.
As for Butler, Michael Ajayi (19 points, 11 rebounds) was one of the only bright spots last night. Ajayi is a swiss army knife type of player for this Butler team. He provides ball handling, gets rim touches, and is great on the glass. Ajayi may not be a respectable jumpshooter but he was always on the attack and able to get to the line a bunch as well. I also really enjoyed the motor he played with especially in a game where it’s physical and the opposing team has the advantage in that area.
This article was written by Jordan Amadeo, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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