New York, NY – Two of the Big East’s finest met for a battle in the mecca with #3 UConn coming down to face the surging #22 St. John’s Red Storm. The game was very back and forth with both teams playing with great energy and trying to execute their style of play. St. John’s would struggle to be efficient but UConn had issues of their own with taking care of the ball and continuing to send the Johnnies to the charity stripe. Both teams had an extremely balanced box score in the first half leading to a tie at 39 between two of the hottest teams in all of college basketball.
As the second half began, UConn would continue to have struggles against St. John’s intensity on the defensive end and their physicality on the offensive end. The Huskies had 15 turnovers on the night, Silas Demary Jr. had nine of those turnovers. St. John’s scored 20 points off those UConn turnovers and they did a great job of just pressuring ball handlers all night long. No one was more emblematic of this than Dylan Darling who was just a pest and completely shifted the game in St. John’s favor as soon as he checked in. Although we can’t overlook the usual dominance from the Red Storm frontcourt trio of Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins combining for 50 of the 81 total team points.
Ejiofor continues to impress and show versatility as he had a near triple-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Huskies would make small pushes throughout the half even cutting the St. John’s lead down to one. However, they would not be able to finish the job as St. John’s would take down UConn 81-72 ending the Huskies 18-game winning streak and extending their own winning streak to 9.
St. John’s had a bunch of standout performances but it’s hard to dismiss Ejiofor’s two way impact and how he continues to impress every single game. Obviously everyone knows he has the motor, the physicality, and lives in the paint but his ability to read defenses is something to behold. He’s very good at seeing the back line of the defense when he gets the ball at the free throw line extended. Especially since opposing defenses are so keyed in on him as a finisher at the rim this leads to him showing off his playmaking, finding guys like Mitchell and Hopkins for easy points. Ejiofor’s performances are becoming inevitable night in and night out. At this trajectory he’s on his way to being recognized as one of the best players to ever put on a St. John’s uniform and having that #24 in the rafters one day.
Though the Huskies didn’t get the result they wanted as a team several of their players had some solid individual performances. Alex Karaban is a true veteran for this UConn team and he showed it last night in a big game vs. a conference rival. Karaban finished the night with 17 points and is just so good as an off ball offensive threat. He leverages his shooting ability at such a high level and isn’t afraid to take the big shots when the team needs it. The range he has is also something you want to see if you are looking at him as an NBA prospect, he can let it fly from distance and on the move as well. Karaban may not be a high level athlete but he is capable of beating his defender on closeouts and getting to the rim for some nice finishes also. Defensively there can be some question marks due to his lack of overall athleticism and foot speed but he has the body to be serviceable on that end of the floor. It will definitely be interesting watching how the rest of his senior year plays out to determine if he will be able to get his third national title in four years.
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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