New York, NY – Coming off a monster win vs UConn, the #17 St. John’s Red Storm came into Monday night looking for their 10th win a row in a matchup vs. the Xavier Musketeers. Xavier would not make it easy for the Johnnies as this one was tight in the first half. The Musketeers shot the ball extremely well despite getting a low scoring half from leading scorer Tre Carroll who only had four points. For the Red Storm they got a solid half from Zuby Ejiofor and a great half from Dylan Darling who had 10 points and continues to give great minutes during this winning streak. It would be a back-and-forth half between these two conference foes that would end up resulting in a tie game at 42 heading into the locker room.
The Musketeers would not go away in the second half as they continued to make life difficult for St. John’s on their home floor. Tre Carroll came alive as he scored 17 of his 21 points in this half. Xavier would go on to have five players in double figures in a well balanced offensive performance. The Red Storm had answers for Xavier throughout the half though as the trio of Ejiofor, Hopkins, and Darling continued to give them much needed performances. Xavier had St. John’s on the ropes with seconds left on the clock but a big time tip in by Oziyah Sellers would send this game into overtime. St. John’s would then take advantage of the excessive fouling that occurred all night from Xavier and walk off the floor victorious with a final score of 87-82. The Red Storm improved to 19-5 on the season and 12-1 in conference play while also grabbing their 10th consecutive win, continuing to be one of college basketball’s hottest teams.
St. John’s got the usual dominance from Zuby Ejiofor and a great game from Bryce Hopkins but I think it’s time for Dylan Darling to receive his flowers. Darling has been pivotal for the Red Storm throughout this winning streak as he’s made big shots and made huge plays on both sides of the floor. Darling is a player that any team would like to have because of his high motor and the ball pressure he brings once he checks in the game. On the offensive end he’s a stable option out of Rick Pitino’s guard rotation, he can maintain the offense and also has the ability to make some key shots if he’s needed to as well. Personally, Darling has become my favorite guy on this St. John’s roster due to how hard he competes and how he can flip a game despite being one of shorter guys on the floor.
As for Xavier, they had impressive showings up and down the roster but Carroll was huge in the second half to keep them in it. Carroll is a big but he has some finesse in his game that’s pleasant to watch. He’s able to break a defender down at times and get to his spots for these soft floaters near the basket. Although it can get a bit ugly sometimes especially when there’s more athletic defenders on him, he is capable of taking and making tough shots. Carroll is a versatile player for this Xavier team and is definitely a fun watch when he’s got it going like he did in that second half on Monday night against some tough St. John’s defenders in their frontcourt.
This article was written by Jordan Amadeo, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
