Gameday: UConn vs. St. John's in the Big East Semifinals

For the first 20 minutes of their Thursday afternoon matchup, it looked like Xavier was ready to give UConn a fight. In the next 20 minutes, the Huskies reminded us why they’re one of the most feared teams in the nation.

UConn scored 53 points in the second half, shooting an astronomical 78.6 percent from the field in that period to advance and end the game with the school’s best shooting performance ever in the Big East Tournament.

Dan Hurley’s squad has been in the tourney semifinals for four straight years but has yet to pass this round.

Standing in their way this year is a St. John’s side led by the senior statesman Rick Pitino, who has expressed effusive respect for the Huskies.

He even joked that at least six UConn players would need to miss the game for his team to win.

UConn vs St John’s Preview

When: Friday, March 15th, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Madison Square Garden

TV: FOX

Radio: UConn Sports Network – 97.9 FM

KenPom Prediction: UConn 79, St John’s 70

• UConn swept the season series 2-0 this year and leads the all-time series, 31-21

• St. John’s is in the Big East semis for the first time since 2000

• Friday will be the first time UConn and St John’s play each other in the Big East Tournament since 2010. St John’s won that matchup 73-51

• No major injury concerns for either team

• With the St John’s victory on Thursday, the Red Storm are expected to receive an at-large NCAA Tournament bid

• St John’s point guard Daniss Jenkins was named Second Team-All Big East this past week

St. John’s Roster and Stat Leaders

St John’s Red Storm Scouting Report

Rick Pitino’s first year at the helm of St John’s began with almost a complete roster turnover. During the offseason all but one member of the Red Storm’s 2022-23 roster departed. Pitino and his staff have worked hard to build cohesiveness with 10 new transfers and two freshmen.

The one exception was big man Joel Soriano, fresh off an All-Big East Second Team selection for his efforts in the 22-23 season. At Pitino’s introductory press conference, the Hall of Famer named Joel Soriano a captain for the 23-24 season. He’s been a stud this season while he and Daniss Jenkins have probably been their most consistent players.

The Red Storm hold a 20-12 record and are riding a six-game winning streak going into this game. They just beat Seton Hall 91-72 in their BET quarterfinal matchup and boast a win over Creighton during the current streak. UPenn transfer Jordan Dingle has been excellent over the stretch, averaging 15.2 points on 56% shooting after a slow start to the season.

In their first meeting with UConn in Hartford, the Huskies were playing their first full game without Donovan Clingan and won a relatively close one, 69-65. In the return visit, at Madison Square Garden, UConn was playing without Alex Karaban but still won by double digits as Cam Spencer scored 23 points.

Here are some keys to Friday’s game:

Big depth

The level of depth that Pitino assembled this season may be unprecedented in college basketball. Using an NIL-related workaround, St John’s entered the season with a 14-man rotation. Pitino has used that depth extensively to mix and match players to find the optimal lineups.

Across the 31-game season, St John’s has used 15 starting lineups, the most in the Big East. The current starting lineup has been stable, but expect the Red Storm to employ seven or more players off the bench.

UConn’s rotation is at seven, with two freshmen in Jaylin Stewart and Solo Ball who could see more time if St. John’s tries to tire the Huskies out. The Huskies are talented and deep but don’t have as many guys who they trust on the court in key moments.

Questionable, but improving, Johnnies defense

After losing a game to Dayton in November, Pitino admitted that he did not prioritize defensive skill as much as the other end of the court in the transfer portal and needed to convince his players to go hard defensively.

Since that point, Pitino has become increasingly creative in his defensive coverages, mixing man-to-man with zone and heavy doses of his famous full-court press. St John’s defensive efficiency rankings have steadily climbed up to 43rd from being in the triple digits in November.

Look for Pitino to throw multiple defensive looks at the Huskies to slow down their potent offense.

Offensive Glass

Soriano, a physical force, averaged 11.9 rebounds per game in the 22-23 season and 9.5 this season as the leader of a strong rebounding team. St John’s is ranked sixth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage with significant contributions from forward Chris Ledlum and guard RJ Luis.

Dan Hurley’s teams take pride in being strong on the boards. Look out for a fierce battle on the glass between two of the best rebounding teams in the country. UConn’s OR% is the 12th-best in the nation.