St. John's vs. Creighton Preview

WHERE: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska

TIME: 8:00 EST

TV: FS1

ONLINE: FOX Sports Go

LINE: Creighton (-10.5)

O/U: -115

SERIES HISTORY: 16th meeting between two teams (Creighton leads series 8-7)

It hasn't been the start to the conference season that the St. John's Red Storm were hoping for. A 22 point loss to Providence followed by a five point loss to Seton Hall without their two star guards Shamorie Ponds (Knee) and Marcus LoVett (Knee). Both Ponds and LoVett are once again questionable for tonight's game against the Blue Jays.

Without the two guards however, the Johnnies surprised everyone Sunday night as they hung tough with Seton Hall before falling by five. Tariq Owens led St. John's with his second double-double of the season, scoring a career-high 19 points and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds. If the Red Storm is going to have to play without their guards again, it's going to be a complete team effort if they want to hang tough with one of the most effective offensives in the conference.

Creighton on the other hand has had a more promising start to conference play. After falling in a classic against Seton Hall on opening night, the Blue Jays bounced back and handled Providence easily, winning by 19. The story for the Blue Jays all season has been the depth of their lineup. Seven players average at least seven points per contest and are led by potential Big East Player of the Year Marcus Foster, who paces the team by scoring 19 points a game.

If St. John's wants to hang around in this one, they are going to need to show off their defense like they have all season. In Sunday's matchup against Seton Hall, the Red Storm forced 17 turnovers and capitalized on those mistakes. For Creighton, the game plan is simple: Score the ball at an efficient rate.