Big East Coast Bias - Game Thread: St. John's vs. No. 20 CreightonWhere our expanding tentacles stretch from coast to coasthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51653/becb-fav.png2014-01-29T07:03:42-05:00http://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/rss/stream/51192492014-01-29T07:03:42-05:002014-01-29T07:03:42-05:00Game Recap: (20) Creighton 63, St. John's 60
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<figcaption>Dave Weaver-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Red Storm Suffer Another Heartbreaking Loss at the Hands of Doug McDermott</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123401/doug-mcdermott">Doug McDermott</a> is the best player in the nation and if there was any doubt, the senior forward quelled all differing thoughts with his performance against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm">St. John's Red Storm</a>. McDermott was unbelievable, tallying 39 points on 15-26 shooting, 6 boards and 2 assists. McDermott capped the best performance of his career by fittingly hitting the game-winning 3-pointer right in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175095/chris-obekpa" target="_blank">Chris Obekpa</a>'s face. An amazing performance for the National Player of the Year front runner.</p>
<p>St. John's actually did a stellar job defending Creighton as a team. The Red Storm held the Blue Jays to 63 points--19 under their season average--and forced the 20th-ranked team in the nation into 17 turnovers. Outside of McDermott's 15-26 shooting performance, Creighton shot just 8-21 from the field and the recently red hot <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100577/ethan-wragge" target="_blank">Ethan Wragge</a> was a complete non-factor.</p>
<p>The Johnnies went into the half down four but completely fell apart in the opening minutes of the second half as the Blue Jays went on a 17-1 run that put them up 18. Despite being down double-digits in front of a raucous road crowd, St. John's showed great resolve and never quit. Using its athletic advantage, the Red Storm started to pressure the ball and used their quick hands to force turnovers. With the defensive pressure revved up, the Johnnies began to push the tempo on offense and behind <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146162/d-angelo-harrison" target="_blank">D'Angelo Harrison</a>'s 13 second half points and runs of 11-2 and 12-2, the Johnnies came storming back.</p>
<p>After <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175097/jakarr-sampson" target="_blank">JaKarr Sampson</a> tied the game at 58 to complete the comeback with 90 seconds left, McDermott hit a jumper to put Creighton up two. On the other end, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/229361/rysheed-jordan" target="_blank">Rysheed Jordan</a> was whistled on a questionable charge call but St. John's buckled down on the defensive end and forced McDermott into a tough shot. On the other end, Creighton's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145236/austin-chatman" target="_blank">Austin Chatman</a> fouled Jordan as he was driving to the basket to put him at the line for two shots--a wise decision considering the freshman was just 1-4 from the stripe for the game. Showing great poise for a first year player, Jordan stepped to the line and nailed both free throws to tie the game back at 60 with 11 seconds left.</p>
<p>Following a timeout, Creighton's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123402/jahenns-manigat" target="_blank">Jahenns Manigat</a> found an open McDermott on the left wing and the unstoppable scorer nailed a 25-foot jumper with 2.8 seconds left. Phil Greene IV's last second heave fell well short and St. John's suffered another gut-wrenching lost, it's sixth in conference play and ninth overall.</p>
<p>Chris Obekpa finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds and looked competent on offense for the first time this season. Harrison scored 15 points on 5-11 shooting but took a lot of bad shots early in the shot clock that really hurt the team. St. John's is off until Saturday when it hosts Marquette at Madison Square Garden for a matinee game.</p>
https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2014/1/29/5356410/game-recap-20-creighton-63-st-johns-60Peter Walsh2014-01-28T23:46:13-05:002014-01-28T23:46:13-05:00Final Score: Creighton 63, St. John's 60
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<figcaption>Dave Weaver-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Doug McDermott Show was live in technicolor on Tuesday night, as Creighton bested St. John's to break the Red Storm's 3-game win streak off of a 3-pointer in the final seconds. </p> <p>With 11.1 seconds remaining and the score tied at 60, it was hard to imagine the ball going in anyone else's hands.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123401/doug-mcdermott" class="sbn-auto-link">Doug McDermott</a>, the front runner for the National Player of the Year Award, scored 39 points including the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to catapult the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/creighton-bluejays" class="sbn-auto-link">Creighton Bluejays</a> over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm" class="sbn-auto-link">St. John's Red Storm</a> by the score of 63-60. The win was the 18th on the season for the Bluejays, and their eighth victory in BIG EAST play.</p>
<p>The superstar senior forward for Creighton was phenomenal from the opening tip. McDermott shot 15-of-26 on the night and shot a superb 5-9 from the 3-point line. McDermott led all scorers with his 39 points, as none of the remaining eight Bluejays who stepped on the floor leapt into double figures on Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>But, it was truly a spirited effort from the St. John's Red Storm. Although they have struggled this season, it was the Johnnies who hung with the dynamic Bluejays to many surprised faces inside CenturyLink Center Omaha. The Red Storm, who recently broke free from their struggles with a three-game winning streak going into the night, strung out35 points in the 2nd half despite falling victim to a 15-1 run by Creighton inside the final 20 minute period.</p>
<p>Four Red Storm players finished in double figures, with junior guard D'Angelo Harrison leading the back with 15 points. Joining Harrison was sophomore forward <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175097/jakarr-sampson" class="sbn-auto-link">JaKarr Sampson</a>, sophomore center <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175095/chris-obekpa" class="sbn-auto-link">Chris Obekpa</a>, and freshman guard <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/229361/rysheed-jordan" class="sbn-auto-link">Rysheed Jordan</a> who scored 10, 11, and 11 points respectively.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most surprising storyline was the unusual, sloppy play from both teams. Creighton committed 17 turnovers to St. John's 10, as both teams came away with uncharacteristic performances in the turnover department. Coming into the night, both of these teams were amongst the best in the BIG EAST Conference as well as amongst their peers across the nation in taking care of the basketball. The Red Storm feasted off of Creighton's turnovers, scoring 21 points off of their opponent's mistakes, while Creighton merely scored four.</p>
<p>Despite that, Doug McDermott was just too hot for St. John's to handle in the end.</p>
<p>The Bluejays now have an extended period of rest, as they will not take the floor until Friday, Feb. 7 when Creighton squares off with DePaul in Omaha, Neb., while St. John's gets right back to the floor on Saturday, Feb. 1 when they host Marquette at Madison Square Garden.</p>
https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2014/1/28/5356212/final-score-creighton-63-st-johns-60Christopher Novak2014-01-28T16:51:57-05:002014-01-28T16:51:57-05:00Preview: St. John's vs. No. 20 Creighton
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<p>The potent Creighton Bluejays welcome the suddenly surging St. John's Red Storm, who are winners of their last three games. </p> <p><b>Teams: </b>Creighton (17-3; 7-1) vs. St. John's (12-8; 2-5)</p>
<p><b>Day: </b>Tuesday, Jan. 28</p>
<p><b>Time: </b>9:00 PM ET</p>
<p><b>Location: </b>CenturyLink Center Omaha; Omaha, Neb.</p>
<p><b>TV: </b>FOX Sports 1</p>
<p><b>Radio: </b>1620 KZON-AM (Creighton) or Bloomberg 1130-AM (St. John's)</p>
<h3>Creighton Storylines</h3>
<p>While their performance in South Philadelphia had the nation talking, Creighton's performance against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/georgetown-hoyas">Georgetown Hoyas</a> on Saturday night was far from glamorous. The nation's most efficient team may have won the game by a large margin, but the performance itself was less than what we have come to expect from the Bluejays.</p>
<p>The team shot an eFG% of 52.9 percent, nearly six percentage points below their average of 59.1 percent. The best 3-point shooting team in the country shot just 33.3 percent from the 3-point line on their 21 attempts, which was a full 10.0 percentage points below their average of 43.3 percent on the season.</p>
<p>WIth that said, the performance certainly should have been expected. No team is going to have the absurd efficiency that Creighton had against Villanova last Monday night be continued night in and night out. The Bluejays have had their fair share of off nights this season, but more often than not they have managed to come away with victories on those nights. That is a testament to how this team plays. Even when they are not playing at a very efficient level, they can still scratch and claw their way to victories, with both their go-to guys and their role players stepping up when needed.</p>
<p>The Bluejays might need to rely on their perimeter shooting in this upcoming contest against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm">St. John's Red Storm</a>. That is because Steve Lavin's club is one of the best teams at defending inside the 3-point line. This season, through the first 20 games, the Red Storm are only yielding a 2PT FG% of 43.1 percent, the 27th best mark in the nation. Luckily for the Bluejays, the Johnnies are merely an average team at defending the 3-point shot, as they are giving up a 3PT FG% percentage of 34.7 percent this season, which puts them 196th in the country.</p>
<h3>St. John's Storylines</h3>
<p>At 12-8, the 2013-14 season has been somewhat of a disappointment for Steve Lavin and the St. John's Red Storm. There is certainly some talent on this club, and they have not nearly put it together at the rate that many were expecting them to. With that said, recently the Red Storm have been piecing together solid performances one after another. After going on a five-game losing streak to start league play, St. John's has bounced back to win their last three contests in a row, including games against Seton Hall and Butler. Those may not register as "quality wins" this season, but getting back on the right track in this fashion might be just what the doctor ordered.</p>
<p>One thing that the Red Storm can be proud of this season is their ability to take care of the basketball. The club is 26th in the nation in Turnover%, registering a turnover only 15.4 percent of the time this season. Only Butler and Creighton have a better TO% in the BIG EAST Conference this season. Unfortunately, that has just not been able to translate to success in the win-loss column as a whole, at least. In their last three wins however, St. John's has had a TO% of 18.1 percent, 15.0 percent, and 17.0 percent, so the success of keeping the basketball in their control lately has been able to turn the tide on the season so far.</p>
<p>What may plague the Johnnies, much like other teams that Creighton has faced this season, is that their offense is not nearly on par with their opponents on Tuesday evening. St. John's is scoring an average of 73.2 points per game, 107.8 points per 100 possessions, and has registered an eFG% of 48.4 percent. The 107.8 points per 100 possessions ranks them in the Top 100 in the category, but they are closer to the 100-mark, ranking 98th in the category amongst their peers. Meanwhile, the eFG% of 48.4 percent has them camped in the basement, as the Red Storm are ranked 216th in the country in this category.</p>
<p>The Bluejays have had extraordinary success at home this season, so if an opponent's offense is not able to keep up, it might be troubling for them. Unless something extraordinary happens, it might be an uphill climb for St. John's on Tuesday night.</p>
<h3>X-Factors</h3>
<p>Creighton's guard play has greatly improved as the season has played on. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145236/austin-chatman" class="sbn-auto-link">Austin Chatman</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123402/jahenns-manigat" class="sbn-auto-link">Jahenns Manigat</a> have improved their play in different areas, and while all of the spotlight has deservedly been shined on <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123401/doug-mcdermott" class="sbn-auto-link">Doug McDermott</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100577/ethan-wragge" class="sbn-auto-link">Ethan Wragge</a>, the backcourt has been tremendous as of late. In league play, Chatman has averaged 4.375 assists per game and Manigat has averaged 11.0 points in the eight games that the Bluejays have played against BIG EAST opponents. Each man has been doing their part to help the Creighton offense thrive, and they could once again on Tuesday night if they get it going.</p>
<p>St. John's will look to the play of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146162/d-angelo-harrison" class="sbn-auto-link">D`Angelo Harrison</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175097/jakarr-sampson" class="sbn-auto-link">JaKarr Sampson</a> to help carry them to victory. The two leading scorers for the Red Storm, averaging 17.8 and 12.6 points per game respectively, have been who Steve Lavin has been able to run the offense through this season. Neither Harrison nor Sampson are efficient shooters, but each has their own respective qualities that they can do well. Harrison, a 6'4 junior shooting guard has been spectacular from the FT line this season. On 124 attempts this season from the stripe, the Missouri City, Tx. native has converted 83.8 percent of those attempts. Meanwhile, Sampson has been superb on 2PT FG attempts. On the 209 attempts he has taken, Sampson has converted 49.8 percent of those attempts, second best on the team amongst players with >85 FGA.</p>
<h3>Four Factors</h3>
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Team</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Effective FG%</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Turnover%</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Off. Rebounding%</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>FTA/FGA</b></td>
</tr>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Creighton</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>59.1</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>15.0</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>30.5</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>33.0</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>St. John's</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>48.4</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>15.4</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>31.8</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>38.0</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>The Prediction</h3>
<p>The difference in this game, as it always seems to be when teams face Creighton, will be whether or not they can either keep up with their potent offense, or stunt their offense so severely that they cannot muster anything. Unfortunately for Creighton's opponents, life has not been so good to them in Omaha. The Bluejays are undefeated at home this season and have yet to truly face any troubles against BIG EAST opponents inside CenturyLink Center Omaha. It might be a good bet that that trend will continue on Tuesday evening, with Doug McDermott & Co. finding even more success in their home venue.</p>
<p><b>Creighton </b>79 <b>St. John's </b>68</p>
https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2014/1/28/5351196/game-preview-st-johns-vs-no-20-creightonChristopher Novak2014-01-27T18:53:26-05:002014-01-27T18:53:26-05:00Preview: St. John's vs. Creighton
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<p>The Red Storm Bring Its Three-Game Winning Streak to Nebraska.</p> <p>Following an 87-86 double-overtime home loss to Providence on January 16, St. John's was left for dead. With five-straight losses to open the conference season, the Red Storm's preseason dreams of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA Tournament</a> had evaporated and the disappointment was evident from the player's, coaches, and <a target="_blank" href="http://nypost.com/2014/01/16/why-st-johns-is-off-to-brutal-big-east-start/">media</a>. But with three-straight wins in the past week, the Johnnies look like they may have turned a corner and are playing much more cohesive, team basketball. While the odds of making the Tournament are still long, St. John's is starting to show flashes of a team that was heralded as a threat flying under the radar to start the season.</p>
<p>On Tuesday night, the Red Storm travel to Omaha, Nebraska to take on a surging Creighton Blue Jays team that is currently ranked 20th in the nation by the AP. The Blue Jays are led by National Player of the Year contender <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123401/doug-mcdermott" class="sbn-auto-link">Doug McDermott</a> (24.3 points, 7.2 boards) and are an offensive juggernaut, averaging 82.3 points per game (19th in the nation), 18.6 assists (1st), and shooting 49.3 percent (11th), per <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/156/creighton-bluejays">ESPN.com</a>. St. John's will have its hands full with McDermott and one of college basketball's best homecourt advantages. The Red Storm will have to play the best game of the season thus far to have a shot at taking down the Big East frontrunner.</p>
<p>The game tips at 9 PM EST, Tuesday on Fox Sports 1.</p>
<p><span>Here's what to keep an eye on in Tuesday's matchup:</span></p>
<p><span><b>The Emergence of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146216/jamal-branch" class="sbn-auto-link">Jamal Branch</a></b></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/229361/rysheed-jordan" class="sbn-auto-link">Rysheed Jordan</a> won Big East Rookie of the Week but it's been Jamal Branch who has been the difference maker for the Red Storm. After transferring from Texas A&M, Branch has battled injury problems and as a result, had trouble finding his niche in the program. Despite great talent and the Red Storm's need for a playmaking point guard, Branch seemed to be the odd man out--especially with Jordan in the fold. </span></p>
<p><span>The 6-3 sophomore has been the team's steadiest point guard during the Red Storm's winning streak. Branch has averaged 20+ minutes over the past three games and had a 4-point, 8-assist, 5-rebound, 2-steal, 0-turnover performance on Saturday against Butler. Lavin has been employing a Branch-Jordan-D'Angelo Harrison three guard lineup that allows Jordan to move off the ball and become more of a scorer where hs is most effective. Branch has looked like the team's best option as a playmaker and Lavin will likely give him more minutes. </span></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175097/jakarr-sampson" style="font-size: 12px;">JaKarr Sampson</a><b><span>'s Re-Emergence</span></b></p>
<p>The reigning Big East Rookie of the Year is averaging 12.6 points and 6.4 boards per game on the season but found himself in quite the funk through the first four games of Big East play. In four straight losses, Sampson averaged 8.5 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 34 percent from the field. His confidence was clearly shaken after playing just 18 minutes against DePaul.</p>
<p>Over the past week, Sampson has recovered nicely and has strung together four-straight games with averages of 16.2 points and 5.5 boards while shooting 59.2 percent from the field. Sampson has refound his mid-range game and has his confidence back.</p>
<p><span><b>You Can't Stop Doug McDermott, You Can Only Hope To Contain Him</b></span></p>
<p>Doug McDermott is unquestionably the top scorer in the NCAA and gets his points night-in and night-out. Between <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146164/sir-dominic-pointer">Sir'Dominic Pointer</a> and Sampson, St. John's has two defenders who can keep up with McDermott, thanks to their athleticism and length, but by no means does that guarantee they will be able to stop the superb scoring threat. St. John's will have to force McDermott into tough shots and make him earn every one of his baskets while keeping him off the boards as he also leads the Blue Jays in rebounding.</p>
<p><span><b>Battle on the Boards</b></span></p>
<p>Both teams have had trouble rebounding this season. St. John's averages 36.8 boards per game compared to Creighton's 36.9, good enough for 110th and 103rd in the nation, respectively. Both teams lack a true interior threat and St. John's has struggled in the post on both ends all season long. Going against a smaller front line, Creighton's 6-11 junior <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123404/will-artino" class="sbn-auto-link">Will Artino</a> may get extended minutes to help the Blue Jays inside. For St. John's, it will be imperative for them to limit second chance opportunities and keep the Blue Jays off the boards. Sampson, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146158/god-sgift-achiuwa">God'sgift Achiuwa</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175095/chris-obekpa" class="sbn-auto-link">Chris Obekpa</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175101/orlando-sanchez" class="sbn-auto-link">Orlando Sanchez</a> all must attack the glass.</p>
<p><b>3-Point Shooting</b></p>
<p>To put it bluntly, the Red Storm are a terrible 3-point shooting team. As a team, the Johnnies shoot a putrid 34.1 percent from the field, and that number is highly inflated thanks to the 66.7 percent long-range shooting of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175091/marc-antoine-bourgault" class="sbn-auto-link">Marc-Antoine Bourgault</a>, who has taken all of six attempts this season. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country and are led on the perimeter by both McDermott and the sharpshooting <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100577/ethan-wragge">Ethan Wragge</a>.</p>
<p>Wragge, a redshirt senior forward, is shooting a scorching 50 percent from three (tops in the nation) and has hit 77 3-pointers so far this season (third in the nation). The Blue Jays showed how much damage they can do from beyond the arc when they hit a Big East record 21 3-pointers against then number 4 Villanova. St. John's will have to play tremendous perimeter defense or things will get ugly.</p>
<p><span><b>Prediction</b></span></p>
<p>St. John's has been playing great ball as of late but tend to struggle against well-coached, experienced teams with a high basketball IQ. Playing at Creighton is one of the toughest draws in college basketball and the Blue Jays have too many weapons at their disposal. <b>Creighton 85, St. John's 78</b>.</p>
https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2014/1/27/5350622/game-preview-st-johns-vs-20-creightonPeter Walsh