After a promising, yet disappointing (and not unexpected) loss to Villanova, the Hoyas face a quick turnaround as they host St. John’s in McDonough Arena at 7:30PM on Sunday. Although many remember last year’s season ending as a result of COVID-19, Georgetown fans won’t soon forget the disastrous game against St. John’s in the first round of the Big East Tournament. This year, the 5-2 Johnnies lost to Seton Hall in their Big East opener, setting up a battle between two teams looking for their first conference win.
Often compared to Georgetown for having similar struggles trying to rebuild, the Johnnies and 2nd-year coach Mike Anderson are looking to finally have a breakthrough season. St. John’s returned a solid core group of players from last year’s 17-15 season. Despite losing leading scorers LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Heron, the Red Storm added two junior college standouts, one graduate transfer, and two freshmen who will all be instrumental this year.
Their leading scorer and stand out thus far is Julian Champagnie. A 6’9 guard/small forward, Champagnie is averaging 22.4 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds per game. Most of the St. John’s offense is centered around Champagnie, whose biggest strengths include rebounding, explosiveness and defense. As the Red Storm’s main source of scoring, the Hoyas will need to be strong down low on defense while also ensuring they get rebounds. This will be a challenge for Jamorko Pickett, who is likely to be tasked with defending Champagnie.
As a strong rebounding guard, it will be important for Pickett to keep him off the boards to limit Champagnie’s impact on the game.
The Red Storm’s next go-to guy behind Champagnie is returning starter Greg Williams Jr. The junior shooting guard has averaged 12 points and 3.3 assists per game thus far. With Williams shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc, the Hoyas need to be aware of where he is at all times. Outside of Williams and fellow guard Vince Cole, St. John’s is a weak 3-point shooting team, knocking down just 29.8% of their looks from beyond the arc. This should give the Hoyas a slight edge considering their struggles defending the three.
Other starters include junior forward Josh Roberts, freshman guard Posh Alexander, and previously mentioned junior guard Vince Cole. Cole is the only other consistent double figure scorer, averaging 13.3 points per game. The Red Storm are a deep team, usually using six guys from off the bench. Returner Rasheem Dunn is a solid 6th man who started the season on the bench with a concussion. Now that he’s back, his defense-minded play is making an impact for the Johnnies. Scoring 10 second half points against Seton Hall, Dunn can be a difference maker for St. John’s with his ability to both score and defend. As a team, the Red Storm’s strength lies in their guard play, as they often play four guards at a time. Because of their subpar shooting and lack of post presence, they play at a fast pace and like to get out in transition.
For the Hoyas, Jahvon Blair was largely absent in Friday’s loss against Villanova, scoring only 11 points and making just one three-point field goal. Just five games into the season, it is already clear that Blair needs to produce big numbers for Georgetown to win, and he will look to bounce back on Sunday. This is a winnable game for the Hoyas as long as they can keep turnovers down and control the rebounding battle. Let’s hope Georgetown can avenge the horrid ending to last season with a win on Sunday.
Kathryn’s Prediction (3-1 on the season): Georgetown 75, St. John’s 71
Both these teams are in a similar situation in terms of rebuilding and coaching. Though St. John’s may be more talented and deeper, you never know what Red Storm team is going to show up. I think the Hoyas will come out strong given their loss against Villanova and get the win at home.
Jacob’s Prediction (5-0 on the season): Georgetown 80, St. John’s 74
I like this match-up a lot for the Hoyas. As mentioned above, the Johnnies are a poor three-point shooting team, which helps offset Georgetown’s weakness of guarding the three-point line. Additionally, St. John’s is a team that likes to play small and fast. The Hoyas were arguably at their best this season when they rolled out their small-ball line-up, with no traditional center on the floor, against Coppin State. I’m hoping Coach Ewing will at least experiment with a similar approach against the Johnnies. As a coach, Ewing has more wins against St. John’s (5) than any other opponent. I expect that success to continue on Sunday.
Will’s Prediction (4-1 on the season): Georgetown 74, St. John’s 69
St. John’s (and DePaul, if they ever get onto the court) represent Georgetown’s best chances at picking up a win in Big East play. Champagnie is perhaps the most skilled player on the Johnnies’ roster, and I’m curious to see if Pickett’s length on defense can disrupt the swingman’s offensive output. This game probably represents the best opportunity for Ewing to try different rotations (try small ball, please) and different players (I beg you, play Dante Harris more often).
