The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team will need some offensive firepower if they’re going to beat the No. 22 ranked St. John’s Red Storm on Friday night.
I’m sorry for you if you stayed up past midnight to watch Virginia crumble in the second half against Tennessee last night (I did sadly) in route to a 64-42 defeat. The ‘Hoos fought hard in the first half, entering the break trailing just 22-21 (Tony Bennett would be proud of that halftime score). But ultimately, the Vol’s swarming defense and their overall athleticism was too much for a young Cavaliers team with many new faces.
Transfer guard Dai Dai Ames led Virginia in scoring with 12 points (3/8 shooting), and junior guard Andrew Rohde added eight points and a pair of triples off the bench.
Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad lost in double overtime to Baylor last night in a game that’s contending for best college basketball game of the year so far. St. John’s dominated in the first half — but Baylor made some adjustments as they always do under Scott Drew — and their fifteen made threes were enough to overcome what was an 18-point deficit at one point. Jeremy Roach (former Duke guard from the DMV area) hit an incredible buzzer-beater three to win the game for Baylor, 99-98.
Virginia will need to capitalize on St. John’s devastating defeat by coming out the gate with energy and crisp execution.
Time: Friday, November 22 at 7:00 PM EST
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Three Things to Know
Rick Pitino is entering his second season coaching St. John’s
Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino faces Virginia for the first time since 2017, when he was coaching Louisville in the ACC and Tony Bennett was his kryptonite (Bennett was 5-1 against Pitino at Louisville).
Times have changed — and so has Pitino’s roster — as he lost his entire starting five from last season. That didn’t stop the New York City native from rebuilding his hometown team by adding some talented transfers and developing some bench players from last season into starters.
At 72 years-old, Pitino has been coaching college basketball since 1978, but he’s still got the itch to keep competing and winning like a true Italian Don. We’ll see if Ron Sanchez is able to give Pitino’s team problems like Tony Bennett always did, or if the Red Storm blows them out of the Bahamas, sending the ‘Hoos back to Charlottesville after a brief and unpleasant stay.
The Red Storm want to play fast, led by two transfer point guards
Pitino wants his team to run. To run early and often, whenever there’s a window after a steal, block, or defensive rebound. In order to help his team play fast but in control, Pitino secured two stud point guards from the transfer portal back in May, Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond and Utah’s Deivon Smith.
The 6-foot-6 Richmond made the All-Big East First Team last year, averaging 15.7 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds for a feisty Seton Hall team. 6-foot guard Deivon Smith averaged a similar stat line with 13.3 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game for Utah. Both players can score, pass, and crash the glass, a fantastic recipe for winning in March.
Smith excels in fast break situations, streaking down the court with the ball after St. John’s forces a turnover. Richmond is still adjusting to the pace, because he prefers to operate in the half court, hitting mid-range shots and wearing down small guards. If Virginia can slow down the St. John’s fast break, Richmond will be tasked with leading the offense, and if the game is tight late, the ball will be in Richmond’s hands.
Just like Tennessee, St. John’s applies intense defensive pressure
For years, Virginia has struggled offensively against long, athletic teams who play aggressive man-to-man defense. The Cavaliers don’t always have the most explosive perimeter players, and dribble penetration is a particular weakness.
Well, they’ll have to dig deep and ready themselves for another dogfight on Friday night against St. John’s defense. They’ll aim to switch as many screens as they can, jump passing lanes, and swipe at ball-handlers when they’re being careless. They’re a Top-20 defense according to KenPom, with their greatest strengths being blocked shots, defending two-pointers, and limiting opposing free throw attempts.
Their greatest vulnerability is the three-point shot, the lone area where Virginia has shined early this season. The ‘Hoos might need 10 or more threes to overcome this daunting Red Storm defense.
Two Players to Watch
G RJ Luis Jr. (#12)
Luis played substantial minutes off the bench for St. John’s last season, starting in ten games and scoring over 10 points per game. He’s carved out a much bigger role this season and is currently the leading scorer for the Red Storm, averaging 17.2 points per game.
He’s a fantastic finisher in transition, using his athletic, 6-foot-7 frame to get around defenders and score at the rim. Here’s an example from last night where he snagged a steal and dribbled past all five Baylor defenders with an emphatic dunk on the other end.
Luis can hit three-balls, but he isn’t a true sniper. He’s more effective nailing pull-up mid-range jumpers and posting up smaller guards.
F Zuby Ejiofor (#24)
The 6-foot-9 junior big man is having a breakout season for the Red Storm. He’s averaging about 11 points and six rebounds, and he was St. John’s best player on both sides of the court against Baylor (22 points, ten rebounds, five blocks).
He’s their best rim protecter and he starts at center in a lineup without a true five-man. But his defensive mobility allows a lengthy St. John’s team to switch on defense effortlessly. He’ll look to attack the offensive glass against a Virginia team that could use some more muscle in the paint, and he will make sure nothing easy for Virginia on offense down low.
If UVA can get him into foul trouble, they’ll have a much easier time scoring around the rim.
One Prediction
Tennessee exposed some of Virginia’s offensive limitations, as well as their athletic shortcomings. St. John’s might not sound like an intimidating brand, but their roster resembles a high-major team with length and athleticism at every position.
They want to force turnovers on defense and run in transition, two areas that Virginia teams of old would be able to counter. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers are lacking at point guard, and it showed when they coughed the ball up 18 times against Tennessee. Isaac McKneely will need to bounce back from his worst shooting performance of the season (4 points on 1-for-6 shooting) for Virginia to stay in the game. I think he does and the ‘Hoos keep it close, but the St. John’s depth and defensive versatility is too much in the end.
St. John’s 66, Virginia 59
