NASSAU, Bahamas — If Sunday towards New Mexico was St. John’s wading out of the kiddie finish of the pool, then Thursday evening it can discover itself within the deep finish.
Sink or swim.
The Lobos have been a high quality first take a look at, and Rick Pitino’s Twenty second-ranked Johnnies handed it with ease, main nearly wire-to-wire in a 14-point victory on the Backyard.
This can be totally different. This can be a reputable title contender, The Put up’s preseason decide to win all of it.
This can be a probability for St. John’s to make a press release that it’s for actual within the opener of the Baha Mar Hoops Championship.
No. 13 Baylor is a distinct animal.
A Massive 12 powerhouse that has averaged 25.6 wins the previous 5 seasons and has reached 9 of the previous 10 NCAA Tournaments.
That options elite transfers in Norchad Omier (Miami), Jeremy Roach (Duke) and projected one-and-done, top-10 NBA draft decide V.J. Edgecombe.
And one of many nation’s premier coaches in Scott Drew.
“They’re one of 10 or 12 teams I’ve seen so far this year that could play in the Final Four,” Pink Storm coach Rick Pitino mentioned this week because the Johnnies ready for his or her first ranked vs. ranked nonconference recreation in 25 years. “Tennessee is also in this tournament. They’re one of 10 or 12 teams I could also see playing in the Final Four. Obviously, the competition is great.”
St. John’s (4-0) is coming off its finest efficiency of the younger season.
Pitino and his teaching employees graded it out as a B-, the primary contest when there have been extra positives than negatives.
The Johnnies outrebounded New Mexico by 17, outscored the Lobos within the paint by 10 and shut down dynamic guard Donovan Dent.
5 gamers scored in double figures as St. John’s overwhelmed a high quality opponent.
“I was very encouraged. I liked our pace, I liked our passing and I liked our rebounding,” Pitino mentioned. “Now, we’re going to go up against a different level and we can’t make the mistakes that we made in the New Mexico game because they’ll make us pay. They’re such a gifted offensive basketball team. They drive, they shoot, they rebound very well. It’s going to pose a big challenge for us.”
Pitino has targeted on the Johnnies defending the 3-point line.
The Bears (3-1) will incessantly play 4 guards at a time.
They are going to unfold you out, create mismatches and let it fly from deep. In 4 video games, the opposition is taking pictures solely 30.5 p.c from distance towards St. John’s, however it hasn’t seen something like Baylor.
New Mexico went 8-for-18 from lengthy vary, and harm the Pink Storm from past the arc within the second half.
“Defending the 3-point line is going to be really huge for us,” ahead Zuby Ejiofor mentioned. “Almost everybody on that team can knock it down at a high clip.”
Baylor, it needs to be famous, began the season by getting hammered by third-ranked Gonzaga, 101-63, though it rebounded with a five-point, neutral-site victory over No. 20 Arkansas.
It crushed its final two opponents, Sam Houston State and Tarleton State, by a whopping 100 factors.
It is going to be with out standout guard Langston Love, who has but to play this season attributable to an ankle harm.
This showdown begins an intriguing journey for St. John’s.
It would face both No. 11 Tennessee or Virginia on Friday evening, relying on the outcomes of the 2 video games on Thursday, and meet improved Georgia in a stand-alone nonconference recreation on Sunday.
The Pink Storm arrived within the Bahamas stuffed with confidence, believing they will play with anybody.
The Johnnies can show it this weekend.
“We all believe that we can beat Baylor,” Ejiofor mentioned. “We all believe that we can win the tournament.”
