Fifth year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the Dawgs in scoring in Butler’s home loss to St. John’s. Photo by Ben Holmes.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team faces off against top-seed St. John’s on March 13 in the quarterfinal of the Big East Tournament.
Here is what you need to know before the Dawgs take on the Red Storm:
Who: Butler vs. St. John’s
When: March 12, 12 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: Peacock
Regular season sweep
St. John’s got the better of Butler in both of the teams’ regular season matchups. The Johnnies defended their home court with a 70-62 win on Jan. 4, then scooped up a 76-70 road victory on Feb. 26 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Butler’s ability to keep both games close with the cream of the Big East is reason for optimism, however not all the signs are positive. St. John’s shot poorly from three-point range in both wins, including a dismal 4.7% in Queens.
The Red Storm are not a good three-point team to begin with, but the statistics indicate that even a mediocre shooting performance could spell disaster for Butler.
Rebounding is another potential issue for the Bulldogs, as senior forward Pierre Brooks II pointed out after the team’s win against Providence.
“We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds today and we know St. John’s crashes the glass, so tomorrow we need to make an effort,” Brooks II said. “We pride ourselves on boxing out, defending at a high level. If we do that, we have a great chance of winning.”
The Dawgs know what they are up against in St. John’s, but the Red Storm will have an added layer of help.
Home court advantage
Not only is St. John’s the No. 1 seed in the tournament, but it also enjoys the luxury of playing at Madison Square Garden, one of its home courts during the regular season.
Johnnies fans are sure to be out in full force to support a program that has cultivated its highest expectations of the century. Junior wing RJ Luis Jr. — who led the Johnnies in scoring in both wins against Butler — adds to the Red Storm’s hype by recently being named Big East Player of the Year. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino took home Big East Coach of the Year honors.
The Bulldogs are prepared for a tough environment in their bona fide road game.
“Basically, it’s a home game for St. John’s,” Brooks II said. “It’s going to be pretty packed in here, so we have to come in as one and come in calm and collected and try to get a W. “
A Big East Tournament championship is the last thread Butler has to hang on to if it wants to make a shock appearance in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Thad Matta views the matchup against St. John’s as a chance for his team to grow.
“Obviously they’re the best team in the league,” Matta said. “This is a great opportunity for our guys.”
