St. John's, currently on a 4-1 Big East start, faces a formidable challenge against Villanova, led by the nation's top scorer, Eric Dixon. Villanova, boasting an improved offense and eight wins in its last nine games, presents a significant step up in competition for the Johnnies. Coach Rick Pitino acknowledges the Wildcats' offensive firepower and how Dixon's supporting cast makes them a dangerous opponent. St. John's will need to improve its three-point shooting and continue its recent defensive dominance to overcome Villanova.
It has risen to sixth in the nation in efficiency, according to KenPom.com, overwhelming the likes of Creighton, Xavier and Butler on that end of the floor.Not a single league opponent has reached its season average against the Johnnies.
The only St. John’s opponent up to this point with an attack that can compare is Baylor , which knocked off the Red Storm in a double-overtime, mid-November heartbreaker in The Bahamas. It obviously starts with Dixon, the 6-foot-8, 265-pound do-it-all forward, averaging 25.7 points and shooting an absurd 47.2 percent from distance on 5.7 attempts.
“The mistake that people make when they play Villanova is they focus too much on Dixon, and the other four, five guys in their lineup just kill you,” Pitino said. “The reason Dixon is having such a great year is he has a great cast with him.” A similar sentiment, however, could be made about what Villanova will see against St. John’s.
College Basketball Villanova St. John's Eric Dixon Rick Pitino
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