Saturday afternoon will be the final tune-up for St. John’s ahead of the Nov. 4 regular-season opener against Fordham at Carnesecca Arena.
After rallying from a big deficit to beat No. 25 Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena, Rick Pitino’s Johnnies will be back in Queens to face Towson, which was picked to win the CAA, in an exhibition.
All proceeds will go to the charity Autism Speaks.
Here’s what to watch:
The battle to back up Ejiofor
Neither Portuguese import Ruben Prey nor USC transfer Vince Iwuchukwu stood out in the win over Rutgers.
Neither played in the second half. Expect them both to see more action against Towson.
Starting center Zuby Ejiofor shined in that game, producing 27 points and 13 rebounds, but he was on the floor for a whopping 34 minutes.
That’s not a sustainable model.
St. Johns needs one of Iwuchukwu and Prey to emerge to lessen Ejiofor’s workload.
Can Smith build off strong finish?
Deivon Smith, an All-Big East second team preseason selection, came off the bench against Rutgers after missing extended time in the preseason with shoulder and hamstring injuries.
He seemed in-between and unsure of himself for most of the game before helping the Johnnies close out the win late with some nice passes and a few strong drives.
This is a chance for the highly regarded Utah transfer to build off that and play his game, which means pushing the ball, attacking and harassing ball handlers.
This game matters
Pitino treated the second half against Rutgers like it counted, and I expect him to handle the second half against Towson in a similar fashion if it’s close.
St. John’s wasn’t ready to start the season last year, and it showed in nonconferences losses to Michigan, Dayton and Boston College that ultimately cost the Red Storm an NCAA Tournament bid.
He has emphasized being ready to go by Nov. 4, working more on team concepts and teaching his offensive and defensive system than individual skills dating back to the summer.
It is why he scheduled a road exhibition at Rutgers and opted to play Towson, which is considered the class of the CAA.
He felt these games would prepare the Johnnies well for the season.