John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
They’ve been the best four teams in the conference all season long and each of them will hear their name called on Selection Sunday. But this isn’t about that. It’s about, as UConn legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun has said, “being the best in your neighborhood.”
The stage for the Big East Tournament semifinals is set, and the matchups could not be better, with No. 6 St. John’s and No. 25 Marquette meeting just six days after Zuby Ejiofor and the Johnnies completed a regular-season sweep with a buzzer-beater in Milwaukee, followed by UConn and Creighton hitting the floor in a nightcap with layers of storylines.
Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm are at the top of the Big East basketball mountain right now, currently sitting at 28-4 and set to play in their second straight conference tournament semifinal after not doing so since 2000. The Red Storm matched their highest regular-season win total with 27 victories and started the postseason in dominant form, cruising past Butler, 78-57.
It’s been a combination of elite-level defense, dynamic play from a backcourt featuring RJ Luis and Kadary Richmond, and an uncanny desire and will to win, that has led to St. John’s historic season.
On the other side is Marquette, a team that showed America they could still make noise in March after rallying from a 14-point second-half deficit against a desperate Xavier team and gutting out an 89-87 victory over the Musketeers in the quarterfinal round. Shaka Smart has an experienced team that is led by all-conference guard Kam Jones, who could end up being the Kemba Walker of this tournament. Jones kicked off the action with a 28-point, five-assist performance, while Stevie Mitchell scored 16 to go along with five steals in the win over Xavier. Having seniors is invaluable this time of year, and Smart, now in year four at the helm, possesses guys that he and his staff have developed.
But can Marquette finally get past the Johnnies after being swept in the regular season?
The story throughout the previous two mathcups between these two teams this season is St. John’s advantage down low. The Johnnies have outrebounded the Golden Eagles by a combined 26 in those two meetings, led by big man Zuby Ejiofor, who hauled down 13 rebounds in the first matchup, and followed that with a 12-round effort in the last game.
Then there is Luis, who has enjoyed life playing against Marquette. The junior guard has posted a combined 45 points and 22 rebounds in two games against the Golden Eagles this season. Marquette must hold St. John’s to 3s and limit the offensive boards. If the Golden Eagles can do that and the trio of David Joplin, Chase Ross and Ben Gold are hitting perimeter looks, it could result in Marquette getting redemption. Remember: Marquette is 6-1 in its last seven Big East Tournament games.
The second semifinal game is a rubber match after the Bluejays and Huskies each won on the road in the regular season, with Liam McNeeley delivering 38 points in a 70-66 victory back on Feb. 11. It marked Connecticut’s first-ever victory at Creighton, improved Dan Hurley’s record to 4-8 against Greg McDermott.
Notice the record: 4-8.
That’s because McDermott, now in his 15th season at the helm of the Jays, runs one of the best offensive systems in the country and his All-American center Ryan Kalkbrenner has caused some issues for the Huskies over the last five years. It’s only fitting that Hurley and UConn get one final game against the big man in a matchup that has become a rivalry in the conference.
One big question: Will Creighton point guard Steven Ashworth bounce back from a tough night in the double-overtime win over DePaul? While the fifth-year senior did tie the game to send it to the first overtime session, he finished 3-of-16 from the field and 2-of-10 from 3-point range. That cannot happen again for the Jays to have a shot.
Meanwhile, UConn is peaking at the right time, winning five straight games. Alex Karaban’s reemergence has been big for this team, as he drove Connecticut to a 73-56 win over Villanova with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. While this Huskies squad isn’t what it was last year, you can sense their experience in these March moments, closing out the quarterfinal victory over Villanova on a 22-5 run.
How will UConn’s big man duo of Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed do against Kalkbrenner, who had 32 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in Thursday’s win? And which team’s complimentary players will step up under the bright lights?
There is nothing like a Friday night at Madison Square Garden with two tickets to the Big East Tournament title game in the balance.
Marquette’s David Joplin said it best: “Games like this in the Big East Tournament, win or go home. There’s nowhere to go, there’s nowhere to hide.”
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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