St. John’s is coming off of their second Big East win and continued strong performances from Julian Champagnie. But it was the defensive effort — harassing Butler, forcing steals — that helped the Red Storm shine through, especially early in the game.
Marquette, however, is a different animal (an bird, not a canine), and has both talented height and scoring skill. Unlike Butler, their scoring options are all over the floor, and their youth is ready to pull out a win.
Can the Johnnies generate enough offense to keep up? Are the Red Storm rounding into shape as a cohesive unit?