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Talk about a tale of two teams. The Providence Friars entered Big East play after a somewhat disappointing non-conference slate that saw their 2015 NCAA Tournament hopes diminish, while the St. John’s Red Storm entered conference play ranked in the top 20 with high expectations. Three games into conference play, the Red Storm have floundered while the Friars have flourished.
Every Big East game is crucial from this point forward for both teams, which is why their matchup could mean the difference between the NIT and the NCAA Tournament. The Friars and Red Storm face off on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 at Providence’s Dunkin Donuts Center.
St. John’s has struggled of late, but their inside defense is fantastic. One of the best teams when it comes to blocking shots in the country, their recent losses have been due to the fantastic outside shooting of their opponents.
Providence has been winning games by limiting opponents on the perimeter. Their losses have come due to strong inside games, which the Friars seem to struggle against. They live and die by LaDontae Henton’s field goal percentage, which is a dangerous game to play.
Unfortunately for St. John’s, I don’t believe their downward spiral ends just yet. The Friars are on the rise right now, and the Red Storm will lose once again in conference play. I expect St. John’s to get things back on track eventually though; there is far too much talent on the roster for them to keep losing for long.
Prediction: Providence 75, St. John’s 66
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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