As Feast Week continued with an even more action-packed Tuesday slate, the Johnnies did exactly that, they feasted.
St. John’s overcame déjà vu and blew out Baylor in a statement 96–81 win. The victory gives the Red Storm an early Quad 1 result that will matter come March Madness selection time, still months away.
With the win, the Red Storm moved to 1–1 in Vegas, setting up a matchup with Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Here are five takeaways from a dominant performance.
Dylan Darling can’t be starting
St. John’s may have a problem: they don’t have a consistent point guard who can start nightly. Dylan Darling is talented, but his ideal role is coming off the bench as an energy spark, similar to the spurts he provided against Quinnipiac.
Darling hasn’t had the best trip to Vegas, and as the saying goes, hopefully what happens there stays there. Against Iowa State, he struggled, playing 23 minutes, scoring four points and fouling out. That foul trouble forced Rick Pitino to make several adjustments, including extended minutes for Ian Jackson at point guard, a spot where he has often struggled.
Against Baylor, Darling committed a foul on the first defensive possession and followed it with a turnover. St. John’s should instead look to run with Dillon Mitchell at point forward. Mitchell has consistently provided elite defense and strong finishing, two things the starting lineup needs.
Pitino has emphasized that the starting lineup will never stay the same. Even though the same five have opened the last three games, change feels inevitable.
LET OZIYAH SELLERS SHOOT
Oziyah Sellers is a three-point machine. All season, we’ve seen flashes of elite shooting, but he hasn’t always found rhythm, something Pitino has attributed to a lack of confidence in letting shots fly.
Against Baylor, he had no hesitation. Sellers scored 12 points in the first nine minutes, knocking down all three of his early threes and going perfect at the line after being fouled on another. His hot start fueled St. John’s early run, scoring 12 of their first 21 points.
He opened the second half the same way, drilling a three right out of the locker room.
Sellers has the ability to be St. John’s No. 1 offensive option when he shoots with confidence. Pitino has even called stretches like this “some of the best shooting he has ever seen.”
Rebounding has been a struggle
St. John’s has a glaring issue, one that dates back to early last season. The Red Storm simply doesn’t rebound well enough. It was painfully obvious against Baylor: despite the Bears starting 2-for-14 from the field, they grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the opening minutes.
Baylor finished with a 48–34 rebounding advantage. Against Iowa State, the Red Storm were out-rebounded again, this time by only two, but those two proved crucial in a one-point loss.
The deficit doesn’t always look brutal in the box score, but the missed rebounds happen at pivotal moments.
So… has Bryce Hopkins proven his greatness?
Pitino has publicly challenged Bryce Hopkins, saying he’s a good player but hasn’t shown “greatness” or separated himself from others nationally.
After a dominant outing against Bucknell, Pitino still wasn’t sold. He said he needed to see how Hopkins performed in Vegas, and Hopkins delivered.
Against Iowa State, he totaled 16 points and seven boards in 32 minutes, scoring 10 of those points at the foul line. In the Baylor win, he took over, scoring 26 points on 9-for-12 shooting with five rebounds and five assists.
Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor form a powerful frontcourt duo that can compete with anyone in the country, including Big East favorite UConn.
A challenge successfully answered? Has St. John’s proven it can play physically?
Pitino labeled this group a “finesse team” earlier this season, a comment that should’ve been a wake-up call. With two physical Big 12 opponents waiting in Vegas, the Red Storm had a chance to prove him wrong.
Against Iowa State, they fell short. St. John’s scored 38 points in the paint but couldn’t match the Cyclones’ physicality defensively, especially in the backcourt.
Against Baylor, it was a different story. Even while losing the rebounding battle, St. John’s controlled the paint and scored 10 more points there than the Bears, led by Hopkins’ dominance.
If the Red Storm can continue punishing teams inside and drawing fouls at a high clip, their physicality, once seen as a weakness, could become an identity.
