BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: St. John's @ Rutgers

February 15, 2006


The Big East conference certainly has some critics about the size of the league and the fact that 25% of the conference will be left out of the conference tournament in March. However, it also makes for some high drama in mid-February, even when you see St John's/Rutgers on the schedule, you know they game has meaning. Tonight is for conference tournament eligibility as St. John's currently finds themselves in 13th place (3-8) and out of the mix. Sitting just one game ahead of them is Rutgers (4-7). These two teams also meet again to close out the Big East regular season. So, these are pivitol games.

St John's has dropped six straight games, so a sense of urgency to pick up a win has definitely set in. Their schedule down the stretch includes home games with Rutgers, DePaul and Seton Hall along with road trips to the RAC (tonight) and Villanova. Rutgers has lost six of eight and are coming off a surprising win over Marquette in their last outing. Their remaining schedule includes the pair with St John's as well as a pair with South Florida and a road trip to Georgetown. If they get a win tonight, Rutgers puts themselves in pretty good position to be included in the festivities at Madison Square Garden come March.

Here are the pregame stories and previews we found around the internet:

Rutgers Webb Ensnares Scorers (Star-Ledger)
Rutgers Bailey Convinced He's Regained Fiery Form (Courier News)
Rutgers/St John's Scouting Report (Courier News)
Storm's Hill Done for Season (Newsday)
SJU Faces Steep Hill (NY Daily News)
Daryll forced Down and Out (NY Post)



To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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Obviously the big news on the St. John's side is they will have to finish out the season, and hope to qualify for the Big East tournament, without their best player, Daryll Hill. Hill has been hampered by a knee injury for most of the season and finally decided to shut it down for the year. Now the question surrounding Hill is if he has played his last game for Norm Roberts and the Redstorm, but that question will have to wait for another day as there is a basketball game tonight and his teammates will have to press on.

Even without Hill, tonight's game is not without hope. The Scarlet Knights have their own injury problems with JR Inman and Adrian Hill done for the season and Byron Joynes and Anthony Farmer being limited by nagging injuries that will not seem to go away. Of course, the key for any Rutgers win is the point production of Quincy Douby and if anyone else will step up and give him a hand. St John's does have a tenacious attitude on defense for the most part and the strong Eugene Lawrence and quick Cedric Jackson and Anthony Mason could give Douby some different defensive looks.

The Redstorm still have Lamont Hamilton and Aaron Spears inside which they should be able to use to their advantage against the weak interior of the Scarlet Knights. Where the Redstorm fall short is their ability to make shots and something happen from the perimeter and without Daryll Hill, things will get a little tighter inside.

For Rutgers, they need to score points tonight, not matter from whom. Douby is going to be hounded by the St John's pressure so someone else is going to have to step up. The defensive effort they face tonight is bound to be ratcheted up a few notches from what Marquette put forth on Sunday, allowing Rutgers to score 91 pts. St John's probably will not show any quit, yet, even without Hill as they will be determined to show they have more than just Daryll Hill on their team.

I expect the game to be close and intense. Both teams are fighting for something in the conference, even though they are well down the standings...that is what makes the conference special!

The Scarlet Knights are 6=pt favorites, but expect a tussle tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 63 St John's 59