SAN DIEGO – St. John’s Kicks Off NCAA Tournament Against Northern Iowa

On Friday night, St. John’s began its NCAA Tournament journey, facing off against No. 12 Northern Iowa in the East Region opener.

Here are four key factors that could influence the outcome for the No. 5 seed Johnnys.

Zubby Needs to Shine

Last March was tough for St. John’s when RJ Lewis struggled with a woeful 3-of-17 shooting performance, leading to a disappointing loss to Arkansas. This time, the pressure is on Zuby Ejiofor, who was named Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9 forward leads the team in points (16.1), rebounds (7.1), assists (3.5), and blocks (2.1). He’s pivotal on both offense and defense. If Ejiofor has an off night, St. John’s could find it difficult to pull through. Interestingly, in that Arkansas game, while things went poorly overall, Ejiofor still managed to impress with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Rebounding and Defense Improvement

Defensive rebounding has been a major focus for St. John’s, especially after early losses to teams like Alabama and Kentucky, where they struggled in this area. Since then, they’ve improved significantly, leading the Big East in defensive rebounding during conference play. After a January 3 loss to Providence, manager Rick Pitino opted for a three-forward lineup, featuring Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins alongside Ejiofor. This adjustment has helped, and with their size and athleticism, St. John’s can dominate the boards. If they make it past Northern Iowa, this dynamic could be crucial for their progress in the tournament.

Can Bryce Hopkins Sustain His Momentum?

While Ejiofor was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the Big East Tournament for his impressive performances, Bryce Hopkins’ improvement has been equally significant. He has excelled on both ends of the court, contributing 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game during the tournament while shooting 50% from beyond the arc. He even hit a crucial shot in the championship game that shifted momentum. If Hopkins continues to develop as a scoring threat, it will relieve some pressure from Ejiofor, creating a more balanced attack for the team.

Three-Point Shooting Needs to Improve

This season, St. John’s has made strides in its three-point shooting but still ranks 217th nationally with a 33.2% success rate. This statistic is barely better than their conference performance of 33.9%. New players like Ojiya Sellers, Joeson Sanon, and Ian Jackson offer more scoring options. To advance far in the tournament, they will need to improve their perimeter shooting since scoring inside becomes tougher as the competition intensifies. There are reasons to feel hopeful, particularly with Sellers and Sanon showing better form recently and Dylan Darling nailing some key threes this season. Last year’s tournament was a stark reminder, as they managed a dismal 2-of-22 from long range against Arkansas.