NCAA Basketball: St. John’s, Saint Mary’s wins in 2019 Al Attles Classic
Saint John’s Upset #16 Arizona at the Chase Center
It was all Johnnies (11-2) in the first half but the Wildcats (10-3) came crawling back in the second half thanks to a stellar performance from Zeke Nnaji who finished with 24 points on 8-10 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds. Nico Mannion (19 points on 6-15 shooting, 3 assists, 3 steals) stepped his play up in the second half but in the end, didn’t have enough to push the Wildcats to the victory. Mannion had a good look on a drive to the basket to take the lead with about 3 seconds left on the clock but the shot was off. Saint John’s held on to beat #16 Arizona in the first game of Session 2 at the Al Attles Classic.
Saint John’s has surprised the college basketball world by winning seven straight (including a victory over West Virginia). LJ Figueroa finished with 21 points for the Red Storm and was named the MVP of the game. He has put himself into the conversation for making the 1st Team All-Big East. The next test is just as, if not more, challenging for Saint John’s as the Johnnies open up conference play with a home matchup against #17 Butler (11-1) on New year’s Eve.
For Arizona, the Wildcats have a problem and it’s their depth. Only eight bench points for Arizona while Saint John’s contributed 27 off the bench. Max Hazzard had a clutch three-pointer late in the 2nd half but was pretty much nowhere to be seen during the rest of the game. After being considered one of the top grad-transfers in the nation this past offseason, Hazzard needs to step into a bigger role with this Wildcats team if they want any chance of finishing at the top of the loaded PAC-12. Mannion and Josh Green (11 points and 6 rebounds) can’t be the only ones scoring in the backcourt for Arizona.
The major takeaway from this game is Nico Mannion’s explosiveness off the bounce. After watching Mannion for the first time, I understood the intrigue NBA scouts have with the ginger assassin. He may have not have come out with the win but he’s proven that he is capable of playing at the next level. Nnaji also impressed the majority of U of A fans at the Chase Center. He has played himself into a one-and-done scenario so far this season.
Arizona now has to get ready for the battle of the desert against rival Arizona State in their PAC-12 opener on January 4th. What a way to start conference play for both teams.