St. John's Basketball: 3 keys to Red Storm upsetting No. 3 Villanova

St. John’s Basketball: 3 keys to Red Storm upsetting No. 3 Villanova

VILLANOVA, PA - FEBRUARY 26: Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats controls the ball against Julian Champagnie #2 of the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Finneran Pavilion on February 26, 2020 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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St. John’s Basketball Julian Champagnie Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Wildcats do not go deep into their bench, but they also hardly ever face foul trouble – but getting Nova’s posts into trouble could be key

If the Wildcats have become known for anything during their recent climb to national prominence, it has been that Jay Wright’s teams are disciplined and steady. This season is a perfect example of that, considering Villanova plays one of the slowest and most methodical tempos in college basketball – and rank first in turnover percentage offensively, turning the ball over on just 12.3% of their possessions.

In addition, one key area where the Wildcats display their discipline is in fouling – or the lack thereof. Villanova ranks third among Big East teams in committing fouls, being called for just 16.3 per game – just behind Xavier and Creighton. That mark is even lower in conference play, where they commit 15.8 fouls per game.

To put into context just how disciplined they are: individual Wildcats have been disqualified just twice in 12 games this season – Jermaine Samuels did against Arizona State, and Justin Moore did in the overtime loss to Virginia Tech. Friendly reminder, both of those games were back in November. Since then, not a single Wildcat has fouled out in a game.

What will be a key area in this game is post play. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is, easily, one of the best players in the Big East – and he and Samuels will line up against the Johnnies’ Julian Champagnie, who has been on an absolute offensive tear throughout his sophomore campaign. After missing St. John’s first two games, Champagnie has reached double-digits in all subsequent 16 games.

With stellar clips of 43.0% (40-93) from beyond the arc and 84.3% (59-70) at the charity stripe, Champagnie is a do-it-all 6-8 forward who has proven he can light it up – as evidenced by his career-high 33-point (9-15 2PT, 4-6 3PT, 3-4 FT), 10-rebound performance at Creighton. During the four-game winning streak, Champagnie has averaged marks of 17.25 points and 5.5 rebounds.

What is also particularly valuable against Villanova, however, is Champagnie’s ability to draw fouls. Per 40 minutes, Champagnie ranks in the top 400 nationally – and sixth in the Big Ten – in fouls drawn at 4.6. Why this is also important is because Jay Wright does not go deep into his bench at all – just eight Wildcats have seen action in all 12 games this year, and just nine have seen action at all.

If there is a team that can make Villanova uncomfortable, it is St. John’s – courtesy of Mike Anderson’s style of play. In addition to Posh Alexander in the backcourt, Champagnie has the ability to make Robinson-Earl and Samuels unsteady inside – something that rarely happens. If Champagnie can force the Wildcats’ posts to get into foul trouble early on, that will allow for easier scoring opportunities for the big man – and, obviously, provide success for the Johnnies.