Georgetown stuns No. 7 Michigan State
It was only two weeks ago when Marquette fans watched the Golden Eagles dismantle the slumping Hoyas in overtime in Washington, D.C. With Georgetown’s 64-60 upset against Michigan State Saturday at Madison Square Garden, Marquette’s victory looked more like a quality win. The Hoyas snapped a five-game losing streak as Markel Starks led the way with 16 points. Trailing by one at halftime, the Hoyas used an 11-2 run to open the second period and gain momentum. Michigan State struggled from the field, shooting 39.6 percent overall, and putting forth a mediocre 9-for-16 effort at the foul line. Michigan State was forced into 15 turnovers and was out-rebounded 37-30.
St. John’s turning itself around
It was a head-scratcher to see St. John’s recently drop to 0-5 in the Big East, especially considering its high expectations in the preseason. The Red Storm is on the mend, winning three of its last four conference games, including the humiliation of Marquette Saturday in New York. St. John’s only loss in that span was a three-point defeat against Creighton.
Leading the nation with more than eight blocks per game, the Red Storm gives opponents a reason to fear the paint and take to the perimeter. This was the case with the win against Marquette: St. John’s shook off a sluggish start that saw easy inside shots made and a lack of communication in the zone. Quickly, however, leading shot-blocker Chris Obekpa rediscovered his post dominance, swatting away seven shots for the day and helping St. John’s get out in transition. The Red Storm finished with 14 fast break points.
As it moves into the second half of its Big East schedule, St. John’s appears to have learned from its errors and is perhaps a couple more wins shy of being the league’s hottest team.
Player of the Week
D’Angelo Harrison — Junior — G — St. John’s
Although St. John’s came away with only a 1-1 record last week, Harrison carried a bulk of its offense. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 21 points and shot 7-for-14 from three-point land in the pair of games. Harrison was on fire in the win over Marquette, netting 27 points and recording six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. He scored 11 points in a row early in the first half to give the Red Storm the definitive lead. He would later score 10 straight, including a four-point play to put the game out of reach. Harrison averages a career-best 18.1 points per game, which leads the team.
Game of the Week
Seton Hall at No. 9 Villanova — Friday at 6 p.m. CST
This matchup appears to have blowout written all over it, but looks may be deceiving. Seton Hall (4-5 Big East) has had its ups and downs recently, but it has been unusually competitive on the road. It owns a 3-2 Big East road record, and its two losses each came on the road by one point. Villanova is back on a winning streak after being humbled at home by Creighton’s 28-point lead, but Seton Hall displayed a fight this year that was dormant for several seasons. The Pirates average the most steals per game and are second in the Big East in three-point shooting. The two teams are right next to each other in multiple categories, such as points per game, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
