The Rams and the Red Storm advanced to this year's Legends Classic championship game after escaping their first round opponents in narrow wins last night, but wins just the same. St. John's found themselves down late to a rebuilding Cal Bears squad, but came out on top thanks to the heroics of Shamorie Ponds and his game-high 32 points. VCU blitzed Temple early, only to see the Owls claw their way back before newcomer Marcus Evans' late game three sealed the win for the black and gold. The Rams are off to their best start since the 1993-94 season and will hope to celebrate that accomplishment with some hardware tonight in what they'll hope will be their first of two championships this season at the Barclays.
<h4>VCU (4-0)
ST. JOHN'S (4-0)</h4>
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT ST. JOHN'S</h4>
NBA Hall of Famer, Chris Mullin, is in his fourth year as head coach of his alma mater and still looking for his first winning season. Picked to finish 6th in this year's Big East preseason poll, Johnnies fans are hoping this may finally be the year the Red Storm break through. Through four games however, St. John's has left room for doubt despite their perfect record. Mullins and Co. trailed in a home game against a Bowling Green squad VCU made easy work of, then struggled to defeat Cal before eaking out a 4-point win. The culprit in both games was an ability to defend the three that plagued them all of last season. St. John's gave up a combined 19-41 shooting from deep (41%), just north of their 37.4% three-point D from last season that ranked 296th nationally. They'll face a VCU team tonight that has had a tough time connecting from deep early in the season. Offensively St. John's was just "alright" this past season (141 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency), but are off to a hot start this season thanks to an improved effective field goal percentage that has helped boosted their offense to currently good for 32nd nationally. That will be tested today against a VCU defense that has so far been one of the better units in the country early this season. The Red Storm are led by the explosive combo of Shamorie Ponds (20.3 ppg), Mustapha Heron (20.3 ppg) and LJ Figueroa (13.8 ppg, 52.9% 3p%). Heron is a newly-available Auburn transfer that gives St. John's not one, but two walking buckets. Figueroa, 6'7 senior Marvin Clark and Justin Simon round out the group of starters, a group that will eat almost all of the available minutes for St. John's. Mullins played all five starters over 30 minutes last night and did the same in the Storm's close win over Bowling Green. On paper St. John's is thin but extremely talented and should be VCU's biggest test of the early season.
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT VCU</h4>
VCU has looked downright elite defensively this season, turning teams over 27.2% of their possessions and limiting them to a 37.5% effective field goal percentage when they aren't. Both numbers rank in the top-6 nationally and both will be stress tested tonight. For as good as the Rams have been on that side of the ball, they've almost been as bad offensively. Through four games, three of which came against teams outside of the kenpom top-150, VCU ranks 321st nationally in turnover percentage offense. When they haven't turned the ball over, which they do on about one out of every four possessions, they've struggled to hit shots. VCU ranks 291st nationally in 3p%, dragging the Rams' effective field goal percentage to 47.5%, good for 247th nationally. In short even mediocre shooting could make the Rams an absolutely deadly team, particularly against an A-10 conference that has struggled early in the season.
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<h4>VCU (4-0)
ST. JOHN'S (4-0)</h4>
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT ST. JOHN'S</h4>
NBA Hall of Famer, Chris Mullin, is in his fourth year as head coach of his alma mater and still looking for his first winning season. Picked to finish 6th in this year's Big East preseason poll, Johnnies fans are hoping this may finally be the year the Red Storm break through. Through four games however, St. John's has left room for doubt despite their perfect record. Mullins and Co. trailed in a home game against a Bowling Green squad VCU made easy work of, then struggled to defeat Cal before eaking out a 4-point win. The culprit in both games was an ability to defend the three that plagued them all of last season. St. John's gave up a combined 19-41 shooting from deep (41%), just north of their 37.4% three-point D from last season that ranked 296th nationally. They'll face a VCU team tonight that has had a tough time connecting from deep early in the season. Offensively St. John's was just "alright" this past season (141 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency), but are off to a hot start this season thanks to an improved effective field goal percentage that has helped boosted their offense to currently good for 32nd nationally. That will be tested today against a VCU defense that has so far been one of the better units in the country early this season. The Red Storm are led by the explosive combo of Shamorie Ponds (20.3 ppg), Mustapha Heron (20.3 ppg) and LJ Figueroa (13.8 ppg, 52.9% 3p%). Heron is a newly-available Auburn transfer that gives St. John's not one, but two walking buckets. Figueroa, 6'7 senior Marvin Clark and Justin Simon round out the group of starters, a group that will eat almost all of the available minutes for St. John's. Mullins played all five starters over 30 minutes last night and did the same in the Storm's close win over Bowling Green. On paper St. John's is thin but extremely talented and should be VCU's biggest test of the early season.
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT VCU</h4>
VCU has looked downright elite defensively this season, turning teams over 27.2% of their possessions and limiting them to a 37.5% effective field goal percentage when they aren't. Both numbers rank in the top-6 nationally and both will be stress tested tonight. For as good as the Rams have been on that side of the ball, they've almost been as bad offensively. Through four games, three of which came against teams outside of the kenpom top-150, VCU ranks 321st nationally in turnover percentage offense. When they haven't turned the ball over, which they do on about one out of every four possessions, they've struggled to hit shots. VCU ranks 291st nationally in 3p%, dragging the Rams' effective field goal percentage to 47.5%, good for 247th nationally. In short even mediocre shooting could make the Rams an absolutely deadly team, particularly against an A-10 conference that has struggled early in the season.
