St. John's at Villanova preview

Saturday at 8 p.m., Wells Fargo Center

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network; WTEL-AM (610).

Records: Villanova, 21-2, ranked No. 4 in Associated Press poll; St. John's, 11-13, 5-6.

Coaches: Villanova, Jay Wright (16th season, 375-159; overall, 497-244); St. John's, Chris Mullin (2nd season, 19-37, and overall).

Series: St. John's leads, 59-54.

Last meeting: Villanova overcame a season-worst 20 turnovers and defeated the Red Storm, 70-57, on Jan. 14 at Madison Square Garden.

Points per game: Villanova, 77.0; St. John's, 77.1.

Opponent points per game: Villanova, 62.2; St. John's, 75.2.

St. John's probable starters: G Shamorie Ponds, 6-1, Fr., 17.3 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 1.8 steals; G Marcus LoVett, 6-0, R-Fr., 16.9 ppg., 3.7 apg.; G Malik Ellison, 6-6, So., 8.1 ppg.; G/F Bashir Ahmed, 6-7, Jr., 13.1 ppg., 5.4 rpg.; F Kassoum Yakwe, 6-7, So., 4.1 ppg., 2.2 blocks.

St. John's key reserves: G Federico Mussini, 6-2, So., 7.7 ppg.; F Tariq Owens, 6-11, So., 5.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 2.4 blocks; F Darien Williams, 6-8, Sr., 3.4 ppg.

Villanova's probable starters: G Josh Hart, 6-5 ½, Sr., 18.6 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 3.3 apg.; G Jalen Brunson, 6-2 ½, So., 14.5 ppg., 4.3 apg; G/F Mikal Bridges, 6-7, R-So., 10.3 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 1.7 steals; F Kris Jenkins, 6-6, Sr., 13.1 ppg., 4.0 rpg.; F Darryl Reynolds, 6-9, Sr., 5.4 ppg., 5.6 rpg.

Villanova's key reserves: G Donte DiVincenzo, 6-5, R-Fr., 7.0 ppg.; F Eric Paschall, 6-7, So., 7.0 ppg., 3.9 rpg.

About St. John's: After going 1-17 in the Big East last season, the Red Storm have become the conference's surprise team. . . . Their loss to the Wildcats at the Garden started a six-game stretch in which they have alternated victories and defeats, with their last result being an 86-72 home win Wednesday night over Marquette. . . . Ponds, who Monday was named Big East freshman of the week for the fourth time, is the conference's leading scorer among freshmen. . . . St. John's boasts the league's two top shot-blockers in Owens and Yakwe. . . . Ellison, a Voorhees native who attended Life Center Academy, has performed well in conference games, averaging 9.4 points and 3.3 assists.

About Villanova: The Wildcats' 66-59 victory Wednesday night at Providence was the 118th in the career of Hart, Jenkins and Reynolds, breaking the program record for a class they had shared with last year's group headed by Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu. . . . They hope Jenkins can shake a shooting slump that has seen him make just four baskets - all of them three-pointers - out of his last 29 shots over three games. . . . In their previous meeting, the Cats pounded St. John's on the boards, 41-23, in their last meeting and held a 14-1 advantage on second-chance points. . . . That marked their 13th consecutive win over the Red Storm.

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