St. John’s reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 and will face Duke in a blockbuster East Region semifinals matchup in Washington, D.C. The top-seeded Blue Devils are significant favorites over the No. 5 Red Storm.
noti.group’s Zach Braziller breaks down six keys to Rick Pitino’s Johnnies pulling the upset:
Zuby makes a statement
Cameron Boozer is the National Player of the Year favorite, a likely top-three NBA draft pick. The Duke forward and son of former NBA standout Carlos Boozer averages 22.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. But St. John’s has its own star forward in Zuby Ejiofor. Can he outplay Boozer? Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, has gotten the better of some very talented forwards this year, from Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr. to Kansas big man Flory Bidunga on Sunday. Keeping Boozer off the free-throw line — he averages 7.3 attempts — will be essential. This is a major opportunity for Ejiofor to prove to NBA decision-makers he’s worthy of being a first-round pick.
Make the other Boozer uncomfortable
While Duke coach Jon Scheyer said starting point guard Caleb Foster has an “outside chance” to play Friday, it seems unlikely, considering the junior underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot March 8.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
