February 17, 2015 - Big game, big stakes. That's the jist of tonight's St. John's at Georgetown match up. Many tickets exist for the 7p, Verizon Center start. If you can't make it in person, check it out on Fox Sports 1, via WTEM 980 AM or our real time, in-game chat thread.

Why is it a big game? The Hoyas are 16-8 overall, 8-5 and fourth in the BIG EAST Conference, while SJU (17-8, 6-6) stands fifth in league. Both teams are on win streaks, with the Johnnies having prevailed in three straight, to G'Town's single game.

Arguably the hottest team in the league, SJU is led in scoring by senior guard D'Angelo Harrison's 19.8 point per game, but is dangerous offensively up and down their roster - head coach Steve Lavin often employs three or four guards and center Chris Obekpa, spreading them out and utilizing side ball screens to create edges and advantages for the others. When doing so, having four guys who can drive and shoot puts much pressure on defenses. The Johnnies have used this to rank third amongst BIG EAST teams in scoring offense (league games) at 72.2 points per game.

"That's their offense for real" said freshman Hoya guard Tre Campbell yesterday, when asked about the Johnnies spreading and freeing scorers, who then do what they do. "Side Pick and roll, everybody playing one on one. We just have to sit down and guard".

If SJU is rolling right now, senior forward Sir Dominic Pointer has been key; the Detroit native is averaging 13.8 ppg in league games, good for fourth best on the team, yet paces the squad in rebounding with 7.4 caroms each time out. He's fourth in the league rebounding (followed at fifth by Obekpa). A 24 point, five board, four steal output in the team's win over Xavier this weekend was scintillating.

Head Hoya John Thompson III noted of Pointer "He's making shots. It's not like he's just getting to the basket", a change as previously the book on Pointer was "you knew he was going to bring it to you". Overall, he believes "The high level he is performing, gives them courage".

The Hoyas, ranked fifth (71.6 ppg) in scoring offense amongst BIG EAST teams and are paced by junior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera's 15.5 ppg, good for fifth amongst conference players. The team shoots 46.1% from the field, which places it at third in conference to SJU's fourth place 45.1% mark.

It won't be easy sailing for G'Town; SJU gives up 66.2 each contest, the league's seventh best mark, yet only allows 40.1% of made shots to be successful, a mark that only trails Georgetown's 39.9%, the league top defensive shooting percentage number.

That may be somewhat incongruent at first blush, but it's really not as the Johnnies are the league's best shot blocking unit, rejecting 6.7 shots per game, 1.8 more than third placed Georgetown.

"When you have a shot blocker, and they have two, it creates a situation of where as you're going, you're peeking" said Thompson, referring to Obekpa and Pointer, the league's first and third best rejecters respectively.

Big game at Verizon tonight. Big game.

For audio of Thompson, Campbell and freshman forward Isaac Copeland, see Premium Court.

The coach discussed scheduling, maintaining focus during this week long break between games, Johnnies playing defensively small, SJU small ball offensively, looking toward NCAA's, Pointer, Harrison, Hoyas going small defensively and offensively and foul trouble.

Campbell rapped about the Johnnies, scheduling break, smaller line up, improvement, physical adjustment, small lineup and the Big East's regular season title importance.

Being the BIG EAST's Rookie of the Week, his team's break, preparation, SJU, Pointer crashing the offensive boards and scoring 12 straight points versus Seton Hall were topics of conversation for Copeland.