Game 14: Georgetown Hoyas (9-4, 1-1) vs. St. John’s Red Storm (8-4, 1-0)
when: Wednesday, December 31, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
television: FS1 (Ed Cohen and Phil Martelli)
radio: Team 980 AM, Sirius XM 385 (Rich Chivotkin)
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series: St. John’s leads 69-57 all-time. The Red Storm have won nine games in a row.
stripe: Georgetown has won 3 of the last 4 games. St. John’s has won nine straight games against Georgetown.
Net ranking: St. John’s 20, Georgetown 104
Betting Odds: St. John’s -8.5, O/U 152.5
Money line: St. John’s -375, Georgetown +290
Johannes report
St. John’s returns to the rankings (No. 25 in the coaches poll) after defeating Harvard 85-59. They are 1-0 in the Big East after beating DePaul in early December. Pitino’s teams excel in transition and get to the free throw line more than any other team in the league.
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The Red Storm (8-4, 1-0) brings a balanced and dangerous offense with five different players averaging double figures. Bryce Hopkins leads the team with 13.9 points per game. While he may not be as consistent as he was under Cooley, Hopkins could be a matchup nightmare who can score inside and outside.
Zubie Ejiofor is arguably their most pivotal work. He averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. What’s even more concerning for the Georgetown guard is that he’s an excellent rim protector, averaging 2.5 blocks per game (14th nationally). He also leads the team in assists (2.8 per game), making him the core of the team’s offense.
The backcourt has Ian Jackson (11.6 points per game), Jolson Sanon (10.7 points per game) and Oziah Sellers (10.6 points per game) scoring. Jackson and Sanon provide the speed that powers Pitino’s system.
Pitino wants this game to be a track meet. St. John’s ranks 11th nationally in fast-break scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. If Georgetown turns the ball over or takes a bad shot, the Johannes will immediately punish them in transition.
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Perhaps the most noteworthy stat is the free throw line. St. John’s excels at drawing contact, leading the Big East in free throw attempts per game (27.9) and field goal percentage (20.8).
Georgetown’s big men — especially Julius Halefonua — must stay disciplined to avoid foul trouble.
what’s the danger
Georgetown will have a chance to kick off 2026 with a signature win tonight when it hosts the No. 25 St. John’s Red Storm at Capital One Arena.
Georgetown comes into this New Year’s Eve game fresh off a 97-67 victory over Coppin State. Julius Halaifonua dominated that game with 20 points, and the Hoyas had five players score in double figures. Balance has been a strength all season. Malik Mack leads the way with 14.5 points per game, but KJ Lewis is close behind with 14.3 points. Lewis has been a constant threat on defense, leading the Big East with 2.2 steals per game.
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Tonight’s challenge is significant. St. John’s (8-4, 1-0) is ranked high in the coaches poll and is led by Rick Pitino. The Johnnies play at an incredible pace and rank 11th nationally in fast break points. They’ve recently finished off Georgetown, winning nine straight games. The Hoyas’ last win in this series came in December 2020. St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins (13.9 points per game) and center Zubie Ejiofor (13.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds) present a tough matchup in the frontcourt.
A win tonight would end the Red Storm’s losing streak and move the Hoyas above .500 in conference play. This would be a strong signal that rebuilding efforts are moving forward.
More importantly, this could be a chance to see new and old faces like Vince Iwuchukwu (warming up) and Gabriel Landeira (just announced as joining the team) on the field.
