St. John’s Red Storm vs Bryant Bulldogs Picks and Predictions December 11th 2024

Zuby Ejiofor Shines as St. John’s Hosts High-Scoring Bryant

St. John’s (7-2) continues to ride the wave of Zuby Ejiofor’s breakout performances as the Red Storm prepares to host Bryant (6-5) on Wednesday night in New York. With momentum building, the Red Storm will look to extend their winning streak to three games and continue their strong start to the season under head coach Rick Pitino.

Ejiofor’s Breakout Leading St. John’s

Zuby Ejiofor, a transfer from Kansas, is coming into his own at St. John’s. After a relatively quiet first season under Pitino, Ejiofor has emerged as a major contributor. His career-best 28-point, 13-rebound effort against Kansas State propelled the Red Storm to an 88-71 comeback victory, where he scored 17 of his points in the second half.

Ejiofor’s scoring average jumped from 11.8 to 13.6 points per game after the Kansas State win, marking his third double-double and third 20-point game of the season. He has previously posted strong performances in losses to Baylor and Georgia, solidifying his role as a critical piece of the Red Storm’s offense.

Pitino credited Kansas head coach Bill Self for shaping Ejiofor into a fundamentally sound player:
“If Zuby played for School X with his statistics and analytics, I wouldn’t have recruited him. But because he played for Bill Self… I knew he’d be fundamentally sound and know how to work hard.”

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Bryant’s High-Powered Offense

Bryant enters the game as the America East Conference’s top-scoring team, averaging 86.3 points per game. The Bulldogs feature former St. John’s guard Rafael Pinzon, who has emerged as the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game. Pinzon has scored at least 20 points in his last three games and five times this season.

Bryant’s offense has been consistent, scoring at least 80 points in six games this season. In their most recent game, the Bulldogs defeated VTSU-Johnson 100-53, with guard Jakai Robinson contributing a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds). Connor Withers led the scoring with 25 points, helping Bryant recover after a tough one-point loss to Brown.

Robinson expressed optimism about the team’s energy heading into the matchup:
“We all got it clicking, and I just wanted to start the game, set the tone early with my energy. I feel it should be a good morale boost especially (since) we got a big one coming up on Wednesday.”

Keys to the Game

For St. John’s, maintaining Ejiofor’s dominance in the paint and leveraging his offensive surge will be crucial. The Red Storm must also continue their defensive efforts to slow down Bryant’s high-powered offense and disrupt Rafael Pinzon’s rhythm.

Bryant will look to counter with their potent scoring attack and perimeter shooting. The Bulldogs’ ability to generate consistent scoring from Pinzon and Withers, while improving their defensive efficiency, will be key to staying competitive against a deeper St. John’s squad.

Check out the latest John Wooden Award Odds & Predictions for detailed analysis and updates.

The Matchup’s Stakes

St. John’s will aim to build on its recent success and maintain its upward trajectory under Pitino, while Bryant looks to make a statement with a marquee win on the road. With both teams bringing firepower and momentum into the game, this clash promises to deliver an exciting and competitive showdown in New York.