Creighton Bluejays vs St. John's Red Storm Prediction & Match Preview - December 17, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball

Match Details

Fixture: Creighton Bluejays vs. St. John's Red Storm - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Thursday, December 17 at 7PM ET

Venue: Carnesecca Arena, New York City, New York

The No. 9 Creighton Bluejays will need to respond after a tough loss to open up Big East Conference play. The Bluejays will be hosted by the St. John's Red Storm, a team having an even tougher start to their conference play. After losing their first two Big East matchups, the Red Storm will need to make quick adjustments and find a way to win at home on Thursday.

Creighton Bluejays Preview

Creighton v Villanova

The Creighton Bluejays are coming off a tough loss to the unranked Marquette Golden Eagles, a defeat that will almost certainly knock them out of the top 10 rankings. This loss was Creighton's first conference matchup of the year, putting them at the bottom of the Big East Conference. This will not last, however, as Creighton is a very solid team who should find themselves in the hunt for a conference title at the end of the year. This should, however, act as a big wake-up call for head coach Greg McDermott and the rest of the Creighton Bluejays. They must bring their best game to every arena if they are going to compete for a national title.

Key Player - Denzel Mahoney

A surprise standout for the Creighton Bluejays this season has been Denzel Mahoney. Brilliant on both ends of the floor, Mahoney has provided a spark for Creighton's offense when they needed someone to step up. Mahoney is considered a stronger defender than shooter, but his offensive game has improved dramatically in recent games.

We think @SteveLavin64 is a fan of @denzel_mahoney's eyewear. @BluejayMBB is a fan of the big 👌 to cut the deficit to four. GET. TO. @FS1! #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/iiwpp7gcNo

— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) December 15, 2020

With a team-leading 16 points per game, Mahoney should keep looking to get open on the fastbreak and attack the rim. His teammates' trust in him seems to grow by the game, while Mahoney's confidence in himself as a shooting threat seems to grow as well.

Creighton Bluejays Predicted Lineup

Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Marcus Zegarowski, Mitchell Ballock, Denzel Mahoney

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St. John's Red Storm Preview

The St. John's Red Storm (5-3) have lost their last two games by a combined 12 points, both of which were conference games. A 77-68 loss to the Seton Hall Pirates, followed by a heartbreaking 97-94 overtime loss to the Marquette Golden Eagles, have left the Red Storm at the bottom of the Big East. A bounce-back victory on Thursday would essentially revitalize St. John's season and do lasting damage to Creighton's postseason aspirations.

Key Player - Julian Champagnie

If someone has to be the star for the St. John's Red Storm, it is Julian Champagnie. The 6 feet, 8 inches sophomore guard has been finding the basket from all over the court this season, shooting 47 percent from the field and 87 percent from the line. With a team-leading average of 21 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game, Champagnie has proven to be the Red Storm's key to victory.

12-2 run for #SJUBB and it’s a tie game! 11 points for Julian Champagnie in the early going. pic.twitter.com/ETbjhWpcdI

— St. John's BBall (@StJohnsBBall) December 11, 2020

St. John's Red Storm Predicted Lineup

Isaih Moore, Vince Cole, Julian Champagnie, Posh Alexander, Greg Williams Jr.

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Creighton vs. St. John's Prediction

I predict the Creighton Bluejays to get back on track against the struggling St. John's Red Storm on Thursday. If the Bluejays are able to execute on defense, their offense should outpace and overpower the Red Storm. While I do not forsee a blowout, I expect the Bluejays to control the flow of the game; 82-72 Creighton.

How to watch Creighton Bluejays vs. St. John's Red Storm

The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports One.