The Star's Bruce Pascoe previews all of the game day essentials, from projected starting lineups to storylines and series history, ahead of the Arizona Wildcats' Saturday night game against St. John's in San Francisco.Β 


Game info

St. John’s (10-2) VS. No. 16 Arizona (10-2)

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco

When: Saturday, 8β€―p.m.

TV: ESPN2

Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FMΒ 

Follow:Β @TheWildcasterΒ on Twitter /Β TheWildcasterΒ on Facebook


Probable starters: Arizona

G Nico Mannion (6-3 freshman)

G Dylan Smith (6-5 senior)

F Josh Green (6-6 freshman)

F Zeke Nnaji (6-11 freshman)

C Chase Jeter (6-10 senior)


Probable starters: St. John's

G Nick Rutherford (6-3 senior)Β 

G LJ Figueroa (6-7 junior)

F Josh Roberts (6-9 sophomore)

F Mustapha Heron (6-5 senior)

C Julian Champagnie (6-8 freshman)


How they match up

Arizona's Kyle Fogg (21) drives past St. John's' Sir'Dominic Pointer (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The series: Arizona has only played St. John’s once before, beating the Red Storm 81-72 in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in 2011. Solomon Hill led the Wildcats with 15 points while Jesse Perry had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Game contract: The Basketball Hall of Fame is paying Arizona $100,000 to play St. John’s as part of the Al Attles Classic, a four-game event the Hall of Fame is operating at the new Chase Center. UA is paying its own travel expenses, however.

St. John’s overview: Under Nolan Richardson’s old protΓ©gΓ©, Mike Anderson, the Red Storm may not always give teams β€œ40 minutes of hell” but they’re trying. The Johnnies play hard and go nine players deep in their bench, fueling a dogged press and offensive pace in which they shoot after an average of only 14.5 seconds into a possession. St. John’s usually presses after all made shots, free throws and dead balls, though Arizona’s athleticism may test that strategy. St. John’s has the 25th best turnover percentage in Division I, forcing opponents into turnovers on 23.9% of their possessions, and holds opponents to just 43.1% from two-point range.

St. John’s is led by wings LJ Figueroa and Mustapha Huron, though Huron is questionable to play Saturday because of an ankle sprain. When Huron is available, he’s a 40.8% shooter from 3-point range but is most effective off the drive, hitting 40.3% of two-pointers and drawing an average of 6.0 fouls per 40 minutes plays, the 91st highest rate among Division I players. Figueroa is the Johnnies’ most prolific 3-point shooter, hitting at a 39.1% average, and he’s also a threat around the basket.

Power forward Julian Champagnie is an effective rebounder, especially defensively, while those heading to the basket might want to think twice when center Josh Roberts is there. Roberts blocks 11.2% of opponents’ two-point shots, the 23rd best block percentage in Division I, while he’s also averaging 2.7 offensive rebounds (8.7 overall) per game. A midseason transfer from N.C. State, 6-9 forward Ian Steere, will also give additional size and skills inside for St. John’s in his debut on Saturday.


Β He said it


Key player (St. John's): LJ Figueroa

Regardless of Huron’s availability, the Wildcats will face a versatile inside-outside threat in Figueroa, a preseason second-team all Big East selection who is not only a 3-point threat but is also a crafty force around the basket.


Key player (Arizona): Nico Mannion

Arizona guard Nico Mannion (1) moves the ball up the court against Baylor during their Dec. 7 game.Β 

While the basketball IQ, ballhandling ability and athleticism of UA’s freshman point guard suggests he should be able to handle the Red Storm’s press, he’s also trying to work on fixing a shooting stroke that has mostly gone awry for the past three weeks.


Sidelines

History lesson

Especially because he grew up in the Pittsburgh area and played in the Big East for Pitt, UA coach Sean Miller didn’t need pause before answering when asked Friday what he thinks of when he thinks of St. John’s basketball program.

β€œWalter Berry. You remember him?” Miller said. β€œShelton Jones. Mark Jackson. Chris Mullin. That was right around my time. Those guys were really good. Malik Sealy. (Former St. John’s coach) Lou Carnesecca. That’s what I think of. But Mike Anderson is an excellent coach.”

The arena in Queens is named for Carnesecca, who is a Basketball Hall of Famer along with Mullin, who both played for and coached the Johnnies. Jackson was a NBA all-star while Sealy played eight seasons in the NBA before he was killed in an auto accident in 2000.

Staying focused

While Miller expressed concern this week that the Wildcats had to finish up fall semester academic work and prepare for their Christmas break – most of them will scatter directly from San Francisco on Sunday – history suggests that shouldn’t be a problem.

Under Miller, Arizona has gone 8-2 in its final game before Christmas, counting the 2012-13 season, when the Wildcats actually won the Diamond Head Classic final on Christmas Day.

β€œIt’s really our entire staff – it’s Ryan Reynolds, our director of basketball operations, CATS academics, the tutors, not getting behind,” Miller said. β€œIt’s staying on top of what they’re doing all semester so that this last seven days they’re not cramming or having to rally. It’s much more doable than when you need to get a B or an A on a final paper to pass the class. I think coming into finals, our team was in a good place.”

Mystery man

North Carolina State transfer forward Ian Steere is scheduled to play his first game for St. John’s on Saturday β€” and only his second college game ever.

A former four-star recruit from North Carolina, Steere played only one game at N.C. State last season before transferring, making him a bit of an unknown heading into Saturday.

While Steere instantly becomes St. John’s biggest player, at 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, St. John’s coach Mike Anderson said he wasn’t even sure exactly what the Red Storm will be getting from him.

β€œObviously, he brings some size and athletic ability,” Anderson said. β€œIt’s how does that translate to games. We’ve had some guys get in foul trouble and we’ve played small ball at times so hopefully, he can give us another skilled big guy who can go out and give us some good minutes.”


Numbers game

6

Straight games Chase Jeter has scored in double figures, averaging 13.7 points during a stretch that dates back to Nov. 28 against Pepperdine.

85.1

Average points Arizona has scored this season, fifth most in Division I.

150

Approximate radius in miles from campus that St. John’s has played all its previous games within.


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Contact sports content producer Justin Spears at 573-4312 or jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter @justinesports