St. John's @ Marquette preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 1, 2019 ) Marquette 69, St. John's 89

With an overall record of 19-3, No. 9 Marquette is off to its best start in ten years. The Golden Eagles will try to extend their winning streak to nine games and attempt to avenge their only Big East loss when St. John's visits on Tuesday.

In its latest victory Jan. 30, Marquette posted its first win at Butler since 1990, getting 32 points from Markus Howard and 19 from Sam Hauser in a 76-58 victory. Howard, the leading scorer in the Big East (25 points per game), has been the catalyst behind the run, averaging 26.9 points - despite logging only three scoreless minutes in one game due to lower back tightness - while Hauser has chipped in 17.8 points per contest and leads the team in rebounding (6.9) for the season. St. John's is coming off an ugly 91-61 loss at No. 2 Duke - its fifth loss in seven games after being ranked for one week - but has a dynamic scorer of its own in junior guard Shamorie Ponds. With five players averaging double figures, a win will provide the Red Storm with their most victories since winning 21 games in 2014-15 - the last time they played in the NCAA Tournament.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT ST. JOHN'S (16-6, 4-5 Big East): LJ Figueroa (14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds) scored 12 of his team-high 14 points in the first half and collected eight rebounds against Duke, while Marvin Clark II (12.2, 5.8) scored all 12 of his points after halftime. After going scoreless in the first half, Ponds (20.4 points, 5.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds) finished with 11 points, four assists and four steals - snapping a streak of seven straight games with 20 or more points. Mustapha Heron is averaging 15.3 points on 45.7 percent shooting and five rebounds per game, but he scored just 10 points against the Blue Devils on 4-of-14 shooting - his lowest scoring output in six games.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (19-3, 8-1): Howard also leads the league in free-throw percentage (91.1) and 3-point field goals made (78), Hauser is ranked among the league leaders in six categories, including 11th in scoring (15.5) and seventh in rebounding (6.9), while Theo John leads the league in blocked shots (2.3). Freshman Joey Hauser is chipping in 10.7 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting and 5.9 rebounds. The Eagles rank ninth in the country in 3-point shooting percentage (39.9) behind Howard (43.3), Sam Hauser (41.4) and Joey Hauser (48.5), who combine to average nearly 18 attempts per game, and sixth in free-throw percentage (77.5) with that trio shooting a combined 89.2 percent.

TIP-INS

1. St. John's pummeled Marquette 89-69 on Jan. 1 as Ponds contributed 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Clark contributed 22 points, while the defense held Howard to 2-of-15 shooting and eight points.

2. Marquette is the only university in the nation with both its men's and women's programs in the top 10. The last loss by either team came on New Year's Day.

3. Ponds is one of three players (Jermaine Marrow; Hampton; Ja Morant, Murray State) in Division I averaging at least 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.

PREDICTION: Marquette 89, St. John's 75