North Carolina (7-3) vs. St. John's (5-2)
Madison Square Garden, NYC
3:00 p.m., Fox Sports Net
St. John's lost to Manhattan Friday night, 72-65, to "earn" their spot in the MSG Holiday Festival consolation game against the Tar Heels. SJU outrebounded the Jaspars, 42-26, but shot just 35 percent from the field.
The Red Storm had won their first five games of the season against mid-major competition, before losing both games in the last week. Prior to Manhattan, SJU lost at Wake Forest, 84-72.
St. John's is led by Marcus Hatten. The 6-1 speedster was averaging 23.3 points going into the tournament and 3.0 ast. But he's also a terror on the defensive end, with 3.2 steals per game.
The other main scoring threats for head coach Mike Jarvis' squad are freshman Elijah Ingram and small forward Willie Shaw, who were both shooting over 42 percent from beyond the arc.
The Red Storm don't have a starter over 6-7, but present a strong triumvirate of forwards. Anthony Glover's only 6-5, but his 235-pound frame is a load in the paint, as evidenced by his 12 boards against Manhattan. Kyle Cuffe starts at center, standing 6-7, 243 pounds, and Eric King comes off the bench contributing five points and five boards.
The aformentioned seven players make up the main rotation for Jarvis.
Photo Gallery
Anthony Glover and Marcus Hatten
Willie Shaw ... Mike Jarvis
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