St. Johns can prove legitimacy in test against improved Villanova

For weeks now, St.John’s defense has flexed its muscles. It has spearheaded a 4-1 start in Big East play, shutting down the opposition in those contests.

It has risen to sixth in the nation in efficiency, according to KenPom.com, overwhelming the likes of Creighton, Xavier and Butler on that end of the floor.Not a single league opponent has reached its season average against the Johnnies. But now, here comes Villanova, a much-improved Villanova from the one that dropped games to the likes of Columbia, Virginia and St.

Joseph’s in November.A Villanova team — winner of eight of its last nine games — that features the nation’s leading scorer in Eric Dixon and presents a major step up in competition from an offensive standpoint. “We are, in this basketball game, going to be challenged about as hard as any team we’re going to face,” coach Rick Pitino said Friday on the eve of a Garden showdown that is expected to draw in the neighborhood of 17,000 fans, if not more.

“The way they shoot free throws, the way they shoot 3s, they present so many problems for your defense that it’s going to be challenged.” Villanova (11-5, 4-1) is the nation’s fourth-best 3-point shooting team at 41.4 percent.It is 10th in free throw shooting (79.3) and 15th in turnovers committed (9.7).

Its offense is ranked 10th in efficiency.The only St.

John’s (13-3, 4-1) opponent up to this point with an attack that can compare is Baylor (16th), which knocked off the Red Storm in a double-overtime, mid-November heartbreaker in The Bahamas. It obviously starts with Dixon, the 6-foot-8, 265-pound do-it-all forward, averaging 25.7 points and shooting an absurd 47.2 percent from distance on 5.7 attempts.A walking mismatch, he can hurt you inside and out.

The plan is to run him off the 3-point line and make him take challenged two-pointers, according to Aaron Scott, who is expected to defend Dixon for a large portion of the game. “It’s a collective job guarding Eric D...