What to know about Marquette before clash with St. Johns in Big East semifinal

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St.John’s will face fifth-seeded Marquette, which rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Xavier, in a Big East Tournament semifinal on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.Here’s a look at the Golden Eagles: Kam Jones is one of the premier guards in the country.

The senior was a National Player of the Year candidate the first half of the season before his efficiency fell off.He was a unanimous All-Big East first-team selection and exploded for 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against St.

John’s last Saturday.Jones had 28 points in Thursday’s quarterfinal win.

Slowing down the 6-foot-5 southpaw will be a challenge. Marquette is adept at taking care of the ball and taking it away.It is third in the country in turnover margin at plus-5.8.

Only UC San Diego and Merrimack are better.The Golden Eagles average 9.1 steals per game, led by elite on-ball defender Stevie Mitchell’s 2.3 per contest.

They pressure the ball and turn turnovers into transition opportunities.In some ways, they are a mirror image of St.

John’s on the defensive end. Shaka Smart’s team has one major weakness: The paint.It lacks a true rim protector and struggles protecting the defensive glass.

It was second to last in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage at 68.4.Starting center Ben Gold is known more for his ability to stretch opposing defenses with his 3-point shot than his rebounding prowess.

St.John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor hurt Marquette in Saturday’s matchup, notching 17 points and 12 rebounds, and the game-winning shot at the overtime buzzer. ...