You’ll need two sets of eyes Saturday night — one following the highly anticipated Big East opener between St. John’s and Seton Hall and the other following wherever Shamorie Ponds and Myles Powell go.
The two star guards and close friends will meet for the first time this year at the Prudential Center and will be the headlining act when the locals square off in one of the more intriguing St. John’s-Seton Hall matchups over the years. The winner may move into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season.
“It will definitely be fun,” said the 6-foot-1 Ponds, who has St. John’s (12-0) off to its best start in 36 years. “It’s brotherly love.”
The Big East Preseason Player of the Year, Ponds is evolving as a player. In addition to averaging 19.6 points per game, he leads the league in assists (6.0) and steals (2.5). The 6-2 Powell, a sharpshooting Trenton native, is second in the Big East in scoring at 23.1 points per game and is notching career-highs in rebounds (3.2) and steals (2.0) for the surprising 9-3 Pirates. Most importantly, the duo have been at their best when needed the most, each leading their team to strong non-conference showings.
“I think now that I’ve really studied them, and obviously watching us, Shamorie and Myles are two of the elite-level players right now — not only in this conference, but in all of college basketball — and I think it’s going to be a real treat seeing those two on the floor battling each other,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. “Shamorie’s assist-to-turnover ratio is so impressive, his shooting percentages are so impressive. I think what he does for them — getting everybody involved and controlling the game — is very similar to what Myles does for us.
“Myles is not only scoring the ball at a great rate, but he’s also getting a lot of guys involved and getting guys in the right spots offensively. So I think you’re looking at two of the elite-level players in college basketball going up against each other Saturday night.”
Willard went as far as to say Ponds is the second-best player in the country. When asked who’s No. 1, he replied: “Myles Powell.”
Ponds, a Brooklyn native, didn’t take it as a dig.
“That’s something he should say,” the junior said. “That’s his player.”
Ponds and Powell are close and have talked this week, though not about the game, according to Ponds. Their relationship goes back to the AAU circuit, when Ponds played for the New York Lightning and Powell was on the New Jersey Playaz. They even talked about going to school together and committed within 10 days of one another.
Ponds remembers one thing about the last time they faced each other before college. It was a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League game.
“They beat us,” Ponds said. “That’s the only memory I got.”
Ponds has only defeated Powell once since in four meetings. He hopes to change that trend Saturday night.
Games of the Week
NJIT at Houston (Saturday, 4 p.m.)
The Highlanders earned national recognition with their upset win at Michigan in 2014, and will attempt another stunner against the 22nd-ranked Cougars, who are undefeated, and boast one of the nation’s best defenses. NJIT needs a big outing from Zach Cooks, who is averaging over 19 points, and is shooting 41 percent on 3-pointers.
St. John’s at Seton Hall (Saturday, 8:30 p.m.)
The Pirates can’t match their opponent’s undefeated record, but have the more impressive résumé, having beaten Kentucky and Maryland during their current five-game win streak. If Shamorie Ponds doesn’t end up the Big East Player of the Year, Seton Hall’s Myles Powell may have something to do with it.
St. John’s vs. Marquette (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
With a win in Queens — in its toughest test of the season, thus far — St. John’s will finally enter the Top 25. The 18th-ranked Golden Eagles haven’t lost since Nov. 21, and have beaten three ranked teams (Kansas State, Wisconsin, Buffalo) since then, behind Markus Howard’s 25 points per game.
Local Power Poll
1. St. John’s
Record: 12-0
Up next: Saturday (8:30 p.m.) at Seton Hall
2. Seton Hall
Record: 9-3
Up next: Saturday (8:30 p.m.) vs. St. John’s
3. Hofstra
Record: 11-3
Up next: Sunday (4 p.m.) vs. Drexel
4. Rutgers
Record: 6-5
Up next: Saturday (3 p.m.) vs. Maine
5. Stony Brook
Record: 11-3
Up next: Saturday (8 p.m.) at Northern Iowa
6. NJIT
Record: 11-2
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) at Houston
7. Fordham
Record: 9-3
Up next: Sunday (7 p.m.) vs. LIU Brooklyn
8. St. Francis Brooklyn
Record: 8-5
Up next: Thursday (7 p.m.) at Bryant
9. Wagner
Record: 5-5
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) at St. Joseph’s
10. LIU Brooklyn
Record: 5-6
Up next: Sunday (7 p.m.) at Fordham
— Howie Kussoy