There were two plays in fifth-ranked St. John’s season-opening rout of Quinnipiac that stood out to me, and they weren’t a dunk, a made 3-pointer or anything that appeared on a highlight clip.  

On one possession, Zuby Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell each found themselves switched onto a Quinnipiac guard. Typically, when this happens to a forward, it’s a mismatch. The players tried their best to shake the St. John’s forward. It didn’t work, and the possession turned into a fadeaway jumper that wasn’t close. 

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On a later possession, Ejiofor came out to contest a midrange jump shot, leaving the paint open. Eventually, the ball found its way inside without Ejiofor underneath to protect the rim. The problem for Quinnipiac: Mitchell was there to alter the shot. A runout and easy basket for St. John’s followed. 

These plays were a snapshot into why I believe the Johnnies will remain an elite defensive team. Few teams have one forward who is a defensive game-changer. St. John’s has two of them.