Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon have been boom-or-bust players for the St. John’s basketball team and recently it has been a struggle for both putting the ball in the hole from 3-point range.
For Jackson specifically, it has not been a struggle to make shots but rather seeing the ball go down at Madison Square Garden.
He was coming off a 3-for-5 game from 3-point range on the road against Xavier on Saturday, but in games at The Garden he was just 3-for-25 (12-percent) from downtown entering Wednesday’s matchup against Butler.
In games in any other building this season, he is 27-for-63 (42.8-percent).
However, after Jackson missed his opening two 3-pointers he caught fire.
He connected on back-to-back triples during a stretch of five consecutive makes from downtown for the Red Storm that pushed the lead to 14 points. Jackson split his two attempts in the second half as he put together an impressive 18-point showing, which was a team high, in the 92-70 victory.
“I think he’s improving at all phases of the game,” Rick Pitino said after the St. John’s win. “I get on him very hard because he’s got to learn certain things, and he never, ever hangs his head.”
“He’s an excellent shooter…He still has a lot of growth ahead of him, but he’s getting better and better.”
Joson Sanon, who had been 4-of-20 from 3-point range in his previous seven games, made the final 3-pointer in St. John’s first half barrage and carried that shooting touch to the second half in which he made both of his attempts.
His 3-for-3 performance was the first time he made at least three 3-pointers in a game since St. John’s win over Georgetown on December 31. His 13 points were also the most scored in a game since the meeting with the Hoyas.
Despite his shooting woes, Rick Pitino has expressed confidence in Sanon’s abilities and two of his triples during the cold stretch came at critical points in the second half of the Red Storm’s win against Villanova.
St. John’s will be hoping that Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon can continue to stay hot from 3-point range inside Madison Square Garden with its next matchup in the building coming on Friday, February 6 against No. 2 UConn.