By ADAM ZAGORIA
NEW YORK — The Knicks were one of six NBA teams in attendance Tuesday night at Carnesecca Arena when Shamorie Ponds and St. John’s beat No. 16 Marquette by 20 points.
Ponds went for 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists as the Johnnies improved to 13-1 on the season.
The Preseason Big East Player of the Year, Ponds is third among Big East scorers at 19.2 points per game while ranking first in assists at (6.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.79).
“What I love about how Shamorie’s playing this year is he is playing with such poise and confidence,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said before the teams met Saturday in Newark. “He’s really playing the game at an NBA level, which I mean is he’s not forcing shots. He’s getting everybody involved. He’s playing at a pace that when he needs to attack, he can attack anybody in the country. I just think he right now is by far one of the elite players in college basketball.”
The 6-foot-1 Ponds is currently projected as the No. 31 pick in the NBA Draft, per ESPN.com.
“He’s got a chance,” one NBA scout said. “He’s got some D’Angelo Russell but not as big though. So that’s the risk, you can be an average athlete with some size like Russell and [Allonzo] Trier. At 6-1 it’s a bit tougher, especially since he’s more wired to score. I’m curious how he’d balance play-making and scoring surrounded by better players.”
The Knicks currently own the NBA’s third-worst record and remain in the Zion Williamson Sweepstakes. They also have a second-round pick.
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