Deivon Smith made a surprising return to the St. John’s lineup, despite lingering shoulder pain, contributing to a win over Seton Hall.
But when game day came, he was out there for warmups. He checked in about six minutes into the first half, helping St. John’s push the pace. In the 79-51 win over Seton Hall, he played 16 minutes but struggled, missing all six of his shots.
Pitino was surprised Smith wanted to play, especially since he felt he couldn’t shoot. They thought it would be good for him to get some minutes on the court, even if he wasn’t fully ready. Smith, who averages 10.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, was trying to overcome the mental hurdles of his injury.
He missed a jumper right after coming in but did help with a nice assist for an alley-oop. Still, his shots weren’t falling, and he had a heating pack and ice on his shoulder during the game.
Pitino hinted that Smith would likely be back for the next game against Xavier, but it was clear he still had some adjustments to make, especially with his shooting. “It bothers him a little bit when he shoots, especially when he misses,” Pitino noted.
