Pitino Highlights Importance of Darling for St. John’s Success
Rick Pitino has pointed out a noticeable trend regarding St. John’s three losses: in each of those games, point guard Dylan Darling was either absent, fouled out, or injured. Specifically, he missed the game against Alabama, exited against Iowa State with 5:09 to go, and dealt with an injury during the matchup against Auburn.
Prior to the loss to Auburn, the Red Storm had a remarkable plus-100 differential in the 111 minutes that Darling played.
“When Dylan is on the floor, he elevates everyone’s game,” Pitino remarked. “Keeping him healthy is crucial for our success.”
The Idaho State transfer faced an injury during warmups before the Auburn game and only managed to log seven minutes in that contest. The injury affected the area where the knee meets the hamstring.
Since then, he has taken part in all practices and is set to play this Saturday against Ole Miss.
Darling is currently averaging 4.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 steals in nearly 20 minutes per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.5 ranks him tied for 18th nationally, though he’s encountered challenges with his shooting. “We may not have started as strong as hoped, but I don’t think we’re playing poorly,” he said. “I felt like I was in foul trouble a lot in Las Vegas, and my shooting wasn’t great initially, but I’m confident I can improve as I feel myself getting better in practice every day.”
After taking a trip to Las Vegas with a consistent starting lineup that included Dahlin, Zooby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Ojia Sellers, and Joeson Sanon, Pitino is considering changes for future games.
Sanon typically comes off the bench, and Pitino clarified that his bench role isn’t reflective of his recent performance in practice.
The Red Storm might look to start a more defensively oriented player to safeguard against scoring threats from opponents, like former player A.J. Storr, who stands 6-foot-6 and has notable scoring ability. However, Pitino has not disclosed the identity of any potential new starter.
In addition, St. John’s has partnered with Stout and Anheuser-Busch to provide students with $2 Bud Lights from 6 p.m. Saturday before the game against Ole Miss, only requiring a St. John’s ID and age verification.
