If there were any doubts before, there should be none now.
Davon Smith is one of St. John's most impactful players.
It's no coincidence that the Johnnys' two worst performances this season coincided with him being benched.
The senior point guard had an outstanding performance off the bench on Wednesday night, recording 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Red Storm's 99-77 win over Bryant at Carnesecca Arena.
Smith played 17 minutes and could have played more if he wasn't in foul trouble, but St. John's outscored the Bulldogs by 18 points.
“He gives us a lot of strength because he sets the pace and gets everyone going with his easy shots,” coach Rick Pitino said.
The performance included a highlight-reel putback dunk in which the 6-foot Smith slid over everyone in the paint for a one-handed slam.
“I lost my mind. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was crazy,” junior forward Zuby Ejiofor said. “The whole crowd was into it, the whole bench was into it. It was just a great play. I give him the best bounce on the team right now.”
Pitino added: “I've seen so many great plays over the years, and what he did in that follow-up is unbelievable. I don't know of any player I've ever coached who can improve this much. When I saw that, I was speechless.”
Smith was benched in the second half of the loss to Georgia in the Bahamas, but was suspended for the next game due to his poor reaction to Pitino's call. He returned in Saturday's win over Kansas State and sparked a late start to St. John's. He was even better on Wednesday.
“He's coming out.” [tough] situation. He could have hung his head and made excuses,” Pitino said. “He was a man and he stepped up like a man and that's pretty commendable.”
Sophomore wing Brady Dunlap He sustained an injury to his face during practice and was wearing a mask.
Former Johnny Rafael Pinzon Returning to his alma mater, he scored nine points on 4-of-10 shooting in the loss, mostly guarded by senior forward Aaron Scott.
The senior guard entered the game and averaged 19.6 points per game.
