The plan that Deivon Smith insisted was that he missed Sunday's match against Creighton.
This was Rick Pitino not trying to pull it on anyone.
Smith hadn't practiced for nearly a week, but he was still plagued by his injured right shoulder, which he had suffered on January 11th.
That game he missed, bothered him by a loss at Villanova, who snapped 10th-placed Johnny's 10th-place streak.
“It was very difficult to watch Villanova's game because we know we should have won it,” the senior point guard recalled on Zoom Monday.
So, on Saturday morning, his shoulder felt better and he reached out to Pitino.
He wanted to try out the player development session. That worked. He practiced too.
That's even better.
“I had something great [individual workout]. The 6-foot Smith is ready to visit DePaul on Wednesday night, so the 6-foot Smith remembers. “I hit 6-7 people three and said, 'I might come back.' ”
He looked back at Sunday and looked like his pre-judice self.
Smith scored eight points, three assists and two rebounds on 26 quality minutes.
More than that, he played at his trademark pace, defended at a high level and was not supportive of the shoulders.
In the previous three games he played, it wasn't.
The speedy lead guard was tentative and I wasn't sure of myself.
That was part of the reason why Pitino suggested he could miss the rest of the regular season.
St. John's (22-4, 13-2) had to have the shocking Smith come back, but the players weren't thinking about the injury in court.
After losing to Villanova, Pitino said he didn't plan on seeing Smith on the floor until he was 100% completely physically and mentally, suggesting he could go out until March.
Players heard those quotes and joked that Pitino was “dramatic.”
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“It definitely motivated me. I'm just watching my team watch their team wins and success this season, watching all the fun, and I definitely don't want to miss it. It was,” Smith said. “I know I can contribute in multiple ways. I told him I get through it, I get through the mental side and whatever comes with it is fine.
“I'm sure I can do two or three good things that can change the pace of the game or change the momentum. , I said I'll sacrifice for the team to beat him, be part of the success.”
It was a roller coaster for Smith, a Utah transfer.
When he was healthy, he was a major part of St. John's success.
However, he missed a fair amount of time, and there was a one-game pause when he and Pitino collided with playing time during their trip to the Bahamas in December.
But there's no doubt how important he will be to this team in March.
Smith is St. John's best three-point shooter at 37.3%, the key to that transition game and undoubtedly the top ball defender.
When Pitino says there's room for offensive improvements to Johnny, much of that is that Smith finds his playmaking and shotmaking groove.
The shoulder pain isn't completely gone, but Smith said he lacked more practice and games. It can be managed.
He is focused on finding the game before March for the first NCAA tournament of his career.
Sunday was his start, a memorable day when St. John's defeated second-place Clayton to control the Big East, and he felt the love from Johnny's loyal.
“From the starting lineup where everyone supports Zuby [Ejiofor]Or I check in and get a standing ovation in the garden. That's something I will remember forever,” he said. “It's an amazing feeling to play in front of a sold-out crowd and hear everyone screaming, cheering at us, taking hundreds of photos after the game.”
