After the Red Storm defeated Harvard, head coach Rick Pitino said it was up to the players to decide when Davon Smith would return to the St. John's floor.
Smith, who was penalized for poor bench performance in St. John's loss to Georgia, did not play Saturday at the discretion of his teammates, but Pitino said the guard will play next week at Kansas State. It is said that he left the door open in order to miss the war. state.
“It's up to the team to decide when he plays,” the legendary college coach said.
Pitino said Smith will be limited to individual instruction and weightlifting this week and will return to team practice next week.
Smith, who joined the Red Storm after transferring from Utah, averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.
During the loss to Georgia, Pitino and Smith appeared to exchange words after Smith appeared to be returning to the game, but Pitino sent him back to the bench. Associate head coach Steve Masiello spoke with Smith after the game.
Pitino explained that his handling of the situation was part of a larger lesson.
“What I try to teach all the players on this team is to be St. John's guys,” he said. “What we stand for is selflessness, caring for each other. That's what I want for all of them, regardless of how they play.”
Jaden Glover got his first real taste of playing on Saturday, playing 18 minutes, 56 seconds against Harvard. The Brooklyn native set career highs in minutes played and points (11), prompting Brady Dunlap to tell him, “This is your game.”
Glover hit a buzzer-beater at halftime and made 4 of 10 field goals.
“It's just the first step. It's just the building blocks,” Glover said.
