McDermott Recognizes Darling’s Impact

Greg McDermott has joined the ranks of Big East coaches, like Xavier’s Richard Pitino and Connecticut’s Dan Hurley, in commending Dylan Darling’s contributions to the 17th-ranked St. John’s team.

After his team’s 81-52 loss to the Johnnies at The Garden, the Creighton coach noted, “I mentioned to them during the handshake line that I think Darling has changed a lot of things for this team in the last six weeks. He’s demonstrating confidence, tenacity, and toughness on the defensive end. In many close games, he’s made significant plays on both sides of the court.”

Dylan had an impressive outing against Creighton, putting up 17 points, along with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in just 29 minutes of play. This marked a strong bounce-back after being held scoreless for over 13 minutes in the previous game against Marquette.

“I’m just trying to keep an aggressive mindset,” the 6-foot left-handed guard expressed. “We need to focus on being honest offensively, but we’re prioritizing our defense. I believe the offense will naturally follow.”

In other news, Ian Jackson was present but didn’t participate due to a sprained right ankle, although he was deemed available. Coach Pitino is optimistic about his chances of playing Wednesday against No. 5 Connecticut.

St. John’s recent 29-point win stands as their largest margin in conference play since a 90-57 victory over Butler on February 18, 2022. This marks a noteworthy 13-game winning streak, the longest since the 1984-85 season when the team won 19 consecutive games.

Additionally, former players Chris Ledlum, Posh Alexander, David Caraher, and Sean Conway were in attendance. Freshman guard Kelvin O’Dea did not play due to right leg soreness. Before the game, St. John’s alumni and Cardozo High School coach Ron Naclerio was recognized for becoming the winningest coach in New York state high school history.