Dylan Darling shows strong determination for St. John’s

Rick Pitino Adjusts St. John’s Starting Lineup

Rick Pitino made a change to his starting lineup.

But then I reevaluated it again, perhaps more critically.

Pitino recognized that St. John’s needed another ball-handler alongside Oziya Sellers to navigate the full-court pressure from William & Mary. He initially intended to start Lefteris “Lefty” Liotopoulos until practice results prompted a rethink.

“When they pressed us, the turnovers were piling up,” Pitino noted. “The backups were outperforming the starters during that pressure simulation. After seeing this, I told the staff that the initial plan wasn’t going to work.”

So, in came Dylan Darling, potentially set to be part of the new starting backcourt with Sellers following Saturday night’s 93-60 win at Carnesecca Arena.

“He has a strong presence,” Pitino praised. “He’s confident, possibly even overconfident; he believes he’s the best player out there.”

But will Pitino really commit to starting Darling from Idaho State over his higher-profile transfers like Ian Jackson from North Carolina State and Joerson Sannon from Arizona State?

“I prefer to play the best players, irrespective of their past accolades,” Pitino explained. “I’ve had discussions with Joeson and Ian recently where I emphasized that I’m not bound by reputation. What matters to me is their performance in practice, not their high school or previous college history.”

Pitino mentioned that starting roles are less important to him since everyone will get playing time.

Dylan missed the last game due to a calf strain and only returned to practice on Thursday. He learned of his starting role during Saturday’s shootaround.

This switch allowed Sellers, who had been under pressure, to play more freely.

“Dylan’s a fantastic point guard with great vision,” said Sellers. “Whenever I’m on the court with him, he always seems to get me open. I’m used to playing off the ball, so it feels natural.”

Pitino even challenged a goaltending call from Dillon Mitchell while leading 78-45, conveying a message to his newly formed team about staying aggressive.

“I don’t focus on the score,” Pitino stated. “I coach as if every possession could be my last. We want to teach our players, so when the game is tight, they remember how to execute. I never aim to run up the score, even though the official remarked, ‘Do we really need to challenge this?’ I replied, ‘Yes, let’s give it a shot.'” After the review, the call was overturned.