St. John’s analysis arguing for increased playing time

Liotopoulos Emerges as Key Player for St. John’s

OMAHA, Neb. — Lefteris Liotopoulos has become a significant factor for St. John’s this season.

Initially sitting on the bench for most of the games, this 6-foot-4 player from Greece has stepped up, clocking in double-digit minutes for three consecutive matches. His standout moment came during a 90-73 defeat against Creighton, where he scored 17 points with five 3-pointers in 29 minutes, along with four rebounds and two assists. He also ignited the team’s performance against Butler, contributing 10 points in the first half.

“It feels like whenever he shoots, it just goes in,” Pitino remarked. “He’s fast and he’s getting better at driving.” During that game, Pitino humorously told Liotopoulos that he might send him back to Greece if he didn’t improve defensively.

Liotopoulos laughed as he recalled, “At one point I thought I’d be going home.”

Pitino later acknowledged, “Lefty wants to play more than anyone. He doesn’t complain and knows where he needs to improve. He understands my faith in him, and he’s playing exceptionally well right now.”

Dylan Darling responded to being benched against Butler by delivering a solid performance off the bench, scoring 11 points in 19 minutes. The team was plus-21 during his time on the court.

Pitino explained that he didn’t use Darling previously because he aimed for a bigger lineup to counter Butler’s offensive rebounding.

“There’s no time to sulk or complain,” Darling stated. “I realized I wasn’t effective in the Providence game. I understood why I didn’t play. So, I worked hard in practice to improve and be more aggressive.”