Rick Pitino's pregame speech on Saturday was quick and to the point.
“Play like Zubby.” [Ejiofor]” the coach said, referring to St. John’s all-power forward.
Davon Smith took that to heart.
The speedy 6-foot guard filled up the stat sheet in the Johnnies' 97-76 win over Delaware at Carnesecca Arena, recording 20 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
He also made four of five 3-pointers.
“Honestly, tonight I tried to get more rebounds than Zuby,” Smith said. “But that's my game. I like to rebound, I like to move guys around, I like to play fast. I like to be the only one that rebounds so I can start the break earlier and push other guys You can get involved.”
Smith has performed well since returning from his one-game suspension.
He is averaging 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3 steals in four games.
“I think Dayvon has elevated his game to Zuby's level, which is great,” Pitino said. “He's playing really, really hard.”
Smith's only negative of the day was a missed windmill dunk in the final seconds. Pitino wasn't too hard on him about it.
“13 rebounds, eight assists, I think he deserves a moment to try and do something special,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “I wish I could have done that in my day.”
Portuguese import Ruben Prey made his first start of the season on Saturday, playing 11 minutes with two points, a rebound and a blocked shot.
Coach Pitino wanted to give the freshman extended playing time to see if he was ready for a bigger role as the new year approaches.
Check out the latest Big East standings and St. Louis. John's statistics
Play is Ejiofor's backup, playing several minutes with Vince Iuchukwu, who transferred to USC.
Iwuchuk, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall, contributed to the victory with 11 points and three rebounds in 10 minutes.
Pitino said he will likely play against Blue Jays center Ryan Kalkbrenner on Tuesday against Creighton.
Defeat Delaware on December 28, 2024. Robert Sabo, New York Post
“In the low post, he's really improved his game. Certainly, we're going to need him against Creighton,” Pitino said of Iwchuk.
St. John's and Delaware did not shake hands after the game, something both coaches had agreed to in advance.
There have been many near-skirmishes in the handshake line in college basketball, and Pitino believes it's in the team's best interest to avoid them.
“The best thing to do at this point is to wish the coaches good luck, wave to everyone, be a gentleman and move on,” Pitino said. “It's not a big deal, but it's something we want to do.”
