Tuesday night may have been a breakthrough for Deivon Smith.
The senior point guard believes it was, that he is finally past his right shoulder issues.
After appearing hesitant and without his typical aggression, Smith found his game late in 12th-ranked St. John’s 70-64 win over No. 11 Marquette, making a number of pivotal plays in crunch time.
“It was mental. I just had to see a few baskets go in, just find myself again,” he said over Zoom on Thursday as the Big East-leading Johnnies prepared to face No. 19 Connecticut on Friday night in Storrs, Conn. “I couldn’t shoot for a few weeks or really do anything. Just getting back in rhythm, getting shots up, getting reps. Just really getting the game feel.”
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Over the final 10 minutes, the 6-foot Smith scored all eight of his points and added three rebounds. He attacked, he pushed the pace and, most importantly, he stopped worrying about his bruised right shoulder. Smith sustained the injury in a Jan. 11 loss to Villanova. He missed three of the next four games, and returned in last Saturday’s victory over Providence.
In that win, Smith shot 1 of 10 from the field, though he had six assists, and didn’t make his usual impact. Marquette was a repeat of that until late, when the pre-injury Smith returned.
“It was a confidence boost for me. The team, their energy, and just seeing them be excited for me again, it was a super confidence boost,” Smith said. “Just mentally seeing shots go in and feeling like myself all over again. Now I’m feeling close to 100 percent and I’m super comfortable right now.”
St. John’s needs him at his best. The Johnnies’ offense was ranked 49th in efficiency at the time of his injury. It has fallen to 73rd since. Smith is their best 3-point shooter at 37.5 percent and the key to their transition game. When he’s right, St. John’s is a different team.
“When you miss nine or 10 days, and you’re back three days, he’s not Superman,” coach Rick Pitino said after the Marquette win. “It takes some time to get back into it. He’ll be fine, he’s a great athlete. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Deivon. He’s going to be terrific.”
