Dylan Darling was hardly the headliner of the touted St. John’s switch class.
Fellow offseason additions Bryce Hopkins, Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon all generated extra fanfare after they determined to switch to St. John’s from notable NCAA packages.
However Darling, a 6-1 level guard who got here from Idaho State, has shortly made himself indispensable for Rick Pitino’s Pink Storm.
“[With] this basketball team, I think the key is keeping Dylan Darling healthy,” Pitino stated forward of Saturday evening’s sport towards Ole Miss at Madison Sq. Backyard.
That’s as a result of Darling, a redshirt junior, is the one true level guard on the St. John’s roster.
Pitino opened the season with Oziyah Sellers, a sharpshooting wing by commerce, as his place to begin guard. The concept was for Sellers to deliver the ball up the court docket however for the Johnnies to depend on ball motion to create photographs in what Pitino described as “positionless basketball.”
However after Darling dazzled in a season-opening win over Quinnipiac earlier than lacking the subsequent sport — a 103-96 loss to Alabama — with a calf pressure, Pitino inserted Darling into the beginning lineup.
Coming into Saturday, Darling had began every of the Pink Storm’s final 5 video games.
“All the players on our team are really talented, but their motives are not to make other people better,” Pitino stated. “When [Darling] steps on the court, he’s trying to make everybody better. That’s something we need. … Oziyah, all the guys that are starting, Bryce, they’re focused on scoring. They’re not focused on making players better.”
Darling went into Saturday’s assembly with Ole Miss averaging 4.5 factors per sport, however his 3.0 assists to 0.7 turnovers represented the very best ratio on the crew — by far.
His addition to the beginning lineup allowed Sellers to maneuver again to his customary off-ball position, which has paid dividends.
Sellers shot 0-of-3 on 3-pointers over the season’s first two video games, in comparison with 14-of-26 (53.6%) over the subsequent 5 video games with Darling as the place to begin guard.
Jackson, a high-scoring combo guard from the Bronx, got here off the bench in all 5 of these video games.
“When I transferred here, whatever Coach P. needed me to do in order to win and stay on the floor, I would do,” stated Darling, who was the Huge Sky Participant of the 12 months final season. “It just turns out that he wants me in a starting role now.”
Darling’s smaller stature limits him defensively, whereas accidents have hampered him to this point this season.
Along with lacking the Johnnies’ Nov. 8 loss to Alabama, Darling performed solely seven minutes in a Nov. 26 loss to Auburn as a consequence of spasms close to the again of his knee.
Within the Johnnies’ different loss — an 83-82 defeat by Iowa State on Nov. 24 — Darling fouled out with 5:09 left in regulation.
“I’m off to a little bit of a slower start than I would’ve liked, but I don’t feel like I’m playing horrible basketball. I just feel like I’ve either been hurt or I’ve been in foul trouble,” Darling stated.
“I haven’t been able to shoot the ball great to start the season. But that’s something I’m confident will flip, because every day in practice I feel like I’m getting better and more confident.”
Coming into Saturday, St. John’s was 4-0 in video games wherein Darling was wholesome and didn’t foul out.
“He’s just a gritty guard,” St. John’s senior ahead/heart Zuby Ejiofor stated. “As the point guard, he’s able to settle us down and create for himself, create for others as well. It’s his natural position, so he does a really great job doing that.”
DECLINING DUBAI
A visit to Dubai isn’t within the Pink Storm’s future.
Pitino stated St. John’s declined the prospect to compete in an upcoming school basketball event in Dubai, which CBS Sports activities reported is known as the Royal Palm Invitational and is ready to debut subsequent November.
“It’s a long, long trip and we have no interest in that,” Pitino stated.
St. John’s is ready to return to Las Vegas for the Gamers Period Championship subsequent season, however Pitino stated he desires a greater rationalization of how the comfort spherical is set after coming away “a little disturbed by what happened” within the event final month.
“[With] all the metrics, based on what they said and the format, we prepared for Houston,” Pitino stated. “And we got Auburn. Something didn’t mesh there.”
