Rick Pitino knows what it takes to win, and it seems like he found a new starting backcourt when the St. John’s basketball team topped William & Mary on Saturday night, pairing Dylan Darling and Oziyah Sellers together.
It sent prized transfers Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon to the bench, but both looked comfortable in the role and it’s something that could continue for the Red Storm leading into its massive week in Las Vegas at the Players Era Festival.
“I try to play the best players, regardless of reputation,” Pitino explained after the 33-point victory.
“I’m not coaching by reputation,” he recalled of a conversation he had with Jackson and Sanon last week. “You’re all new to me…I don’t know you guys. I don’t care what you did in high school. I don’t care what you did at Arizona State or North Carolina. I just care about what you do in practice.”
Jackson started the season opener against Quinnipiac and Sanon started the second game of the season against Alabama.
Against the Tribe, Sanon played 21 minutes while registering a team-high 15 points as Jackson added nine points in 16 minutes.
“It’s not about reputations, they’re all going to play,” Pitino continued. “And sometimes you’re going to need Joson and Ian more than Oziyah [Sellers] and Dylan [Darling] depending on who you’re playing.”
Darling shined in his first opportunity to start, scoring 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and four steals in his first game back from a calf injury as his presence allowed Sellers to get hot from 3-point range with three made triples.
It’s something that St. John’s has been hoping to see since landing the decorated shooter this spring but had him tied up in point guard duties through the preseason and first two games of the season.
As roles are becoming more defined, the Red Storm are hoping to take off sooner rather than later.
“A lot of times, these young players judge what they do on their scoring and when they grow out of that mentality, they become good basketball players,” Pitino added. “And that’s what Joson and Ian have to do.”