After missing last week’s pivotal battle at Madison Square Garden against then No. 15 Alabama, St. John’s basketball transfer guard Dylan Darling will return to action on Saturday night against William & Mary
The Idaho State standout was aiming to play against the Crimson Tide last week, having a “50/50” title given to him by head coach Rick Pitino, but was ultimately held out due to minimal practice throughout the week.
Following the 103-96 loss, Pitino stated the guard wasn’t close to being ready at all, also mentioning how Darling wouldn’t have provided the help required to take down Alabama anyway due to their offensive capabilities at the guard position.
“It was a weird fall,” said Darling on his injury prior to the Alabama contest. “I tweaked my ankle and calf area.”
With the clearance of Darling, Pitino can now return to having versatility at the guard position, potentially using him as a defensive pawn on his legendary chessboard. The former Big Sky Player of the Year played 17 minutes in the season opener, totaling six points, along with four rebounds and six assists, while being a pinpoint on defense with three steals.
The Red Storm will be fully healthy for what Pitino describes as a “frightening” team in William & Mary.
“William & Mary is quite unusual,” Pitino explained. “They're one of the fastest teams tempo-wise in the country, but they press full court. They're like the Princeton system on steroids.”
Dylan Darling’s return to the court gives St. John’s a needed boost as they prepare for yet another challenging tempo test on the season.
Tipoff is slated at 6:00 p.m. ET inside Carnesecca Arena and can be seen on truTV.