Deivon Smith is determined to get back on the court for the St. John’s basketball team, but his body does not heal quickly.
As of Monday morning, the guard still had not participated in a full practice for the Red Storm as he continues to recover from a shoulder sprain suffered on January 11 against Villanova.
Smith returned briefly in the second half against the Wildcats before missing the following game against Georgetown. He would surprisingly play against Seton Hall – and struggle shooting – but was unable to take the court on Wednesday night against Xavier.
Now, it seems unlikely that he will suit up when the Johnnies battle the Hoyas for the second time this season on Tuesday night in Washington D.C.
“It’s a little concerning to me,” Rick Pitino explained about Smith’s injury and length of his absence.
Pitino compared the injury to something similar that Zuby Ejiofor dealt with last season but did not miss a game and did not require a cortisone shot yet Smith has received two around his shoulder.
Still, there is no regret from Pitino about Smith playing against Seton Hall.
“It didn’t hurt him at all,” Pitino said. “He wanted to play. I leave it up to the player, I don’t make those decisions.”
Rick Pitino said last week prior to the Red Storm’s game against Xavier that he would be making the final determination on Smith’s playing status.
St. John’s has missed his presence against Georgetown and Xavier, digging double digit deficits in the first half before rallying for comeback victories in the second half. The Johnnies even trailed in the second half immediately following his injury against Villanova, despite leading at halftime.
“The good thing is there is no dislocation, nothing like that,” Rick Pitino added.
The expectation was that Deivon Smith was going to do non-contact drills in practice on Monday and there is no timetable for his return, primarily because of his lack of practice time.
“I’d be guessing,” Pitino said if Smith could be ready for when St. John’s takes on Marquette on February 4.
“He’s going to need a lot of practices to get his reps back.”