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Deivon Smith remains a question mark to play in Thursday’s Big East Tournament opener against Butler.
Sixth-ranked St. John’s senior point guard has practiced the last two days after missing Saturday’s victory at No. 25 Marquette.
After suffering a bruised right shoulder on Jan. 11 against Villanova, Smith has missed five games and been limited in several others.
“[Since] he came back from the Villanova game, he was never the same Deivon. He was always worried about getting hit again,” coach Rick Pitino said Wednesday. “More than anything else, he has to get over the mental part of getting hit again, because you’re going to get hit if you’re a point guard. You have to get over screens, you have to handle picks-and-rolls.
“Once he gets over the mental aspect of that, he’ll be fine and he’ll be the great player he was in the first half of the season.”
Pitino said the speedy Smith, one of St. John’s top 3-point shooters and the key to its transition game, has looked “rusty” in practice this week.
He didn’t practice at all last week, which Smith attributed to wanting to make sure he would be available for the postseason after he was hit hard in the shoulder in a win over Seton Hall on March 1.
“I just don’t want to miss any more games, period,” Smith told The Post on Monday. “We’re going to do what’s smart at the end of the day.”
St. John’s Clinches Big East Title
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The Pitinos made history by winning Coach of the Year in their respective conferences.
Richard Pitinowas named the Mountain West Coach of the Year after guiding New Mexico to a regular-season title.
Rick won it with St. John’s in the Big East.
No father/son tandem had ever won Coach of the Year honors in the same year.
“I’m pleased, don’t get me wrong [with my award], but I’m more pleased that my son won and the players got their awards. My son did one of the phenomenal jobs in the country with what he lost,” Rick said. “I really thought he was going to struggle — I never told him that — because he lost two senior backcourt players and JT Toppin, who is one of the best players in the Big 12. I never thought I would see this.
“It’s awesome. The Pitino family is on a great run. My two sons, Ryan and Michael, just were down in Indian Creek, this famous golf course down in Florida. I’m really proud of them, they finished last and second-to-last in the tournament.”