Deivon Smith has come a long way from his suspension earlier this season. Since being forced to sit out against Kansas State in December due to disciplinary reasons, Smith has become an irreplaceable part of the Red Storm’s success.

Rick Pitino has unlocked a patient and well-spaced offense when placing the unselfish Smith as the primary ball handler next to Kadary Richmond.

With Smith entering the starting lineup at DePaul and staying in the first five against UConn, St. John’s scored over 80 points in both games in two blowout wins.

At DePaul, the Red Storm shot 21 three-pointers and converted on nine, a rare night where the team shot over 40% from long distance. Along with the three-point attack, this spacing allowed for open lanes into the paint where the Johnnies scored 34 of their 82 points. 

“The thing I’m happy with is we are taking the three now and not counting misses,” Pitino said regarding the offense’s new weapon. “That’s taking a leap for us, not only making it, but taking them the right way.”

Smith was the biggest benefactor of this reinvented offense, scoring a game-high 17 points on three three-pointers while creating shots for others with his five assists. 

A backcourt with two experienced guards like Richmond and Smith has proven to be a problem for other defenses. The two combined for 35 points and 10 assists while only turning the ball over twice.

“Everything takes time,” Richmond said when speaking about how the two guards would eventually fit together. “We started to mesh together, playing off each other as a team.”

Pitino decided to stick with this new lineup for St. John’s rematch against UConn, which led to similar results.

Each player in the starting lineup scored in double figures as the team got to the foul line with ease, shooting 27 free throws and making 21. The Johnnies also continued to shoot three-pointers with consistency, knocking down eight of 19 attempts. 

Playing with another elite playmaker like Smith has added a more dynamic side to the St. John’s offense, allowing more scoring opportunities for the whole team and himself. He scored 12 points with two three-pointers while dishing eight assists.

“We’re doing a great job of sharing the ball and spacing,” Smith said after the game. “Getting to the paint, finding an open man or hitting pull-up shots. It opens up the whole floor in the game.”

St. John’s made more threes than the Huskies with higher efficiency on their way to 89 points in the 14-point victory, showing the former national champions that there’s a new team to beat in the Big East.

The Johnnies’ rise to the peak of the Big East is as improbable and impressive as Smith’s journey from suspension to becoming the piece that unleashed a new dynamic offense. With the Big East Tournament and March Madness rapidly approaching, St. John’s needs Smith to continue this high level of play.