St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: ST. JOHN’S VS. DEPAUL
St. John’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino, redshirt junior guard Dylan Darling and sophomore guard Joson Sanon spoke to the media after defeating DePaul, 79-66, at Carnesecca Arena
Head Coach Rick Pitino
Opening statement…
“I was really pleased with our defense for the third game in a row. When you have three guys who have been the rock of your team, not play well offensively, and your defense is there, it becomes a very tough basketball team. Your point guard [Dylan Darling], who was a little shaky with his confidence prior to yesterday, totally dominated the game and that’s an amazing feeling. I’m really proud of these guys. On certain nights you may not have it but your defense is going to win it for you and it did tonight.”
On Dylan Darling’s contributions…
“He’s so much more valuable than just scoring the basketball. He pressures the ball, sees the court, is a pest defensively and gets on the floor for loose balls. He makes people better. This young man took over the game at the point guard position and I’m really proud of him.”
On Joson Sanon’s growth…
“Joson has really gotten a lot better. Skill-wise, he probably has the most on the team. He can do most things.”
On the team’s trajectory…
“We’re a team that’s going to grow and get better. If we keep playing defense like this, we’re going to have a very good season.”
Redshirt junior guard Dylan Darling
On his shooting confidence and preparation…
“Coach [Pitino] told me to play with confidence because he and my teammates believe in me, so why shouldn’t I? I put in extra reps, believed and went out there and shot it.”
On team defense…
“I thought we played great team defense tonight. Every day we’re getting better, and when guys keep improving, the whole team defense improves with it.”
On his mindset…
“I looked forward to coming off the bench and trying a different approach. I was happy for Ian [Jackson] and I just wanted to help the team.”
Sophomore guard Joson Sanon
On his defense leading to offense…
“When I’m playing hard on defense, it translates to my offense.”
On expanding his game…
“I’ve been focusing on finding different ways to score and do the little things that help the team win.”
On rebounding emphasis…
“Rebounding has been a real focus for me. The coaching staff has emphasized it and I’ve locked in on that.”
Opening statement…
“I was really pleased with our defense for the third game in a row. When you have three guys who have been the rock of your team, not play well offensively, and your defense is there, it becomes a very tough basketball team. Your point guard [Dylan Darling], who was a little shaky with his confidence prior to yesterday, totally dominated the game and that’s an amazing feeling. I’m really proud of these guys. On certain nights you may not have it but your defense is going to win it for you and it did tonight.”
On Dylan Darling’s contributions…
“He’s so much more valuable than just scoring the basketball. He pressures the ball, sees the court, is a pest defensively and gets on the floor for loose balls. He makes people better. This young man took over the game at the point guard position and I’m really proud of him.”
On Joson Sanon’s growth…
“Joson has really gotten a lot better. Skill-wise, he probably has the most on the team. He can do most things.”
On the team’s trajectory…
“We’re a team that’s going to grow and get better. If we keep playing defense like this, we’re going to have a very good season.”
Redshirt junior guard Dylan Darling
On his shooting confidence and preparation…
“Coach [Pitino] told me to play with confidence because he and my teammates believe in me, so why shouldn’t I? I put in extra reps, believed and went out there and shot it.”
On team defense…
“I thought we played great team defense tonight. Every day we’re getting better, and when guys keep improving, the whole team defense improves with it.”
On his mindset…
“I looked forward to coming off the bench and trying a different approach. I was happy for Ian [Jackson] and I just wanted to help the team.”
Sophomore guard Joson Sanon
On his defense leading to offense…
“When I’m playing hard on defense, it translates to my offense.”
On expanding his game…
“I’ve been focusing on finding different ways to score and do the little things that help the team win.”
On rebounding emphasis…
“Rebounding has been a real focus for me. The coaching staff has emphasized it and I’ve locked in on that.”