St. John's University Athletics
PREGAME QUOTES: No. 12/10 St. John’s Men's Basketball at No. 19/18 UConn
St. John’s Men’s Basketball guard Deivon Smith and forward Zuby Ejiofor spoke with the media ahead of the team’s matchup against No. 19/18 UConn on Friday night at Gampel Pavilion
St. John’s guard Deivon Smith
On how the team is playing with him back from injury…
“Over the last few days and even the last few minutes of the game, I felt like myself getting out there with the guys, playing with that group and getting comfortable with them again. They've done an excellent job while I've been out. They're playing at their own pace and it's fun to see on the bench because they handled a lot of situations well when a lot of people doubted them.”
On how it felt playing at the end of the Marquette game…
“It was a confidence boost for me. The team, their energy and just seeing them be excited for me again was a confidence boost mentally. It was a boost seeing shots go in and just feeling like myself again.”
On the excitement around the team playing UConn…
“For me and the team, we're looking at it as the next game. As Coach Pitino tells us, every game is going to be our hardest game. We're not really looking at it as a rivalry.”
On the team keeping up their momentum going into UConn…
“We can't get comfortable. Practice was good yesterday, we’re trying to look to have another great practice and a good shoot-around tomorrow. We just need to study and be prepared because it is a big game. [UConn] is talented, they did beat Marquette. We have a huge target on our back now. We created a great buzz. So, I just think we can't get comfortable and complacent. We just have to keep going and achieve more goals.”
On Kadary Richmond’s recent performances…
“I'm super happy for him. Just to see him finding himself and putting the team on his back, making big shots, making big plays. I'm happy for him. He's a good friend of mine. We laugh and joke all day and to see him come back to himself, make winning plays and lead the team, it's fun to watch. He's a good player.”
St John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor:
On the team’s mindset following the big win against Marquette…
“We're staying level-headed. It was a it was a great win for us and we're happy that the fans were all into it. The coaching staff did a great job of just preparing us and getting us ready for the game, but now it's the next game, and we're looking onto UConn.”
On not thinking about rivalries…
“I don't think we really have a rival or that any of us are really thinking about who's our arch nemesis, or anything like that. We respect every opponent, and we know that each team has a lot to bring to the table, as far as a competition level. We rise to the occasion. We're really excited about what we're doing right now”
On Coach Pitino’s message to the team this week…
“You gotta stay level-headed. You don't think too high or too low about any situation. This week is as important of a stretch that we've had here in a while. So, it's really important that everybody has the same level of focus and the same level of competition to get ready for these games.”
On what a win over UConn would mean for the team…
“It would say a lot. St. John's hasn't really been in the national spotlight in a while, and we're really excited for the group of guys that we have here. And like I said before, everybody's into it, the whole community, and that is who we do it for. We do it for our teammates, for our coaches, for the whole fan base. Going up against UConn, we know what they've done the last two years, being the national champs and the reigning champs. So, just staying focused and knowing that this game is going to come down to the defensive end. So, whoever is going to be the better defensive team is going to ultimately win the game.”
On Kadary Richmond…
“He's one of the most important pieces to this team. We will go as far as he takes us, we all know that, and the coaching staff knows that. He knows that as well. So, I just like how he's come out. He's come out really aggressive, and he gets other guys involved. He does a little bit of anything. He rebounds, he gets assists, and he gets points when he needs to. So he's just a player that we will need for the rest of the season.”
On how the coaching staff prepares the team for games…
“I really feel like we do have the best coaching staff in the country, and they put in a great amount of hours into preparation and film. This program, I would say, is more focused on film and the little details than any other program that I've been around or seen. So, our level of preparation is exactly where it needs to be. It's just a matter of how well we execute as a team. That's why I would say that it always has been right there for us to take. No game has been really too far out of reach. In our three losses, we've lost by a combined five points, so little things like that. You're always going to get the best out of us. We’re always going to compete, and we're going to always play with passion and grit.”
On how the team is playing with him back from injury…
“Over the last few days and even the last few minutes of the game, I felt like myself getting out there with the guys, playing with that group and getting comfortable with them again. They've done an excellent job while I've been out. They're playing at their own pace and it's fun to see on the bench because they handled a lot of situations well when a lot of people doubted them.”
On how it felt playing at the end of the Marquette game…
“It was a confidence boost for me. The team, their energy and just seeing them be excited for me again was a confidence boost mentally. It was a boost seeing shots go in and just feeling like myself again.”
On the excitement around the team playing UConn…
“For me and the team, we're looking at it as the next game. As Coach Pitino tells us, every game is going to be our hardest game. We're not really looking at it as a rivalry.”
On the team keeping up their momentum going into UConn…
“We can't get comfortable. Practice was good yesterday, we’re trying to look to have another great practice and a good shoot-around tomorrow. We just need to study and be prepared because it is a big game. [UConn] is talented, they did beat Marquette. We have a huge target on our back now. We created a great buzz. So, I just think we can't get comfortable and complacent. We just have to keep going and achieve more goals.”
On Kadary Richmond’s recent performances…
“I'm super happy for him. Just to see him finding himself and putting the team on his back, making big shots, making big plays. I'm happy for him. He's a good friend of mine. We laugh and joke all day and to see him come back to himself, make winning plays and lead the team, it's fun to watch. He's a good player.”
St John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor:
On the team’s mindset following the big win against Marquette…
“We're staying level-headed. It was a it was a great win for us and we're happy that the fans were all into it. The coaching staff did a great job of just preparing us and getting us ready for the game, but now it's the next game, and we're looking onto UConn.”
On not thinking about rivalries…
“I don't think we really have a rival or that any of us are really thinking about who's our arch nemesis, or anything like that. We respect every opponent, and we know that each team has a lot to bring to the table, as far as a competition level. We rise to the occasion. We're really excited about what we're doing right now”
On Coach Pitino’s message to the team this week…
“You gotta stay level-headed. You don't think too high or too low about any situation. This week is as important of a stretch that we've had here in a while. So, it's really important that everybody has the same level of focus and the same level of competition to get ready for these games.”
On what a win over UConn would mean for the team…
“It would say a lot. St. John's hasn't really been in the national spotlight in a while, and we're really excited for the group of guys that we have here. And like I said before, everybody's into it, the whole community, and that is who we do it for. We do it for our teammates, for our coaches, for the whole fan base. Going up against UConn, we know what they've done the last two years, being the national champs and the reigning champs. So, just staying focused and knowing that this game is going to come down to the defensive end. So, whoever is going to be the better defensive team is going to ultimately win the game.”
On Kadary Richmond…
“He's one of the most important pieces to this team. We will go as far as he takes us, we all know that, and the coaching staff knows that. He knows that as well. So, I just like how he's come out. He's come out really aggressive, and he gets other guys involved. He does a little bit of anything. He rebounds, he gets assists, and he gets points when he needs to. So he's just a player that we will need for the rest of the season.”
On how the coaching staff prepares the team for games…
“I really feel like we do have the best coaching staff in the country, and they put in a great amount of hours into preparation and film. This program, I would say, is more focused on film and the little details than any other program that I've been around or seen. So, our level of preparation is exactly where it needs to be. It's just a matter of how well we execute as a team. That's why I would say that it always has been right there for us to take. No game has been really too far out of reach. In our three losses, we've lost by a combined five points, so little things like that. You're always going to get the best out of us. We’re always going to compete, and we're going to always play with passion and grit.”