Deivon Smith injury update: Rick Pitino shares positive news on St. John guard ahead of Big East Tournament

Deivon Smith has been in the spotlight for St. John's ahead of the team's Big East Tournament. The Red Storm guard has been nursing a shoulder injury and missed the Red Storm's win over Marquette on Saturday. Fans have been curious to learn when he can return to action.

On Monday, St. John's coach Rick Pitino offered an update on Smith.

Deivon Smith injury update ahead of Big East Tournament

St. John's star Deivon Smith - Source: Getty

St. John's coach Rick Pitino said that Deivon Smith will try and practice on Monday. If the guard can get three good practice sessions in the coming days, he could be ready to play in the Big East Tournament.

Since the Red Storm won the Big East regular-season title, they will hold the top seed entering the conference tournament. St. John's (27-4, 18-2) has also automatically qualified for the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, which means the team will play its first game of the postseason on Thursday.

St. John's will play the winner of Monday's contest between No. 8 seed Providence vs. No. 9 seed Butler.

Smith has been a solid player for the Red Storm this season, having played in 25 games. He is averaging 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Smith began his collegiate career at Mississippi State in 2021. He then transferred to Georgia Tech and played with the program for two seasons. The guard transferred to Utah in 2023 and played one season with the Utes before joining St. John's last year.

Since Smith has been a key player for the Red Storm this season, Pitino will want to have the player available for the Big East Tournament. However, there is also a case for St. John's to give Smith some extra time to recover if needed, and allow him to return during the NCAA Tournament.