Roger Rubin: St. John's Dillon Mitchell needs to score more

"The 6-8 forward certainly didn't do it alone, but after Red Storm coach Rick Pitino's decided to return him to the starting lineup for the first time since the season's opening week and keep him on the floor for an average of more than 30 minutes, St. John's went nearly eight weeks without a defeat."

"Pitino deemed the matchup against the Wildcats as 'the most important game of the three-year span that I've been here . . . [for] about seven variables that are crucial.' Most significant was that St. John's was still in a great position to win the Big East's regular season title and the top seeding for the conference tournament."

"Mitchell averaged just 3.0 points the previous five games and didn't score at all in the win at Marquette and the UConn loss. Now, the Storm doesn't count on him to score much. That's because Mitchell is such a force on the defensive end. He rebounds and handles and distributes like a guard."

St. John's Red Storm, ranked 15th, faced Villanova after suffering a devastating 32-point loss to UConn. Coach Rick Pitino restarted Dillon Mitchell in the lineup, leading to a 13-game winning streak earlier in the season. Mitchell, a 6-8 forward, excels defensively and handles distribution like a guard despite averaging only 3.0 points in recent games. The Villanova game was deemed critical for St. John's championship aspirations and to prove the UConn loss was an anomaly. Mitchell's value extends beyond scoring; his defensive intensity, rebounding, and ball-handling capabilities make him essential to the team's success.

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