It has been a middling season for St. John’s Basketball. St. John’s is just 11-5, likely setting them up to go to the tournament, but also not as a high seed. Regardless, St. John’s just won their fourth out of the last five games, defeating Creighton 90-73. In the game, Lefteris Liotopoulos was great, leading the team with 17 points. After the game, Rick Pitino spoke of a joke between the player and coach.

“You let one more guy go by you, you’re in Athens tomorrow morning,” Pitino told the media that he told Liotopoulos during the previous game against Butler, according to Fox College Hoops.

Pitino explained that he originally asked his guard what the weather was like in Athens during the game with Butler. Liotopoulos was playing solid on offense, but struggling on defense, letting multiple guys go by, so Pitino pulled him aside. After a confused look by Liotopoulos regarding the weather question, Pitino informed his player he would be returning to Greece before admitting he was joking.

“Lefty wants to play as much as anyone, and he doesn’t complain. He knows where his weaknesses have to get better, he never complains, he just keeps working hard,” Pitino added about the Greek guard, according to Kevin Connelly of Storm the Paint. “He knows how much confidence I have in him and he’s playing great right now.”

There was a lot of excitement about the guard joining the Red Storm due to his shooting ability. He did not get a lot of minutes to show that in his freshman year, but he has gotten more time this year. He is coming off a second straight game with ten or more points, and just shot 5-8 from three against Creighton.

“Every time he shoots it, I feel like it’s going in,” Pitino added. “And he’s also getting better driving the basketball to the basket as well…He’s a veteran, he played on [the Greece] national team this summer. He knows how to play the game, is a little weak defensively, but he’s getting better,” Pitino concluded in praising his guard.

St. John’s will look to move to 5-0 in conference play on Tuesday night, as they host Marquette on Tuesday night.