St. John players keep trusting with Sadiku Ibine Ayo during the Ramadan

Milwaukee

The defense was the cornerstone of the success of St. John this season and if they didn’t have the chance to work together like the sixth red storm to end an opponent, they missed something impressively.

When the red storm switches and communicates over the defense, they are fully connected. This unit is also outside the court. It can be a secret ingredient that makes this team special.

Ramadan’s compliance began on February 28 and lasted 30 days. Those in Muslim faith such as Red Storm Tri-Captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo follow a number of traditions that include prayer and fasting between sunrise and sunset. Ibine Ayo said there is no music or curse either.

His teammates didn’t want him to do it alone. Several, no Muslim, dared to follow the traditions in solidarity with him. Kadary Richmond, who with Ibine Ayo on the street, Aaron Scott and Jaiden Glover, tried. Richmond’s stay ran the longest before it was 12 hours without food or water – even during training – without challenging.

“I’m ready with the fast – my body cannot absorb this type of abuse,” said Richmond on Friday in Zoom interviews. “So I did three or four days with him, but I have to eat today and drink as much as possible for this game tomorrow.”

St. Johns (26-4, 17-2 Big East) will play No. 20 Marquette (22-8, 13-6) on Saturday at noon. Although the Red Storm completed its first title in the regular season in the regular season in the regular season last Saturday, you are totally serious with this quad i competition, which could include the NCAA tournament seed. And you will almost certainly be without Deivon Smith, the coach Rick Pitino has not practiced for five days because you try to bring him past a right shoulder injury that hinders him for almost two months.

“It is important that we play great basketball,” said Pitino. “We played a great game against Uconn in the garden and then we didn’t play a great basketball in the next two. It is important. . We come back to basketball. “

Pitino became aware that Ibine Ayo had only started the Ramadan traditions after the huge celebration of the red storm in the garden when he returned to a changing room that was absent in the usual solemn music.

“I said, ‘What about you?’ Pitino said.

Pitino gets Ibine Ayo practicing his religion, but he doesn’t want other players to fast. “It is very dangerous – you can’t do that,” he said. “You can’t go through practicing without water.

“So the next day I packed Sadiku and said, ‘You have to do a big favor. . . I need you for a month to change and become Catholic, ”said Pitino. He said, ‘I’ll do everything for you. . . But I can’t. ” “

Ibine Ayo didn’t know that he was fun. Then Pitino shared some advantages, such as the possibility of listening to music, and the only dietary restriction to avoid meat on Fridays.

Ibine Ayo’s answer: “Well, I want you to come to my side and help me.”

Pitino agreed not to reduce the music – and even agreed to stop swearing, something that was difficult for anyone who saw an episode of Vice TV documents about St. John’s season.

Pitino amused the audience with this story during the appearance on Thursday in “The Tonight Show” – he even seemed to be disappointed that she was being worked on – and added: “I tried how Jesus was tried.”

Apart from the great stories, in which this Inside view of the relationship between Pitino and the Red Storm players, who share, says something about what’s going on.

“It means the world to me and somehow shows how they love me and my presence around them appreciate what is for me,” said Ibine Ayo. “When my teammates. . . Are ready to do me, that means that you will do everything for me. “

Ibine Ayo rises well to prayer before sunrise. Pitino is known for waking up at 5 a.m. to train, but he would not make prayer before dawn. Instead, he had an alternative: “I told him every time guys make a jump shot.”

Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write after 20 years at the Daily News about high school, colleges and baseball. As a baseball Hall of Fame voter, he has picked up 13 MLB -Notaisons and 14 NCAA final fours since 2011.