Deivon Smith gutting through shoulder injury during St. Johns Big East Tournament run

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Deivon Smith is ready to play through the pain as long as this season lasts. After being in and out of action since suffering a badly bruised right shoulder on Jan.11, the 6-foot point guard returned Thursday for the start of the Big East Tournament.

Smith scored three points and added four rebounds and two assists in 12 productive minutes off the bench during top-seeded St.John’s 78-57 beatdown of No.

9 Butler at the Garden. “I don’t want to miss any more games,” Smith said.“It’s [a] super special [team] and I want to be a part of it.

I can thug it out and play through it.” Smith hasn’t been the same since the injury.Even on Thursday, he took a shot and was flexing the shoulder at one point.

He’s accepted that it is not going to be 100 percent again until he rests it for an extended period of time. “It’s probably going to be a problem all season long, just taking hits and stuff like that,” said Smith, who would have logged more minutes if not for first-half foul trouble.“I took a hit in the second half, but I can brush it off and keep going. “Everything feels pretty normal.

I’m just getting my wind back up.I felt good out there the short amount of time [I played in the first half].

I got those two quick little fouls.So I didn’t get going.

But in the second half I felt good.” Smith brings a different dimension with his speed, athleticism and ability to knock down 3-point shots.St.

John’s is going to need him the deeper it goes into March. After suffering a setback in the Big East regular-season clinching win over Seton Hall on March 1, he rested the shoulder for eight days.Initially, coach Rick Pitino told the team he was out for the remainder of the season after Saturday’s win over Marquette, which wasn’t the case, it turned out. “He’ll say stuff to challenge you ...