Rick Pitino wants struggling Chris Ledlum to focus on defense

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Rick Pitino admitted the obvious, that Chris Ledlum is search✅ing for his game on the offensive end.

The St. John’s coach wants him to channel that frustration into defense.&n𝄹bsp;

“The way to make up for it is to play awesome defense,” Pitino said after the Johnnies’ 88-81 loss to Dayto🌌n in the Charleston Classic semifinals. “You’re guarding✨ a guy on the perimeter that’s 90 percent right hand, aꦓnd you’ve gone over it, and you give him his right hand for a three-point play.” 

💮It’s been a difficult tournament for Ledlum, who has taken 17 shots and misse🦂d 14 of them.

An All-Ivy League first𝓀 team selection for Harvard last season, the 6-foot-6 Ledlum is still looking to find his niche with the Johnnies. 

“If he drops the ball going baseline or misses a shot, that’s♕ just part of basketball,” Pitino said. “But it’s not part of basketball whenꦏ you give somebody his right hand who is right-hand dominant.” 

Ledlum (nine points, nine rebounds) was far from the only ♎St. John’s player who struggled on the defensive end in the loss to Dayton.

The Flyers shot 51.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from deep. It was aℱ team-wide problem, particularly over the last 13 minutes when St. John’s was outscored by 12.&nbඣsp;

St. John’s will face Utah in the third-plac🗹e game Sunday at 5:30 p.m. 

Zuby Ejiofor, a sophomore transfer forward from Kansas, has begun to find his game. He played well Thursday in limited action and was even better against Dayton. Ejiofor had nine points, si❀x rebounds and a block in 11 minutes off the bench. 

RJ Luis 🦩went through pregame ♍warmups, but remained out.

The UMass trans♉fer has yet﷽ to appear in a game this season after suffering a broken left hand on Oct. 1. 

“🎀It’s not my call. It’s the doctor’s call,” Pitino said. “He has a pressurized machine and it has to be where he has 80 percent strength