St. John's Unleashes Depth Piece: Lefteris Liotopoulos Becomes Key Starter
Lefteris Liotopoulos has gone from benchwarmer to key contributor for St. John's, and it couldn't be more surprising.
The 6-foot-4 sharpshooter out of Greece has only recently started seeing double-digit minutes on the court, but his recent performances have been nothing short of phenomenal. In Saturday's game against Creighton, Liotopoulos scored a career-best 17 points while hitting five three-pointers in just 29 minutes played.
His impressive showing on Saturday was just the tip of the iceberg, as he also chipped in four rebounds and two assists. But what's truly remarkable about Liotopoulos' recent surge is his newfound confidence on both ends of the court.
"I feel like it's going in every time he shoots," said head coach Chris Mullin, who has been instrumental in nurturing Liotopoulos' growth into a starter. "He gets it off quicker than anybody and he's also getting better at driving to the basket."
Liotopoulos himself credits his hard work and dedication for his recent improvement. In an interview with the team, he revealed that he was feeling like he might be sent back to Greece after a lackluster performance against Providence.
However, instead of giving up, Liotopoulos chose to approach the situation with confidence and determination. He realized that there's no time to sulk or complain about his recent benching, and instead decided to focus on getting better at practice.
"It's just no time to sulk, no time to sulk or complain about it," said Darling, another St. John's player who had a breakout performance against Butler. "I realized I wasn't effective at all in the Providence game. I understand why I didn’t play. I tried to come back at practice, try to get better and practice being aggressive."
Liotopoulos' newfound confidence has paid off in spades, as he continues to lead St. John's on the court with a renewed sense of purpose.
"We're just trying to make the most of every opportunity," said Mullin. "And right now, Lefteris is playing some of the best basketball I've seen him play."
As St. John's continues to navigate the ups and downs of college hoops, it's clear that Liotopoulos is ready for whatever comes next. With his impressive shooting and newfound confidence on both ends of the court, he's become a key piece in the Red Storm's quest for success.
For now, Liotopoulos will continue to ride the wave of momentum, leading St. John's with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. And as his coach Mullin would say, there's no time to sulk – only forward progress.
Lefteris Liotopoulos has gone from benchwarmer to key contributor for St. John's, and it couldn't be more surprising.
The 6-foot-4 sharpshooter out of Greece has only recently started seeing double-digit minutes on the court, but his recent performances have been nothing short of phenomenal. In Saturday's game against Creighton, Liotopoulos scored a career-best 17 points while hitting five three-pointers in just 29 minutes played.
His impressive showing on Saturday was just the tip of the iceberg, as he also chipped in four rebounds and two assists. But what's truly remarkable about Liotopoulos' recent surge is his newfound confidence on both ends of the court.
"I feel like it's going in every time he shoots," said head coach Chris Mullin, who has been instrumental in nurturing Liotopoulos' growth into a starter. "He gets it off quicker than anybody and he's also getting better at driving to the basket."
Liotopoulos himself credits his hard work and dedication for his recent improvement. In an interview with the team, he revealed that he was feeling like he might be sent back to Greece after a lackluster performance against Providence.
However, instead of giving up, Liotopoulos chose to approach the situation with confidence and determination. He realized that there's no time to sulk or complain about his recent benching, and instead decided to focus on getting better at practice.
"It's just no time to sulk, no time to sulk or complain about it," said Darling, another St. John's player who had a breakout performance against Butler. "I realized I wasn't effective at all in the Providence game. I understand why I didn’t play. I tried to come back at practice, try to get better and practice being aggressive."
Liotopoulos' newfound confidence has paid off in spades, as he continues to lead St. John's on the court with a renewed sense of purpose.
"We're just trying to make the most of every opportunity," said Mullin. "And right now, Lefteris is playing some of the best basketball I've seen him play."
As St. John's continues to navigate the ups and downs of college hoops, it's clear that Liotopoulos is ready for whatever comes next. With his impressive shooting and newfound confidence on both ends of the court, he's become a key piece in the Red Storm's quest for success.
For now, Liotopoulos will continue to ride the wave of momentum, leading St. John's with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. And as his coach Mullin would say, there's no time to sulk – only forward progress.
! I mean, who would've thought he'd go from benchwarmer to key starter in like what, a few weeks? 
It's crazy how his confidence has grown and it's showing on the court. He's hitting those 3-pointers left and right and playing some of the best basketball Coach Mullin's seen him play! 
I love that he took it upon himself to not sulk after being benched, instead chose to work hard and focus on getting better. That's the kind of mindset that'll take you places 
i'm all about self-improvement and hard work, and liotopoulos is living proof that dedication pays off 
I mean, he was literally benchwarmed just a few games ago, but now he's a starter? That's the ultimate comeback story. You can't script this kind of growth and confidence boost. It's like he took his coach Chris Mullin's words to heart and said "you know what, time to step up". 
So I'm loving how St Johns is suddenly rocking some awesome depth pieces like Liotopoulos 
. Coach Mullin deserves props for spotting talent and nurturing growth 
. And I'm loving how Liotopoulos isn't getting too caught up in what could've been – he's choosing to focus on getting better, which is always a winning mentality 
. But seriously, it's great to see him gaining confidence on the court. He's not just a one-trick pony with his three-point shots, he's also showing off some serious skills on defense 
.
. And Liotopoulos is definitely leading by example 
!
17 points and 5 three pointers in just 29 minutes played? 
. Coach Mullin is doing an amazing job with him and it's so cool to see Liotopoulos grow into his role. He's got that confidence now and it's beautiful 
️
. And can we talk about how underrated his bench time was in the past? It's crazy how one bad game could lead to being benched for good... reminds me of when Carmelo Anthony used to sit on the bench for New York Knicks back in '03 
. But Liotopoulos took that as fuel to get better, and now he's reaping those rewards! 
but it looks like they've turned things around lefteris liotopoulos is literally the reason for that lol he went from benchwarmer to starting player and now hes scoring 17 points in one game like wut? 
but turns out he just needed a little motivation to get back on track 
. Let's keep riding this momentum and see where it takes us! 
. Bring on the wins! 
. I mean, 17 points in 29 minutes is cool and all, but he's still got some major weaknesses on defense 
. And have you seen him drive to the basket? More like stumble and fall over himself 
.
. still, gotta give him credit for stepping up and showing confidence on both ends of the court 
. what do you guys think about lefteris liotopoulos' rise to stardom?