Pitino returns to big-time faculty hoops beneath MSG highlight with problem forward at St. John’s
NEW YORK — Dressed in a charcoal go well with and burgundy tie, Rick Pitino spent the primary half pointing and shouting instructions, waving his arms and imploring considered one of his St. John‘s players to “wake up!” after conceding an easy basket.
By late in the second half, the Hall of Fame coach was seated quietly at the front of the bench, his 71-year-old brain working overtime as he watched intently and pondered the next practice for his new team.
Pitino returned to big-time college basketball Monday night, stalking the Madison Square Garden sideline again in a humbling 89-73 loss to underdog Michigan. And while he certainly looked sharp on game day as usual, his overhauled squad featuring 12 newcomers did not.
“We’ve received to study from it,” Pitino stated. “We can’t beat the guys up over this.”
Pitino‘s arrival has generated some Big Apple buzz for St. John’s, a storied program with out a lot success to talk of this century. The faculty is 0-4 in NCAA Tournament video games since its final victory in 2000, the identical 12 months the Red Storm received their most up-to-date Big East Tournament title. They haven’t reached the convention semifinals since, although the occasion is held yearly on considered one of their residence courts at The Garden.
Pitino, nonetheless, is a New York City native and confirmed winner in all places he’s been – moreover the Boston Celtics.
“He’s an ‘add water’ coach. What does that mean? He won’t need a lot of ingredients,” stated Ed Cooley, the brand new coach at longtime rival Georgetown and, like Pitino, a former Providence coach.
“He’s one of five coaches in the country, in my opinion, that come with their own NIL – they come with their own ‘likeness.’ I would say Rick could be the greatest college coach of all time. He’s an ‘add water’ guy, for sure. He doesn’t need spices.”
Pitino made the rounds in the course of the offseason, drumming up St. John’s help whereas throwing out the primary pitch at a Subway Series sport between the Mets and Yankees at Citi Field in June, and ringing the opening bell together with his group on the New York Stock Exchange on Halloween.
The season opener at 5,602-seat Carnesecca Arena on campus in Queens was offered out final Tuesday night time for a 90-74 victory over Stony Brook. And the group of 14,188 at MSG on Monday night time included decked-out rapper Fat Joe sitting within the entrance row – till he left with 10 minutes remaining in a blowout.
“The students were fabulous. We just couldn’t match The Garden,” Pitino stated. “We couldn’t match the students and we couldn’t match the fans. And more importantly, we couldn’t match Michigan.”
Looking to garner extra consideration in Pitino‘s first season, St. John’s has doubled its variety of residence video games at MSG to eight. The group can also be enjoying three at UBS Arena, the shiny Belmont Park residence of the New York Islanders – together with Big East video games towards DePaul and Seton Hall.
There’s discuss of internet hosting Duke subsequent season at Arthur Ashe tennis stadium, the place the U.S. Open is performed, and a home-and-home at Madison Square Garden with Alabama, Pitino stated.
“This is a big year for us, because the brand is long gone at Louisville,” stated Pitino, referencing the college he coached to the 2013 nationwide title. “And the brand needs to be brought back.”
“I want to get back to playing great teams all the time,” he added. “We’re going to compete against anybody in the nation recruiting-wise. We don’t care who they are.”
On the court docket, the present roster options 10 transfers – three who adopted Pitino to St. John‘s from Iona. Senior center and captain Joel Soriano, selected Most Improved Player in the Big East last season after averaging 15.3 points and 11.9 rebounds, is the lone holdover who played significant minutes.
“Coach P – he wants everything to kind of be perfect. I kind of feel like a freshman sometimes, still learning,” a slimmed-down Soriano said. “He has an aura around him. … He’s a basketball freak. Just eats, sleeps basketball. His consideration to element is simply wonderful.
“I instructed him that I would like someone that’s going to be on my neck,” Soriano added. “Coach has been through it for 35 years. He knows what it takes to win. … I’m not going to not listen to a guy that has that type of resume.”
Newcomers embrace level guard Daniss Jenkins from Iona, guard Nahiem Alleyne from 2023 nationwide champion UConn, all-Ivy League ahead Chris Ledlum from Harvard and senior guard Jordan Dingle from Penn, the 2023 Ivy League participant of the 12 months and the nation’s main returning scorer (23.4 ppg).
So on paper, there’s expertise and depth. And there’s Pitino. That’s why St. John‘s sat just a little outside the Top 25 in the first two AP polls this season.
“Well, I have a very large family that’s voting for us,” Pitino cracked at media day final month.
But as all of the newcomers study to play collectively, it’s apparent there’s loads of work to be completed following a 1-1 begin.
Pitino, forward of his time within the Nineteen Eighties as a giant early proponent of closely using the 3-pointer, is emphasizing each hitting 3s and defending towards them – areas the place current St. John’s groups have struggled regardless of boasting some athletic gamers.
“There were three characteristics that we went after, and they were non-negotiable. If they couldn’t do all three, we were out. One is a very strong work ethic. Two is a great athlete. And three is a great shooter. If one was missing out of those three, we didn’t take ’em,” Pitino stated in June.
Well conscious it’s all a piece in progress, the hard-driving Pitino stated he and his gamers giggle collectively in apply much more than his earlier groups did.
But he was surprised at how usually they went 1-on-1 towards Michigan, as a result of in apply they’ve been sharing the ball.
“I can tell you from coaching a long time, even when I had great teams, they don’t play their best basketball until January, February where they really excel,” Pitino stated. “And we will. We’ll excel in January or February.”
March would work, too.
But that’s all down the highway. This night time marked the primary residence sport at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” for Pitino since he coached the New York Knicks to a playoff victory over Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls within the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals on May 16, 1989.
Weeks later, after clashing with Knicks administration, Pitino went again to school ball to rebuild a troubled Kentucky program that had simply been positioned on probation. The subsequent three-plus many years within the nationwide highlight had been a curler coaster {of professional} highs and lows – NCAA championships and embarrassing scandals, Final Four journeys and three 1/2 dropping seasons with the Celtics.
A late-career teaching sojourn in Greece, then a midmajor rebirth at little Iona within the New York City suburbs.
And now, lastly, a return to his basketball-junkie roots, only a soar shot away from the place Pitino the purpose guard captained St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay on Long Island some 54 years in the past.
“Come on, it’s Rick Pitino and St. John‘s. Is there a more perfect match in the whole country?” stated Michigan interim coach Phil Martelli, filling in whereas Juwan Howard recovers from coronary heart surgical procedure.
In town that by no means sleeps, time will definitely inform.
