Current:Home > MarketsRick Pitino rips St. John's 'unathletic' players after loss to Seton Hall -MoneyBase
Rick Pitino rips St. John's 'unathletic' players after loss to Seton Hall
View
Date:2025-04-17 21:30:35
Rick Pitino is turning heads in his latest coaching stint at St. John's — but only partially for his team's on-court product.
Pitino, in his first season coaching the Red Storm after a three-year stint at Iona, ripped into his players in a postgame news conference on Sunday after losing 68-62 to Shaheen Holloway's Seton Hall team. The 71-year-old Naismith Hall of Famer bemoaned everything from his team's lack of toughness and athleticism to St. John's "(expletive) facilities" to a "lost" season of recruiting players via the transfer portal.
“If I said I was disappointed, that would be the understatement of the year,” Pitino told reporters.
The Red Storm gave up a 41-29 halftime lead to the Pirates, getting outscored 39-21 in the second half of Sunday's loss. It dropped St. John's to 14-12 on the season and 6-9 in Big East play, and was the team's eighth defeat in the last 10 contests following a 12-4 start.
Following a Sean Conway made 3-pointer at the 16:13 mark, St. John's did not score another field goal in the second half until an RJ Luis Jr. jumper made the score 50-48 Seton Hall with 6:48 left in the game. A Daniss Jenkins 3-pointer gave St. John's its last lead, 53-52, with 5:22 left to play.
The Red Storm, who were outscored 16-9 in the game's final five-plus minutes, shot 33.8% from the field and 24% from 3-point range. Asked whether he had second thoughts on taking the St. John's job, Pitino said it wasn't the program, but his players who were the problem.
He then proceeded to criticize the university's basketball facilities.
“Do we have (expletive) facilities? Yes, we do,” Pitino said. “But we’re doing something about that. But that’s not the reason we’re losing. Having (expletive) facilities has nothing to do with not guarding.”
Pitino spoke at length about his team's lack of athleticism and toughness, which stood in stark contrast to his favorable review of Holloway's Seton Hall team. The St. John's coach, who has criticized the advent of NIL and the transfer portal in college athletics, called out several of his own players by name, adding that he recruited offensive-oriented players to St. John's through the portal "at the last second."
That strategy, he suggested, has since come back to bite his team on the defensive end.
“We are so unathletic that we can’t guard anybody without fouling,” he said. “For me, I’ve always enjoyed the first year, and I’m not gonna lie to you: This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime. This has been so disappointing.
Added Pitino: “We kind of lost this season with the way we recruited. We recruited the antithesis of the way I coach. It’s a good group, they try hard, but they’re just not very tough.
"We had to put together a team at the last second. We will never, ever, do that again.”
Pitino and St. John's return to play at Georgetown on Wednesday.
veryGood! (86349)
Related
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Arkansas police chief accused of beating, stranding suspect in rural area, faces kidnapping charge
- Watch: Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow on Groundhog Day 2024
- NHL players will be in next two Winter Olympics; four-nation tournament announced for 2025
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Supreme Court allows West Point to continue using race as a factor in admissions, for now
- Apple Vision Pro debuts Friday. Here's what you need to know.
- Groundhog Day 2024: Trademark, bankruptcy, and the dollar that failed
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Judge dismisses election official’s mail ballot lawsuit in North Dakota
Ranking
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Tesla recalls 2.2 million cars — nearly all of its vehicles sold in the U.S. — over warning light issue
- US bolsters defenses around Jordan base as it readies strikes in response to drone attack
- Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum: What to know, how to watch NASCAR exhibition race
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Top Chef's Kristen Kish talks bivalves, airballs, and cheese curds
- Guitarist Wayne Kramer, founding member of the MC5, dead at 75
- News website The Messenger shuts down after 8 months. See more 2024 media layoffs.
Recommendation
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum: What to know, how to watch NASCAR exhibition race
Carl Weathers, linebacker-turned-actor who starred in ‘Rocky’ movies and ‘The Mandalorian,’ dies
Target pulls Black History Month product after video points out misidentified icons
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
The Biggest Sales Happening This Weekend From Nordstrom Rack, Vince Camuto, Coach Outlet & So Much More
Las Vegas Raiders 'expected' to hire Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, per reports
Sam Waterston to step down on 'Law & Order' as District Attorney Jack McCoy