COVID SHELVES PITINO
Storm coach misses Big East showdown against Seton Hall
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino is recovering from COVID-19 and missed his team’s game against Seton Hall on Tuesday night.
Pitino’s absence was announced three hours before tipoff. Associate coach Steve Masiello served as the Red Storm’s acting coach against the first-place Pirates (12-5, 5-1 Big East) and handled media responsibilities.
The 71-year-old Pitino is in his first season at St. John’s (125, 4-2). One of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history, he was hired March 20 after spending three seasons at Iona.
During his 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Pitino has made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances with five schools and advanced to the Final Four seven times, a total reached by only six coaches all-time.
He became the first coach to take three schools to the Final
Four and the first coach to win an NCAA championship at two schools — Louisville and Kentucky.
The Red Storm’s next game is Saturday against No. 17 Marquette at Madison Square Garden.
TOUGH STRETCH FOR HUSKIES
A week full of upsets helped reigning national champion Connecticut push to its first No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll since 2009.
The Huskies’ first week at the top won’t be easy, either.
UConn hosts No. 18 Creighton tonight to headline the week’s AP Top 25 national schedule, then visits Villanova — which has wins against currently ranked teams North Carolina, Texas Tech and Creighton — on Saturday.
UConn (15-2) has won five straight since falling at Seton Hall, a game that saw 7-foot-2 sophomore Donovan Clingan go down to a foot injury. Coach Dan Hurley said after Sunday’s win over Georgetown that Clingan is getting close to a return, saying he’s not fighting symptoms from multiple days of workouts.
Clingan is averaging 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
“The only way he’s out there versus Creighton is if this thing continues to progress and we feel like he has had enough practice time,” Hurley said, adding that Clingan likely would see “spurts” off the bench when he first returns.