The ‘unenjoyable experience’ never ends for Pitino
Rick Pitino stands by his controversial criticisms of his St. John’s players, saying amid backlash that he “wasn’t ripping anybody.”
The 71-year-old coach expressed frustration with what he described as a lack of athleticism and toughness following Sunday’s back-breaking loss to Seton Hall, during which St. John’s blew a 19-point lead.
“I truly wasn’t ripping anybody,” Pitino told Newsday after receiving heat for his comments. “I was pointing out exactly — in a monotone voice — why we lost. … I am not always calm and certainly not when I rip someone.”
Sunday’s loss marked the reeling Johnnies’ eighth in the last 10 games, dropping them to 14-12 this season and 6-9 in the Big East. Leading prognosticators no longer project St. John’s to make next month’s NCAA Tournament as a result of the prolonged swoon.
Following Sunday’s 68-62 defeat, Pitino described this season, his first with St. John’s, as “the most unenjoyable experience” of his five-decade coaching career.
“Our lateral quickness and our toughness are just something I’ve never witnessed in all my years of coaching,” Pitino said during Sunday’s postgame press conference. “We are so non-athletic that we can’t guard anybody without fouling. It’s been that way (all) year, but we came out there in the second half and we knew that they would come after us, but you have to move the ball. We just took four minutes of rushed shots.”
On Monday, Pitino said he didn’t feel the need to clarify any of his remarks.
“I sometimes want my players to hear my words and read my words,” Pitino told Newsday. “That was my intention.”
St. John’s hired the title-winning Pitino in March to turn around a once-proud program with only three NCAA Tournament appearances since 2002 and none in the past four years.
Pitino overhauled the roster, bringing back only two players from last year’s team, including senior center Joel Soriano, whom he named captain.
Soriano, the Red Storm’s leading scorer and rebounder, is in the midst of a season-worst slump, averaging just 8.2 points per game over his last five. Pitino removed the 6-11 Soriano from the starting lineup in last week’s loss to Providence before re-adding him to the first unit Sunday.
Pitino has delivered varying levels of criticism of his players during postgame press conferences all season. He’s also spoken out about the challenges of establishing a culture during the NIL and transfer portal era, describing college sports as “free agency.”
“It’s a tough time in college basketball right now, and for us, we can’t really build programs and a culture because everybody leaves,” Pitino said after a Feb. 3 loss to UConn. “We did it with six fifth-year guys (this season). They’re all gonna leave, and then we’ve got to replace (them) with new free agents.”