St. John’s head basketball coach Rick Pitino is a living legend in the world of college basketball. He has found massive success throughout his career and is trying to build the Red Storm back to being a National Championship contender.
At this point in the season, that is exactly the kind of team that St. John’s is and they have a legitimate shot at making an NCAA Tournament run.
In their last game, the Red Storm ended up losing to UConn by a final score of 72-40. That did not make Pitino very happy.
Following the game, the legendary head coach spoke out with some strong words about his team’s performance and also shouldered the blame for the blowout loss.
“It’s all on me,” Pitino said. “I’m very disappointed in our performance offensively, especially. Sharing the ball, moving the ball. It’s all on me. But we will get ready for Villanova. We are still playing for a league championship. Doesn’t matter whether you lose by 1 or 40, league championship is still at stake. Obviously, we have to make our corrections and move on.”
After the game, he also did something after the game that has brought some backlash onto himself.
St. John’s Head Coach Blows Off Reporter in Post-Game Interview
Pitino chose not to go to the press conference room for his post-game comments. That is notable due to the presence of Mike Vacarro, a longtime reporter who uses crutches to aid his walking due to a prosthetic leg.
Matt Norlander, who is the president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, took to X to share his displeasure with Pitino’s decision to not make an appearance at his normal press conference room.
“Rick Pitino opted not to go to the press conference room when he easily could have. It’s a huge game. There’s a big media contingent,” Norlander wrote. “You think Hurley was eager to go to the presser after UConn got handled @ MSG almost three weeks ago? Of course not. But it’s part of the job.”
Norlander continued on, revealing why he was unpleased with Pitino’s decision to speak to a small group of reporters rather than the big media contingent.
“Vacc uses crutches to aid his walking due to his prosthetic leg; he couldn’t get all the way over to the SJU locker room in time, and as a result, didn’t even get to ask Pitino a postgame question after one of the most notable results of his career.”
Clearly, Pitino’s decision was one that he was allowed to make. However, it didn’t hit everyone the right way.
Where Does the Red Storm Stand Ahead of the NCAA Tournament?
Right now, St. John’s holds a 22-6 record on the season. That has them ranked No. 15 in the nation.
Pitino and the Red Storm are going to make their way into the NCAA Tournament. He’ll have a chance to lead a March Madness run for St. John’s.
Last season, the Red Storm were a No. 2 seed in the tournament. After beating Omaha in the opening round, Pitino and company lost to John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
This time around, Pitino will be hoping to make a much deeper run. It will be interesting to see what St. John’s is able to accomplish come tournament time.
Rick Pitino Draws Backlash for Actions After St. John’s–UConn Game