St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino said he doesn’t regret criticizing his players and the program’s facilities in a rant following Sunday’s loss to Seton Hall.
“I was pointing out exactly — in a monotone voice — why we lost,” Pitino told Newsday. “I am not always calm and certainly not when I rip someone … I was not ripping anybody.
“I sometimes want my players to hear my words and read my words. That was my intention (Sunday).”
When asked if he thought his comments required clarification, Pitino said, “I’m fine with what I said.”
During Sunday’s tirade, Pitino called his first season with St. John’s “the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime” and said the program has “s—-y facilities.”
The Red Storm started the season at 12-4 but have struggled in 2024, losing eight of their last 10 games.
Seton Hall limited St. John’s to 33.8 percent shooting from the floor (23-of-68) and 24 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-25). The Red Storm committed 15 turnovers.
Pitino did not hold back when singling out players for their movement and physicality on the court. He called multiple players “slow laterally,” including team captain Joel Soriano.
“I was asked the question, ‘Why do you blow second-half leads?’ And I can tell you sometimes it’s missed free throws at the end of the game and (opponents) make free throws,” Pitino said Monday.
“It’s not the same reason every time. But it’s the same reason every time of why you foul: You foul because you take a bad shot, you get caught in a bad situation defensively, and you are not overly quick laterally. So, when you go to [defend] the basket, rather than beat them to the spot, you foul. That’s what I was trying to point out.”
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(Photo: Steven Branscombe / USA Today)
