SJU’s Pitino ‘not ripping any person,’ waits words

Feb 19, 2024, 10:18 PM ET St. John’s coach Rick Pitino stated Monday he stands by the criticism he leveled at his group Sunday night after the Red Storm blew a 19-point first-half lead in a 68-62 home loss to tristate competitor and fellow bubble group Seton Hall.The Hall of Popularity coach, in his very first season at St. John’s, didn’t keep back during a postgame news conference in which he questioned his players ‘toughness and discussed several by name while describing their athletic imperfections.”Our lateral speed and our toughness is just something I have actually never witnessed in all my years of training, “Pitino said Sunday night, adding,”We are so nonathletic that we can’t guard anyone without fouling. “However Pitino, talking to Newsday on Monday, insisted he “genuinely wasn’t ripping anyone. “Editor’s Picks 1 Associated”I was mentioning exactly– in a monotone voice– why we lost,”he informed Newsday.

” I am not always calm and certainly not when I rip someone … I was not ripping any person. “I in some cases desire my players to hear my words and read my words. That was my intent [Sunday]”St. John’s started the season with a 12-4 record, including wins over Utah, Xavier, Butler, Villanova and Providence. But the wheels have actually fallen off since then, with the Red Storm going 2-8 in their past 10 games to be up to ninth location in the Big East and out of the forecasted NCAA tournament field.Pitino is having a hard time to discover the right combination of players, even taking All-Big East big guy Joel Soriano out of the starting lineup versus Providence last week due to inconsistency.Soriano was among the players–“about five guys are sluggish laterally”– discussed by Pitino who have a hard time to move defensively. “I was asked the concern,’Why do you blow second-half leads?’And

I can inform you often it’s missed complimentary throws at the end of the game and [challengers] make complimentary tosses,”Pitino said Monday.”Often, it’s a turnover. In some cases, it’s bad shot selection that causes run-outs. It’s not the very same factor every time. “But it’s the very same factor every time of why you nasty: You foul since you take a bad shot, you get caught in a bad scenario defensively, and you are not excessively quick laterally. So, when you go to [

protect] the basket, instead of beat them to the spot, you nasty. That’s what I was trying to explain.” Pitino likewise informed Newsday he didn’t believe he needed to clarify any of his comments from Sunday’s press conference, keeping in mind,”I’m fine with what I stated.”Info from ESPN’s Jeff Borzello was included in this report.