Rick Pitino doesn’t have a look at his return to school basketball’s greatest stage as a redemption story.
He stated as a lot Saturday after main St. John’s to its first Huge East Event championship in 25 years, then reiterated that stance Monday throughout an look on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I really don’t believe in the word ‘redemption’ because those who judge you really don’t know the facts,” Pitino informed McAfee. “They really don’t know either way, innocent or guilty. They don’t know it.”
These feedback got here greater than seven years after Louisville fired Pitino in October of 2017 throughout a federal investigation into fraud and corruption in faculty basketball.
Pitino maintained his innocence all through that scandal, which included allegations that Adidas representatives funneled $100,000 to the household of a Louisville recruit. In November of 2022, Pitino was exonerated by the Unbiased Accountability Decision Course of (IARP).
“If something went wrong, you’re the head of the team,” Pitino stated Monday. “You have to be responsible for all actions that go on. Obviously, things were done the incorrect way. I suffered the consequences.”
St. John’s employed him in March of 2023, hoping he would flip round a once-proud program that had not gained an outright Huge East championship since 1985 or made the NCAA Event since 2019.
Pitino ended each of these droughts this 12 months, clinching the Huge East’s regular-season crown behind an 18-2 convention document earlier than touchdown a No. 2 seed within the NCAA Event.
St. John’s is ready to face No. 15 Omaha on Thursday night time in Windfall, R.I. It’s a chance Pitino couldn’t have envisioned even a couple of years in the past.
“The NCAA enforcement staff, I won’t call them corrupt. I will call them inept,” Pitino stated Monday. “The reason I say that is it takes them five years to decide your fate.
“Whether you’re guilty or innocent doesn’t matter. It’s gonna take them five years to judge you. After five years, I get exonerated. Well, now I’m over in Greece, coaching a legendary program, Panathinaikos, and to be perfectly honest … I thought I was gonna end my career in the EuroLeague.”
Pitino, 72, has now taken six groups to the NCAA Event — a document for a Division I coach.
He boasts seven journeys to the Last 4 and led Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013) to nationwide championships, although the latter was vacated resulting from a intercourse scandal involving recruits that was allegedly organized by a former member of Pitino’s employees.
The resurgent Crimson Storm went 30-4 this season behind a roster Pitino largely constructed via the switch portal.
RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor each transferred to St. John’s as sophomores earlier than Pitino’s first season in Queens, then delivered breakout campaigns this 12 months. Senior guards Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith and Aaron Scott every transferred final offseason.
“We’ve adapted to the NIL the last two years. Now it’s gonna change,” Pitino informed McAfee, referring to the 2021 rule change that permits NCAA gamers to revenue from their names, photos and likenesses.
“It’s gonna go to revenue-sharing by the schools. Each school gets $22 million. Football will dominate the pool because they have more players. Here’s the luxury we have, along with the other 10 Big East members: We don’t have football, so the revenue-sharing will come more into basketball.”
IONA OVERHAUL
Pitino’s alternative at Iona lasted solely two seasons.
On Monday, Iona fired head coach Tobin Anderson, who went 16-17 final 12 months and 17-17 this season.
The Gaels misplaced, 63-49, to Mount St. Mary within the MAAC championship recreation on Saturday.
“With the impact of NIL changing college basketball in ways no one could have imagined, Iona feels the need to shift the direction of our men’s basketball program,” Athletic Director Matthew Glovaski stated in an announcement.
Anderson took the Iona job shortly after he led No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson to a 63-58 victory over No. 1 Purdue within the first spherical of the 2023 NCAA Event — one of the vital surprising upsets in faculty basketball historical past.
Monday marked the two-year anniversary of that recreation.
Iona didn’t make the NCAA Event underneath Anderson after advancing to the Huge Dance in two of Pitino’s three seasons there.
STORM SURGE
St. John’s is as much as No. 5 within the AP ballot.
That’s the Crimson Storm’s highest rating since January of 1991.
St. John’s moved up one spot after successful the Huge East Event over the weekend.
The one faculties forward of St. John’s are No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Auburn.
Initially Revealed: March 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM EDT
