Rick Pitino is aware of what it’s prefer to be on the dropping finish of an all-time opening-round upset.
In 2011, Pitino was the top coach of the No. 4 Louisville staff that suffered a 62-61 stunner to No. 13 Morehead State within the NCAA Event’s Spherical of 64.
Morehead State’s Demonte Harper famously drilled a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining, turning Louisville’s two-point benefit right into a one-point deficit.
It’s a second Pitino confirmed to his second-seeded St. John’s staff this week forward of Thursday night time’s first-round matchup with No. 15 Omaha.
“If my memory serves me well, I said to my [Louisville players], ‘Whatever you do, don’t let them take a 3. We’ll win it in overtime.’ … Sure enough, came down the court, we backed up, not wanting to get beat and gave up the 3,” Pitino, 72, recalled Wednesday.
“My point to [St. John’s] was about how important it is to make sure you understand time and score and what you have to do.”
It’s a precious lesson for a gaggle of St. John’s gamers who enter Thursday’s recreation at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Windfall, R.I., as 18.5-point favorites however who largely lack NCAA Event expertise.
That is the primary journey to the Large Dance for St. John’s since 2019, but the resurgent Crimson Storm arrive with a goal on their backs after they surged to a 30-4 file and received the Large East’s regular-season and convention match championships.
“We’re playing with house money,” stated Omaha senior level guard JJ White. “The pressure is not on us, it’s on them. We’ll see what happens.”
Omaha (22-12) received the Summit League’s regular-season and convention match crowns behind an offense that averaged 78.1 factors per recreation and shot 36.7% on 3-point makes an attempt.
Senior energy ahead Marquel Sutton averages 19.1 factors and eight.0 rebounds per recreation, whereas White averages 13.7 factors and 4.0 assists whereas capturing 43.9% from 3-point vary.
“Their point guard would be a top-four point guard in the Big East,” Pitino stated. “They have the [Summit League] Player of the Year at the power forward spot.”
The Mavericks additionally boast continuity, as their three main scorers — Sutton, White and junior guard Tony Osborn — have performed collectively at Omaha for 3 seasons.
All three of these years have been underneath head coach Chris Crutchfield, who went to the Last 4 as an assistant at Oklahoma in 2016.
“They can really shoot the ball, and they’re really talented on the offensive end,” St. John’s junior ahead Zuby Ejiofor stated. “We watched film in that department to see the spots where we could be the most successful and apply pressure the entire game.”
St. John’s makes a speciality of shutting down opposing offenses. The Crimson Storm enter the match with Division I’s best protection, in line with KenPom, and have held opponents to 40.1% capturing, together with 31.8% on 3-pointers.
The Johnnies pressure 15.6 turnovers per recreation — the second most amongst groups to make the NCAA Event.
“They’re a physical team, so we have to match that physicality,” Sutton stated. “We’ve just got to not turn the ball over and hit shots and I think we’ll be alright.”
Thursday marks the NCAA Event debuts of key St. John’s gamers together with RJ Luis Jr., Aaron Scott, Simeon Wilcher and Deivon Smith. Ejiofor totaled solely 10 minutes over two match video games as a freshman with Kansas in 2023.
These gamers are leaning on the expertise of the battle-tested Pitino, who has taken six groups to the NCAA Event, superior to the Last 4 seven occasions and led Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013) to nationwide championships.
With a victory, St. John’s on Saturday would face the winner of No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas. Like Pitino, Kansas’ Invoice Self and Arkansas’ John Calipari are Corridor of Famers.
However Pitino is aware of higher than to look previous Omaha.
“I go back so many years in those first rounds, and I was in Omaha’s shoes,” Pitino stated. “They’re really, really good. … Back then, there was a lot of difference between the upper level and those teams. Today, there’s not a whole lot of difference.”
SCOTT’S STATUS
Scott is taking part in by means of ache.
The senior guard has a torn ligament in his proper thumb however is predicted to proceed suiting up for the Crimson Storm.
“He’s been very tough,” Pitino stated.
Wednesday’s revelation got here 5 days after Scott’s thumb bent backward as he contested a lay-up within the second half of Friday’s 79-63 win over Marquette within the Large East Event semifinal.
Scott left that recreation in seen ache however returned lower than three minutes later along with his hand wrapped.
He then performed in Saturday’s 82-66 win over Creighton within the Large East Event championship recreation and scored 5 factors on 2-of-7 capturing, together with 1-of-3 on 3-pointers.
“He’s actually shooting better with the torn thumb,” Pitino joked. “I wish he would’ve torn it long ago.”
