The accolades preserve coming for Rick Pitino and RJ Luis Jr.
Pitino was named a semifinalist for Naismith School Coach of the Yr and Luis was chosen as a semifinalist for Naismith School Participant of the Yr after the duo helped lead St. John’s to a long-awaited Huge East championship.
Each classes embody 10 semifinalists, all of whom have been introduced Friday.
The nationwide recognition got here two days after Pitino was named Huge East Coach of the Yr and Luis was named Huge East Participant of the Yr.
Pitino, 72, was the one Huge East coach chosen as a Naismith semifinalist.
The opposite semifinalists embody Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Florida’s Todd Golden, Missouri’s Dennis Gates, Louisville’s Pat Kelsey, Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland and Drake’s Ben McCollum.
Now in his second season at St. John’s, Pitino led the resurgent Crimson Storm to a 27-4 file within the common season, together with 18-2 in convention play, and to the varsity’s first outright Huge East regular-season championship since 1985.
Pitino has by no means gained Naismith Coach of the Yr, however he was named the John Picket Nationwide Coach of the Yr and the NABC Coach of the Yr in 1987 when he was with Windfall.
A St. John’s coach has by no means obtained the Naismith honor, which UConn’s Dan Hurley gained final 12 months.
Luis, in the meantime, is certainly one of three Huge East gamers to be named a Naismith semifinalist, together with Marquette’s Kam Jones and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner.
The opposite semifinalists embody Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Purdue’s Braden Smith, Wisconsin’s John Tonje, Alabama’s Mark Sears and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr.
Luis, a junior guard, averaged 18.1 factors and seven.1 rebounds per sport within the common season and flourished as a defender.
His breakout season adopted a 2023-24 sophomore marketing campaign at St. John’s through which Luis performed by means of nagging shin accidents, for which he underwent surgical procedure in April.
“Once he got over the shin injuries, we knew he’s got a great vertical,” Pitino stated of Luis. “He’s a good shooter, a great passer, very good on-the-ball defender, very good rebounder, runs well. He’s got the total package.”
A St. John’s participant has by no means gained the Naismith award, which went to Purdue’s Zach Edey, now of the Memphis Grizzlies, in each of the previous two seasons.
Each awards might be introduced subsequent month throughout the NCAA Event Closing 4 in San Antonio.
St. John’s additionally boasts a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Participant of the Yr Award in Kadary Richmond, who was certainly one of 10 gamers chosen. The others embody Kalkbrenner, who this week gained Huge East Defensive Participant of the Yr for a fourth time, and Flagg.
