Rick Pitino Advocates for Big East Expansion and Leads St. John's to Victory
Rick Pitino, head coach of the St. John’s Red Storm, has been at the center of two major developments in college basketball this week. First, he has been vocal about his belief that the Big East Conference must expand to remain competitive in the evolving landscape of college sports. In an interview with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on SiriusXM, Pitino reiterated his call for the Big East to merge with the ACC or expand to 16-18 teams, arguing that the current 11-team format is insufficient. He suggested adding schools like Dayton, Saint Louis, and Memphis to strengthen the league. Pitino emphasized that while coaches support the idea, university presidents are hesitant due to financial concerns. The Big East recently signed a new six-year media rights deal worth nearly $80 million annually, but it pales in comparison to the SEC’s $300 million annual deal and the Big Ten’s $7 billion contract.
On the court, Pitino’s strategic decision to implement a full-court press during St. John’s game against UConn proved pivotal in securing a 68-62 victory. After UConn scored 26 points in the first 8:22, Pitino’s press disrupted the Huskies’ rhythm, forcing 22 turnovers and limiting them to just 36 points over the final 31:38. The win extended St. John’s winning streak to 10 games and improved their record to 21-3 overall and 12-1 in the Big East. Pitino credited the press with wearing down UConn’s shooters, a tactic he has relied on throughout his coaching career. The victory marked St. John’s first win at UConn’s Gampel Pavilion since 2000 and solidified their position as a top-10 team in the nation.
Pitino’s leadership has revitalized St. John’s basketball, with the team now projected to win the Big East by two games. This resurgence comes in his second year at the helm, as he aims to become the first coach to lead four different schools to the Final Four.
Rick Pitino adamant Big East will ‘miss the boat’ if it doesn’t expand into mega conference
A month ago, Coach K suggested a merge, as conferences like the Big 12, SEC and Big Ten have bulked up.
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Rick Pitino’s full-court press decision changed the game for St. John’s
When the pressure wasn’t leading to Huskies mistakes, it was taking time off the clock, giving them less time to get quality shots.
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The Red Storm are now projected to win the Big East by two games in a surging Year 2 under Rick Pitino
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The UConn men's basketball team was 'really low-level' according to coach Dan Hurley with 22 turnovers on Friday in a loss to St. John's at Gampel Pav
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SI:AM | Rick Pitino Has St. John’s Back on Top
The Red Storm picked up their first marquee win of the season on Tuesday, beating No. 13 Marquette.
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College basketball insider calls on Indiana to hire Rick Pitino to replace Mike Woodson
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