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St. John’s opened its third season under Rick Pitino with a statement that stretched beyond the scoreboard. The No. 5 Red Storm dismantled Quinnipiac 108–74 in front of a charged Carnesecca Arena crowd, setting up a high-profile Saturday matchup against No. 15 Alabama at Madison Square Garden.
“We made our mistakes as you always do in the first game with little fundamentals,” Pitino said afterward, “but overall, I can’t be more pleased.”
Even with a 34-point victory, Pitino’s mind drifted quickly to what’s next. “Now we’re going to play a whole different type of ball club…a team that, watching them on tape, doesn’t take but eight or nine seconds every possession to shoot,” he said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but we’ve got to be ready for that.”
The Hall of Famer’s praise centered on Dylan Darling, whose six points belied his impact. “Sometimes you pick up a stat sheet and one who plays well tonight, Dylan Darling, had six points,” Pitino said. “But he gave a dominating performance. Dominating. Just the way he played both ends of the floor.”
He also singled out Joson Sanon and Zuby Ejiofor for their length and toughness. “Joson’s one of the more gifted talents I’ve coached and I’ve coached a lot of first-round, a lot of lottery picks,” Pitino said. “He’s just got to learn more defensively, learn more about the game. But as far as talent’s concerned, it’s big-time. Really big-time.”
Then came the emotional moment that defined the night.
“For the last fifteen years,” Pitino said, “I’ve told myself I was retiring after the year. I said that to convince myself to coach as if my job is on the line every single day. And I tell my players the same…play this game as if it’s your last second, your last possession, your last game and you’re going to get the rewards.”
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Asked if he expected such a margin, Pitino smiled. “From an outcome standpoint, no,” he said. “But I really thought the two exhibition games got us ready for tonight. Last year, I don’t think that was the case.”
He closed by turning his attention to the Garden. “Alabama’s the most unique team to play against in the country,” Pitino said. “But I think we can play that style. We’re looking forward to it.”
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