March Madness: Rick Pitino, No. 2 St. John's not taking No. 15 Omaha lightly
RJ Luis Jr. of the St John's Red Storm practices on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA Tournament at Amica Mutual Pavillion on Wednesday in Providence, R.I. Credit: Getty Images/Emilee Chinn
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rick Pitino has been one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament six times in his first 23 appearances.
Only one of those came when his team was the higher seed. It was March 17, 2011, in Denver, and No. 13 Morehead State’s Demonte Harper drilled the winning three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left in a 62-61 upset over Pitino’s fourth-seeded Louisville.
Fourteen years later, Pitino – who has won two national titles and been to seven Final Fours – used the loss as a lesson to his second-seeded Red Storm ahead of Thursday night’s West Region first-round game against No. 15 Omaha.
“Well, I actually talked to my team about that game and showed them,” the second-year St. John’s coach said during his news conference at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Wednesday.
“I said, one of the things that happens in any basketball game is the three-point shot at the buzzer. And that game, I believe – if my memory serves me well – I said to my team, ‘Whatever you do, don't let them take a three. We'll win it in overtime.’ I believe we were up two. ‘Don’t let them take a three, run them off the line.’ Sure enough, came down the court, we backed up, not wanting to get beat, gave up a three.
“So my point to them was about how important it is to make sure you understand time and score and what you have to do.”
St. John’s (30-4) is an overwhelming favorite against Omaha (22-12).
Despite a looming second-round matchup against either Kansas or Arkansas, respectively led by fellow Naismith Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self and John Calipari, Pitino has emphasized that his entire focus is on the Mavericks.
“Their point guard [JJ White] would be a top-four point guard in the Big East,” Pitino said. “They have the [Summit League] Player of the Year [Marquel Sutton] at the power forward spot. I'm just excited to be here, regardless of who's coaching. It doesn't matter to me. I'm very concerned about the talent we're facing.”
Pitino coached his first NCAA Tournament game with Boston University in 1983, a loss as a No. 12 seed in the preliminary round of the then-52-team tournament. He did not lose again in the first round until 2004, when his 10th-seeded Louisville team fell to No. 7 Xavier.
He had consecutive first-round exits in 2010 and 2011; No. 9 Louisville lost to No. 8 California the year before the Morehead State upset. Pitino lost in the Round of 64 at Iona in both 2021 and 2023.
In preparing for The Big Dance, St. John’s players have recognized a different Pitino.
“I would say the intensity definitely took a jump,” Kadary Richmond said. “There's no margin for error. We have been sharp with everything we have done this week in preparing, so I would say that's the biggest thing I noticed.”
Omaha’s players are not only embracing being the underdog, but they also recognize the magnitude of facing a coach like Pitino.
“Obviously, he's a Hall of Famer for a really good reason,” Mavericks guard Tony Osburn said. “I remember watching Michigan [versus] Louisville as a little kid in my basement when they were playing in the [2013] national title [game], so that’s a surreal feeling.”
No. 15 seeds are 11-145 all-time against No. 2 seeds. Three of those upsets came in the previous four tournaments: Oral Roberts in 2021, Saint Peter’s in 2022 and Princeton in 2023. All three teams advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
“We're playing with house money,” White said. “The pressure is not on us, it's on them.”
Notes & quotes: Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. was selected as a second-team All-American by both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. y. Luis has picked up four major All-America honors, also being named to the AP All-America second team Tuesday and the Sporting News All-America third team last week . . . Aaron Scott said he tore a ligament in his thumb during the Big East Tournament semifinals against Marquette and will need surgery after the season. He will not miss any time. Said Pitino: “He's actually shooting better with the torn thumb. I wish he would've torn it long ago.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
