Bill Raftery likes St. John's coach Rick Pitino's motivational tactics

Bill Raftery and Grant Hill both go way, way back with Rick Pitino, long enough to not be surprised by what he is doing with the St. John’s basketball program.

With the Red Storm on a five-game winning streak entering the Big East Tournament, the CBS/WBD analysts recalled during a video news conference on Tuesday the path that got Pitino this far — and where it goes from here.

Raftery, who has known Pitino since the latter was a young coach at Hawaii in the mid-1970s, said, “I’ve watched his talent, and it’s utterly incredible. Hubie Brown is known as one of the best clinicians, and this young guy is not far behind him.”

Raftery recalled the controversy over Pitino’s harsh postgame assessment of his team after a loss to Seton Hall last month, and the fact St. John’s has not lost since.

“I just think he has these motivational tactics that the normal guy doesn’t try,” Raftery said. “These kids obviously weren’t offended, the way they’ve turned this thing around.”

St. John’s (19-12) might already be in the NCAA Tournament, but a victory over Seton Hall on Thursday likely would clinch the deal.

“I will say this: If they do get in the tournament, it will be a very difficult out,” Raftery said. “It will be relentless for 40 minutes, which some teams may not have faced during the course of the year.

“As the years go on and he steps up the talent level, they’re certainly going to be somebody to be concerned about each and every NCAA Tournament.”

Hill recalled Pitino as the Providence coach when Hill was in high school in the late 1980s, and then encountering him at the Five-Star Basketball Camp in the summer of 1989.

He called Pitino’s session as “still to this day, the best on-court basketball lecture I’ve ever witnessed.”

“I was just absolutely blown away at his teaching, how he inspires, how he connected with those in attendance there,” Hill said.

Raftery and Hill will return to CBS/WBD’s top announcing team for the NCAAs, with Ian Eagle succeeding Jim Nantz as their play-by-play partner.

Now they might have Pitino and St. John’s along for the ride.

“It’s great that he’s in the Big East, and he’s at St. John’s,” Hill said. “He’s made that program relevant again, and regardless of what happens with this team this season, I think as long as Coach Pitino’s there he’ll continue to build and have St. John’s as a program back in the tournament and relevant again.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.