St. John's is Kicking Rick Pitino Back Off the Wagon Following Late-Game Antics

The first Saturday in January was a wild day of college basketball. You can’t necessarily use that word to describe the St. John’s 70-62 win over Butler, but Rick Pitino needed a little extra something-something after securing a Big East win.

The second iteration of the Red Storm under Pitino has some athleticism, but they aren’t the best collection of shooters. St. John’s ranks 276th nationally in three-point shooting percentage, knocking down just 30.9% of their attempts from downtown. Pitino would’ve loved that against Butler.

St. John’s shot 1-for-21 from three-point land and yet they were still good enough to beat Butler comfortably. That’s not why Pitino was enraged and ready to pick up a bottle after the game.

The Johnnies were dribbling out the clock in the final seconds. Pitino had already turned his back to shake hands with Thad Matta when Simeon Wilcher decided to add a few style points. He attempted a windmill, but he couldn’t get down the dunk. Incensed by the lack of sportsmanship, Rick Pitino started his postgame press conference by apologizing to Matta and his Butler basketball team.

“I wasn’t pleased tonight with the end of the game at all,” Pitino said. “I don’t understand it. If he would’ve made it and it went in, he would’ve been nationally ridiculed, so why would somebody want to be nationally ridiculed? It lacks common sense to me.” 

That was just an appetizer. The old head coach really started cooking later on when he got on a rant about “kids these days.” In the middle of it, he also took a shot at some of his colleagues who have decided to step out of the game.

“Young people today are different. I’m struggling with it. I’m not quitting like some coaches, but I really am struggling right now with a lot of things,” Pitino said. “The work ethic is great, the listening is really bothering me.

“I gave up drinking for New Year’s, but I think I’m going to have the shortest resolution in the history of mankind and I’m going to jump right back in.” 

The water’s warm, Coach. Jump right back in and enjoy a glass of wine or two. You earned it.

St. John’s is 12-3, 3-1 in Big East play, and ranked No. 24 by KenPom. If he needs a drink now, just wait until February when the pressure amps up a few notches and his team is bricking all of the threes.