Latest news with #RickPitino
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Rick Pitino Doesn't Hold Back About Thunder After NBA Finals Berth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting to find out who they will play in the NBA Finals. After blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 124-94 on Wednesday night, the Thunder have punched their ticket to the championship round. Right now, the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks stands at 3-2 in favor of the Pacers. However, the Knicks were able to keep the series alive with a blowout win over Indiana on Thursday evening. Regardless of who wins the East, Oklahoma City has to be feeling good about the position it is in. Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28,... Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. More Photo byFollowing their NBA Finals berth, St. John's head coach and college basketball legend Rick Pitino has spoken out strongly about the Thunder. He is even using them as film for his team, which is a first in his career. Read more: Tyrese Haliburton Sends Bold Warning Before Pacers-Knicks Game 6 In a post on X, Pitino did not hold back from praising Oklahoma City, especially on the defensive end of the court. "It's interesting, in my 40+ years I've never shown clips to my teams of NBA defense," Pitino wrote. "Offensive sets and individual moves, but never defense. Until this past season. We watched the Thunder at least 3x a week. They're switching, loading up to help, and rotations are awesome. And they are still so young!!!" All season long, the Thunder have been dominant defensively. That defense has led to an elite offense as well. Throw in the fact that star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA's MVP award and Oklahoma City has the makings of a championship winner. They simply need to win four more games. Read more: Shocking Contender Named as Landing Spot for Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo During their series against the Timberwolves, the Thunder made Minnesota look lost. They made things very difficult on Anthony Edwards, with the star shooting guard averaging just 23 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 28.2 percent from three-point range. With the NBA Finals set to begin on June 5, Oklahoma City is receiving much-deserved recognition. Pitino's praise is just one of many big names to talk about how special the Thunder have been and how dominant they have been playing. Both the Pacers and New York are quality teams, but if Oklahoma City keeps playing the way it has, neither team can match up. For more Oklahoma City Thunder and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama basketball to add marquee opponent, venue to 2025 nonconference schedule: report
Alabama basketball will reportedly head to The World's Most Famous Arena in 2025. According to a report Thursday from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Nate Oats' Crimson Tide are finalizing an agreement with St. John's and legendary coach Rick Pitino to play at Madison Square Garden in New York. It will mark the first time an Alabama team has played at 'The Mecca' since 2013. Advertisement The game will reportedly take place on November 8, with St. John's expected to play Alabama in the 2026-27 season at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. St. John's joins an already expansive list of nonconference opponents Alabama is set to face in the 2025-26 season. Oats already has games scheduled against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Chicago, North Dakota and Yale at Coleman Coliseum, and the Arizona Wildcats in Birmingham. The Crimson Tide will also make another trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival and face an ACC school in the annual SEC-ACC Challenge. St. John's went 31-5 overall last season and won the both the Big East Tournament and Big East regular season championship. They were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and were bounced in a second-round upset by John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks. The Johnnies are a popular team in many way-too-early rankings ahead of 2025-26. Fox Sports recently ranked St. John's No. 2 in its early top 25, while ESPN's Jeff Borzello had them at No. 3 in his new rankings on Monday. Advertisement Alabama finished 28-9 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, falling 85-65 to Duke in the East Region final in Newark. The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 6 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, while St. John's was ranked No. 10. The meeting between Alabama and St. John's will be the first between the two programs in over 40 years. They last met in the 1982 NCAA Tournament at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island with two legendary coaches squaring off. Wimp Sanderson's Crimson Tide defeated Lou Carnesecca's team, 69-68. All-time, Alabama and St. John's have met four times on the hardwood dating back to 1955. The head-to-head series is split 2-2. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball to face Big East power at MSG in 2025, per report
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rick Pitino, St. John's Receive Head-Turning 2025-26 Prediction
The St. John's Red Storm and head coach Rick Pitino made waves during the 2024-25 college basketball season. Looking ahead to the future, St. John's appears to be a team to watch as a potential national championship contender. Last season, Pitino led the Red Storm to an impressive 31-5 record. He took them on a run to the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement As a No. 2 seed in the tournament, St. John's started off with a first round win over Omaha. Following the big win, Pitino and company came up short against John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks. That loss ended their season. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 college basketball season, the Red Storm are receiving a lot of hype. A new ranking has been released that shows the hype clearly. In a column on FanDuel, Jon Rothstein reveled his early rankings. He has Pitino's team coming in at No. 3 on the list. Pitino did have some key losses throughout the offseason. RJ Luis was the biggest loss, while other players left as well. Those other players are Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith, Aaron Scott, and Simeon Wilcher. Advertisement To replace the talent that left the program, St. John's brought in players as well. Joson Sanon, Bryce Hopkins, Oziyah Sellers, Ian Jackson, Dillon Mitchell, Imran Suljanovic, Dylan Darling, Handje Tamba, and Kelvin Odih have all joined the team and will look to take the Red Storm to the next level. St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick PitinoEric Canha-Imagn Images With Pitino leading the way, St. John's will always have a chance. He is a living legend in the college basketball world. Throughout his career leading up to this point, Pitino has compiled a 761-308 record. Despite going through some major issues off the court, Pitino has landed on his feet and is building something very special. Related: Rick Pitino's Son Makes Head-Turning Admission About Father's Legendary Coaching Career Related: NBA Exec Turns Heads With Major Prediction for Duke's Kon Knueppel
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky's Mark Pope Issues Stern Warning to Rick Pitino
Mark Pope is ready for Rick Pitino—and not just on the court. The Kentucky head coach, who led the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 in his first season, is already looking ahead to a marquee showdown in December when Kentucky faces St. John's in the CBS Sports Classic. Advertisement The matchup, set for Dec. 20 in Atlanta, pits Pope against his former coach, Rick Pitino, in what promises to be a must-watch event. But Pope isn't just thinking Xs and Os—he's thinking tailoring. 'I'm putting this out there so Coach P can hear it. I am bringing the suit game,' Pope said with a grin. 'I already started planning. Coach, just be ready. K? Bring it.' He wasn't done. 'And the game's gonna be elite. I'm not going white. Listen, I'm not trying to be the Don. Like, that position's already been taken. But I'm bringing the Thunder. So I don't know what coach has prepared, but he better get with his tailor because it's on right now.' Advertisement It's the kind of playful energy that's made Pope an early fan favorite at Kentucky—and this game will carry a little more weight than most. Not only are both teams expected to enter the season ranked, but it's also the first time Pope and Pitino will square off as opposing head coaches. Pitino, now at St. John's, coached Pope during Kentucky's 1996 national title run. St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Penner-Imagn Images The Red Storm are coming off a 31-5 season and will be replacing UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic field, which also includes Ohio State and North Carolina. But come December 20? It's all about the Wildcats, the Red Storm—and the suits. Related: Duke Suffers Major Recruiting Blow in Elite International Battle
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. John's Sends Strong Rick Pitino Message After Historic Season
The St. John's Red Storm are fresh off a historic season with head coach Rick Pitino at the helm. Pitino led St. John's to the NCAA Tournament, ranked as a No. 2 seed. The Red Storm began March Madness with a victory over Omaha in the first round and followed that with a second-round loss. Advertisement St. John's fell to John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks, ending a memorable year for the program. Despite the brief run in the tournament, Pitino was highlighted as one of the best head coaches in college basketball. The legendary coach won the Naismith National Coach of the Year and was a co-winner of the Associated Press Coach of the Year award, alongside Auburn's Bruce Pearl. After the season, St. John's recapped an incredible year by Pitino and his team. "A year to remember with our Coach," the official social media account of the St. John's Red Storm posted. The 2024-25 college basketball season will certainly be marked in the record books for Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm. Advertisement St. John's undefeated 12-0 record at Madison Square Garden was a program first since 1931-32. The Johnnies also won the Big East Tournament title for the first time since 2000. St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Canha-Imagn Images Last season, St. John's was led by Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr., who had the best season of his three-year college basketball career, posting 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The Red Storm may have suffered an early loss in the NCAA Tournament, but they've certainly turned the corner in their pursuit to become one of the best college basketball programs in the country. Related: Big John Calipari Announcement Made on Friday Related: Dawn Staley Announces Exciting Personal News on Thursday
