St. John's HC Rick Pitino tears into team, downward spiral continues

"This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime," the 71-year-old said of his first season at St. John's, via Yahoo Sports.

St. John's got off to a promising 12-4 start. Since then, however, it's been downhill sledding for the Red Storm. They've lost eight of their last 10 games and are ninth in the Big East. 

St. John's must win its conference tournament to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. In his latest bracket, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi listed the Red Strom in his next four out, along with Colorado, Villanova and Pittsburgh.

Pitino has struggled to find the right lineup. He recently benched 2022-23 All-Big East power forward Joel Soriano. He's continued to point the finger at his players, claiming they don't suit his system. 

"We kind of lost this season with the way we recruited," he said. "We recruited the antithesis of the way I coach. It's a good group, they try hard, but they're just not very tough."

Pitino is one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. In 34 seasons, he's led three programs (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville) to Final Four trips and won two national championships. Still, he should take more accountability.

Berating the team will not attract top recruits, and if he can't land better players, it could result in an unceremonious end to a storied career. In March 2023, St. John's signed Pitino to a six-year deal, hoping he would reignite a program that hasn't made the Final Four since 1985.