After getting snubbed for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night, Rick Pitino and St. John’s opted out of the NIT.
“First and foremost, we have great respect for the National Invitation Tournament and St. John’s storied history in the event,” said Pitino in a statement. “After thorough consideration of all that goes into postseason participation, we believe at this time it is best for our team and basketball program to prepare for next season. We remain focused on building a championship-level basketball program here at St. John’s. I would like to thank all our fans for their wonderful support this past season and look forward to the bright future ahead for St. John’s Basketball.”
On a Zoom call, Pitino said: “Life is full of disappointments. If I could just give my players and hug and make the pain go away, I would do that, but unfortunately I can’t.”
The Red Storm reached the 20-win plateau for just the fifth time in the last two decades while its 11 BIG EAST victories were the most for the program since the 2010-11 campaign. St. John’s advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2000 after earning a 19-point victory in the quarterfinals versus fourth-seeded Seton Hall. 2024 BIG EAST All-Second Team selection Daniss Jenkins earned a spot on the all-tournament team, as the Red Storm’s point guard averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals in the team’s two postseason contests at Madison Square Garden.
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