Pitino Admits St. John's Lags in Fundamentals Despite Exhibition Win

St. John’s began its exhibition schedule with an 81-52 victory over Drexel, but head coach Rick Pitino indicated that the team is significantly behind on fundamental aspects of the game.

Pitino stated that the team’s late start, with the entire roster not assembled until the fall semester and key transfers Keyshawn Hall and Reed Bailey committing only at the end of August, has impacted their preparedness. "We’re just so far behind on the fundamentals," Pitino said after the game. "The upside is you rather have outstanding talent that needs to learn how to play, than little talent that’s fundamentally sound."

Despite the win, the Red Storm committed 19 turnovers and allowed Drexel 14 offensive rebounds. Pitino highlighted these as major areas of concern. "If I had one disappointment tonight it was rebounding," he noted. "We played very good defense, surprisingly good defense, and we gave them offensive rebounds. We got to rebound the ball much better to go against Rutgers and Texas. That’s going to be the biggest point of emphasis."

Pitino acknowledged that the team is likely "three weeks to a month behind" due to a difficult summer.

Among the newcomers, Indiana transfer Reed Bailey made a notable impact in his limited minutes, scoring eight points, grabbing five rebounds, and recording three steals in 14 minutes. Pitino praised Bailey's understanding of the game and his ability to play without forcing shots.

Pitino utilized a rotation of Tounde Yessoufou, Babacar Sane, and Keyshawn Hall, with Quinn Ellis, Ian Jackson, and Ruben Prey also expected to be key contributors.