St. John's is having a dream season under Rick Pitino.
In the first episode of Vice TV's “Pitino: Red Storm Rising,” viewers got an interior look from the St. John's locker room during a Pitino Halftime speech.
In a December match on the road against Providence, St. John's ran in half at age 13, filming just 35% off the field and 7-9 to 7-9 from the free throw line.
Pitino was not satisfied with his efforts against one of the smaller teams in the Big East.
“Digit in and become a basketball player. Dig! Every time you miss a shot, your game will settle,” cried Pitino to his peers. “We don't care about the shots you missed. Play F-King Defense! You keep blowing the opportunity away from the opportunity.”
The Red Storm had the intended effect as they advanced towards a 72-70 comeback victory over the monks in the dominant second half.
“You're like a kid doing something bad. Instead of digging and being strong, you wilt!” Pitino said.
Richard, son of Pitino, head coach of the New Mexico men's basketball team; I made a joke on x That the speech gave him “ptsd when I didn't make a bed.”
Check out the latest Big East rankings and cents. John's statistics
But Pitino wasn't just about basketball. And they didn't just compare his team's play with whimsical kids.
“Where is your F-King toughness? Where did you get raised because you're so weak mentally? Pitino emphasized to his players. “You don't know what adversity is?
“It's not a basketball game, it's a F-King game of life. You don't fall when things go wrong.
For those who never create a professional basketball league, this kind of speech bites basketball and life, and life is incredibly valuable.
Pitino said people haven't seen half of it when it comes to his locker room lectures.
“I really wasn't that difficult for them. I should have seen some of my Kentucky halftims,” Pitino told WFAN after the clip got word-of-mouth Tuesday morning.
Some don't like Pitino's old-fashioned, sturdy style of coaching and leadership, but it's clear that his players will respond well to it as St. John's currently sitting in the Big East at 22-4.
“Your life will be adversity, and learn how to deal with it!” Pitino said.
