Rick Pitino’s last national championship team featured three high-level guards who could play for themselves and others.
He follows the additions of Louisville’s trio of Peyton Siva, Russ Smith and Luke Hancock, as well as elite lead guards Davon Smith (Utah) and rising sophomores Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall). He sees similarities with the three consecutive championships he won at St. John’s. Simeon Wilcher.
“Russ and Peyton were lightning players, great basketball players. Those two are great basketball players, and so is Sim,” the St. John’s coach told the Post. “We have three great basketball players and two freshmen who are going to be great players in the future.” [top 50 recruit] Jaden Glover and the young man from Greece [Lefteris Liotopoulos]”
One of the questions that has arisen since the addition of a highly rated transfer is who will lead the attack.
Smith and Richmond are ranked as the top transfers entering the portal by several different outlets and are used to playing with the ball in their hands.
Pitino’s answer is both.
He believes they are better at each other’s play and believes having two dynamic playmakers makes it easier for the other to play. Last season, they averaged 12.2 assists.
“It’s no different than Peyton Shiva or Russ Smith. We play four out and one in, and they’re guards,” Pitino said. “They’re different, very different. Dayvon is a great rebounder. [Heat guard] Terry Rozier at guard spot. He’s totally a dog. he’s kidding. Cadderly is quite different. Cadderly is a great, great passer. Dayvon is also a great passer. Cadary is a guy with incredible vision, great size, gets to the foul line and rebounds. He’s so excited to get both and not just the sim. They’re three top-notch security guards.”
“They’re guards, they’re all playing on the perimeter. If anything, position dictates who you’re guarding. Offensively, everyone’s running the pick-and-roll, everyone’s running downhill. , everyone executes the break. We play a positionless attack.”
Neither Richmond nor the 6-foot Smith are known as shooters — neither averaged more than 2.5 3-pointers in their four-year college careers — but Pitino is confident that they will be able to make 3-pointers this year. I expect him to break his personal best record in the category, and I believe he has sufficient shooting power. Shooting on the roster.
Most importantly for him, St. John’s added a lot of athleticism to join a young core of Wilcher, RJ Lewis, Brady Dunlap and Zubby Ejiofor.
This is a lineup that Pitino believes will be a good match for his up-tempo pressing style, especially with two lead guards who are strong rebounders and can start the transition game.
Additionally, Richmond’s 6-foot-6 size creates positional versatility that allows Johnny to go big or go small.
“What I wanted more than anything was guys who could put the ball on the floor, pass the ball, and score the ball. To increase the pace, I wanted to have players that were very capable of not only up and down the court, but laterally as well. Run fast,” Pitino said. “With RJ, Sim, Brady and the guys we’ve added, Zuby is a great runner. We’re very athletic right now and it’s going to be very exciting for the style of play we want to play. ”
Pitino is excited about how the roster is coming together. St. John’s was patient and didn’t rush to acquire players he felt couldn’t move the proverbial needle.
The Johnnies’ first transfer came five weeks after the portal opened in the form of former top-30 recruit Vince Iwuchukwu from USC. He then acquired Aaron Scott, a quality 3-and-D wing from North Texas, who beat Oklahoma State, Memphis and Arizona State.
The additions of Smith and Richmond in a 24-hour span earlier this week left Pitino with just one open scholarship that he plans to use for a floor-stretching power forward.
His second St. John’s team is now nearly complete, with the transfer class ranked No. 4 nationally by 247Sports.com.
“Our staff and [general manager] Matt Abdelmassi did a phenomenal job. We said we’re going to be patient,” Pitino said. “We’re very, very excited and we’re very close to putting together a great roster at power forward. We’re going to be playing a big-time schedule next year, so we needed a big-time roster. .”
The schedule already includes a home game against Big 12 foe Kansas State and the Baha Mar Hoops Tournament against Tennessee, Virginia and Baylor.
St. John’s is in talks to play Georgia while in the Bahamas and could also play New Mexico, coached by Pitino’s son Richard, at the Garden.
