WASHINGTON – Rick Pitino joked that senior guard Kadary Richmond was like a advantageous wine.
“He retains getting higher with age,” Pitino quipped. “And he’s 35.”
Even when he was 35 and never 23, Richmond nonetheless wouldn’t have been born the final time St. John’s bought via January with no loss. That was 40 years in the past in 1985 — the final time this system reached the Closing 4.
The Fifteenth-ranked Crimson Storm are 7-0 for the reason that New Yr and 9-1 in Huge East play for the primary time for the reason that ’80s heyday beneath late Corridor of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca, which doesn’t come up a lot across the fitness center.
“I actually don’t speak concerning the ’80s,” Pitino mentioned after a 66-41 victory at Georgetown on Tuesday night time. “I at all times toast Lou after each recreation and say the identical factor to everyone: ‘Lou can be happy with this crew.’ However I don’t deliver it up an excessive amount of. I don’t deliver it up they’re probably the most wins in January. I by no means deliver any of that up. That’s your job. We actually simply do concentrate on getting higher. This crew is getting higher and higher.”
St. John’s has received three of the previous 4 with out level guard Deivon Smith, who has been nursing a bruised proper shoulder. Smith may return as quickly as Saturday when Windfall visits Madison Sq. Backyard, and that solely makes the Crimson Storm extra harmful.
“They’re doing rather well with out him,” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley mentioned. “I don’t know. I imply, I haven’t performed towards them with him. It’s one other athlete on the ground, one other tenacious defender. They’ve performed nice with out him.”
Cooley emphasised nice, and it is onerous to argue. Tied with No. 9 Marquette atop the Huge East standings, St. John’s has outscored opponents 519-423 throughout this run, and that features erasing a 16-point deficit within the second half to beat Xavier in time beyond regulation final week.
“It means rather a lot for us, however we’re simply taking it one recreation at a time,” swingman Aaron Scott mentioned of profitable seven in a row. “We’re not wanting too far sooner or later. We’re simply going to arrange for Windfall and simply prepare for that recreation.”
Pitino known as the sport towards the Hoyas his crew’s greatest defense-offense efficiency of the season. The lead bought as large as 30, and it was over at halftime.
He informed gamers within the locker room that he’d solely coached one crew that “may exit within the second half, play it 0-0 and dominate” — Kentucky in 1996 on the best way to a nationwide title. St. John’s isn’t there but, and that is OK to Pitino.
“I’m happy with these guys,” he mentioned. “I feel the very best quality that we’ve is we’re humble. We simply hold enjoying onerous. We don’t suppose we’re nice. We aspire to be nice, however we don’t imagine we’re nice. We perceive that anyone can beat us.”
They only have not in a very long time, and March Insanity is correct across the nook.
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