Rick Pitino knows how to comeback from lopsided losses and his motivational message — amplified by the New York Post’s back page on Saturday — was answered as St. John’s rolled to a dominating 89-57 blowout win over Villanova on Saturday.
Pitino said St. John’s embarrassing loss to UConn on Wednesday night simply added to the significance of their matchup against Villanova, with our back page noting how the veteran head coach called Saturday’s prime time game at Madison Square Garden as the biggest game of his tenure.
The back cover, entitled “Storm Warning: Pitino sends out Red alert to SJU about MSG game tonight vs. Nova” was featured on the Fox College Hoops broadcast ahead of the Johnnies’ commanding win.
St. John’s victory over the Wildcats now puts them at a 23-6 record on the season.
When talking to reporters on Friday, Pitino stressed the importance of Saturday’s game.
“I feel this is the most important game of the three-year span I’ve been here,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said Friday. “Because of what happened last game, because of the meaning of being in first place, how good [Villanova is], this time of year, to get back on the winning side.
“There are about seven variables that are crucial for this game.”
