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Rick Pitino on His Future, Why UConn Isn’t a Rival, and the Big East’s Next Step
Description
Jon Rothstein sits down with Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino to discuss St. John’s resurgence, the state of the Big East, and what matters most as March approaches. Pitino reflects on his earliest memories at Madison Square Garden, winning his 900th career game against his son, and how he views rivalries — including matchups with UConn — through the lens of building a championship-level program at St. John's Red Storm. The conversation also dives into roster retention, Big East scheduling philosophy, player development, and what St. John’s must improve before the NCAA Tournament.
0:00 Intro
0:10 First memory of Madison Square Garden
1:35 Win 900 vs. his son
3:00 Advice to Mark Pope
4:30 Retention priorities
5:35 Future at St. John's & coaching
7:25 Big East trends
9:00 Non-conference schedule
10:05 Current win streak
11:00 Early season losses
11:55 Dillon Mitchell back in starting lineup
12:35 Zuby Ejiofor
13:45 Depaul matchup
14:30 Matchup vs. UConn
15:00 Respect for UConn
16:25 This UConn team vs. title teams
16:50 UConn Rivalry
17:30 Biggest ways to improve before tournament