"Kentucky of the East": 2x National Champ Rick Pitino lauds St. John's fans amid historic season

Following the No. 7-ranked St. John’s' 89-75 victory over UConn Huskies on Sunday, Rick Pitino took the opportunity to praise the Red Storm fans for their passion and dedication.

Pitino’s St. John’s has strolled to a 24-4 record this season, averaging 78.7 points, 41.0 rebounds, 15.9 assists and restricting opponents to 65.7 points.

When Pitino faced the media on Tuesday, he likened the support of the St. John’s fanbase to the Kentucky fans, who are known for their passionate support.

“Well, I can assure you we had most of the fans tonight,” Pitino said. “We did not have (them) last year, but it was about 70-30 this year, and they are a great fanbase. They are like Kentucky. The Kentucky of the East. They travel great, they show up, but our fans were there in a big way.”

Rick Pitino coached Kentucky from 1989-1997, during which period he won a national championship in 1996, which makes the comparison more meaningful. Pitino has witnessed a revitalized fanbase cheering St. John’s on.

St. John's rich basketball history has seen them appear in 30 NCAA tournaments with the last appearance in 2019. As the program with the seventh-most NCAA tournament appearances (27), St. John’s loyal following will be hoping to return to national prominence as the season draws to a close.

All attention will be on Rick Pitino and his Red Storm to see how far he can take St. John’s.

Rick Pitino hopes to see Chris Mullin return to St. John’s basketball

With just two victories left, Rick Pitino’s No. 7-ranked St. John’s would claim the Big East conference’s top spot for the first time since the 1984-85 season. It's a feat that has drawn the attention to former Red Storm player Chris Mullin.

In 1981, Mullin was recruited to play for the St. John's basketball program, averaging 16.6 points and setting the school freshman record for points scored. During his time in college basketball, Mullin was named Big East Player of the Year three times and named to the All-America team three times.

During the NBA All-Star weekend, in an interview with Sirius XM on Feb. 19, Mullin praised coach Rick Pitino. He labeled Pitino as the “Pat Riley of college basketball,” and highlighted the growth of St. John’s star Kadary Richmond this season.

It was an unexpected comment from Mullin, since he stepped down as coach of the Red Storm in 2019. During his time, he led St. John’s to the NCAA tournament. After the 82-58 victory over DePaul, Pitino reacted to the comments and hoped to see Mullin back at St. John’s.

“He’s the most famous player in the history of the school,” Pitino said. “He’s someone that everybody looks up to for what he’s accomplished, so he is St. John’s.”

Pitino highlighted the importance of Mullin’s legacy and his impact on St. John’s history.

“Chris epitomizes everything that’s great about St. John’s,” Pitino said. “It just takes a little time to heal some wounds, but as far as I’m concerned, my admiration is as high as it can be for Chris. He’s part of our family, and he’s the greatest player in St. John’s history.”

Rick Pitino was open about his thoughts and made it clear that former Red Storm players, including Mullin, are always welcome.