Rick Pitino says St. John’s is ‘three weeks to a month behind’ despite exhibition rout of Drexel

The St. John’s Red Storm basketball team opened its exhibition schedule with a comfortable victory Wednesday, but Rick Pitino saw plenty that needs fixing before the regular season begins.

An 81-52 win over the Drexel Dragons at Carnesecca Arena did little to ease the head coach’s concerns about fundamentals and preparation. The Red Storm’s defensive pressure fueled the rout, but turnovers and rebounding lapses exposed weaknesses beneath the lopsided score. In an article for the New York Post, Zach Braziller shared the veteran coach’s candid assessment of the work ahead.

"I really love our upside. We're just so far behind on the fundamentals,” Pitino said. “But the upside is you rather have outstanding talent that needs to learn how to play, than little talent that’s fundamentally sound."

Pitino additionally pointed to the defensive effort as an encouraging sign while emphasizing how much work remains.

“We have a lot of improvement to make, but I was impressed with how hard they played defensively, and did a lot of good things. We’re about three weeks to a month behind, because we had such a bad summer.”

A disrupted offseason limited opportunities for the Red Storm to work together. Keyshawn Hall and Reed Bailey arrived near the end of August, while NCAA eligibility disputes complicated preparations. Donnie Freeman’s season-ending injury added another setback.

St. John’s defense delivers despite fundamental mistakes

The Red Storm committed 19 turnovers and surrendered 14 offensive rebounds Wednesday. They finished tied with Drexel at 43 total rebounds and shot 7-for-29 from beyond the arc.

Those numbers help explain why Pitino’s evaluation extended beyond the final score. Winning by 29 points did not erase the possessions St. John’s lost through mistakes or the extra opportunities it allowed on the glass.

The defense offered a stronger foundation. The Red Storm forced 25 turnovers, collected 19 steals and blocked eight shots. Drexel shot 25.8% from the field and 12.5% from three-point range.

Babacar Sane led St. John’s with 17 points and eight rebounds, making three of his four three-point attempts. Ian Jackson chipped in 10 points.

Quinn Ellis contributed six assists, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks alongside three points. Bailey supplied eight points, five rebounds and three steals in 14 minutes off the bench.

The Red Storm enter the season after a 30-7 campaign that included Big East regular season and tournament championships and a Sweet 16 appearance.

Exhibitions against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday and the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden offer two more opportunities to improve before their Nov. 2 season opener vs. the Monmouth Hawks.