"He's lifted a standard": College hoops analyst explains how Rick Pitino changed the scenery at St. John's with his resources & impact 

Omaha v St. John
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino - Source: Getty

Rick Pitino has transformed the St. John's Red Storm, a once-proud program that had been struggling to compete in the Big East, into a competitive force within two seasons. Last season, he led the Red Storm to their first regular-season title since 1992 and their first tournament title since 2000.

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Wherever Pitino goes, he instills faith, passion and strong coaching experience into his new team. This has helped him turn any program around effectively and build a winning culture. He came to Queens with a hunger to restore St. John's to its former glory, and he pretty much did exactly that, leading the Red Storm to their best season in decades.

Analyst John Fanta discussed Rick Pitino's impact on St. John's during an episode of "The Field of 68" podcast with Rob Dauster on Wednesday.

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"For so long, you and I talked about this job and this program and what it could be," Fanta told Dauster. "What Pitino has done is he's lifted a standard, but he's also shown what's possible if you have the right people on your side and you have this type of mentality.
"You've shown the monster, the sleeping giant, that this program is. And we got to see how transfer portal talent comes together. To me, that’s what makes it a juicy storyline. They couldn’t have really done much better in the transfer portal. Ian Jackson, Bryce Hopkins, Joson Sanon, I wouldn’t have predicted all those guys to be on the same team. They have multiple alpha candidates," he added.
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Rick Pitino claims point guard role has faded from modern basketball

While analysts are arguing who will be the starting point guard for the Red Storm, the Hall of Fame coach came out with an interesting claim that the true point guard position in modern basketball is slowly going away.

"There are no point guards anymore," Pitino said, speaking with reporters on Wednesday via New York Basketball on X/Twitter. "If you find it, you're probably describing a guy who can't shoot."
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However, John Fanta, in the same "Field of 68" podcast, shared his thoughts on the importance of having a solid point guard, especially when the schedule ramps up.

Dylan Darling, an Idaho State transfer, is expected to take the point guard duties this coming season for Pitino's squad, with Ian Jackson also possibly slotting in at the position.

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Edited by Veer Badani
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