BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ
It’s a White Out at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
But Hall of Fame St. John’s coach Rick Pitino says he won’t wear his signature white suit for the game with Villanova.
Pitino and St. John’s have a lot of questions to answer after suffering the worst loss for St. John’s in the Pitino era. Now, as they pursue their second straight Big East regular-season championship, they hope to get back on the right track after a 32-point loss to UConn.
“I went out to a special tailor for the first time in my life, I said this could be one of my last white suits if I finish coaching this year, which isn’t true,” Pitino told reporters Friday. “There’s no way I’m wearing a white suit after that loss, unless I have a couple of wines tonight, it’s not happening.”
The Johnnies were bludgeoned at UConn 72-40 but now have a chance to bounce back against Villanova and Pitino and his program understand the significance of the game.
“We want to win Saturday, that’s the main focus and the main goal,” forward Dillon Mitchell said. “What’s in front of us is still for us, we want to accomplish, our goals from June.”
As for the Huskies, Pitino and UConn head coach Dan Hurley aren’t just prepared to see each other again, they expect it.
“[Hurley] said, ‘I have a feeling we’ll meet again’ and I said, ‘I hope you’re right’,” Pitino said. “Because we know we can.”
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