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St. John's basketball head coach Rick Pitino has more than Thursday's charity exhibition to focus on; it's also playing against freshman standouts Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Both players are projected to be lottery picks, with Bailey being a likely No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Pitino knows the significance of playing top-tier talent before the season officially starts.
“I think you’re better off asking John Calipari that question than me,” Pitino said via NJ.com, in response to a question from NJ Advance Media. “They’re two top-five draft choices, I haven’t dealt with too many top-five draft choices.”
Luckily for Pitino, he has an ace up his sleeve with his transfer, Kadary Richmond. He came from Seton Hall and knows a lot about the Rutgers system. Even with Bailey and Harper, the Red Storm have Richmond as one of Pitino's top transfer moves. Regardless, the talented duo presents an interesting combination.
Harper is a true combo guard and can play as a primary shot creator or an off-ball threat. On the flip side, Bailey is one of the more impressive physical forwards in college. His athleticism, fluidity, and shooting touch make him a prized possession for Rutgers.
St. John's basketball, Rick Pitino could have first challenge vs Rutgers
Even though this is an exhibition, this is Bailey's and Harper's first taste of college basketball. Practice is one thing but it's another to play an actual game against other schools. Also, the same principle applies to St. John's basketball. This may be an exhibition but it could reveal a lot about how they look entering the season.
Bailey and Harper could get a taste of a stout Big East defense. After all, the Red Storm were only one win away from punching a ticket into the NCAA March Madness tournament. Pitino laid out his expectations ahead of facing the star-studded duo.
“We know they’re very talented, we know they’re going to get better as the season goes along,” Pitino said. “It’s good for them to face us as well because they’ll see a strong defense hopefully.”
The season officially begins on November 4 against Fordham. St. John's will not play Rutgers at any point throughout the 2024-25 season. The only exception would be if both teams make the tournament and are in the same region. If that were the case, both teams could look drastically different heading into March, along with potential improvements from Bailey and Harper.
