St. John's coach Rick Pitino has never been shy about speaking his mind, even if it is against his own team.
The Red Storm blew an 11-point lead and lost to Auburn, 85-74, on Wednesday at Michelob ULTRA Arena in the consolation round of the Players Era Championship.
The 21st-ranked Auburn outscored the 14th-ranked St. John's, 55-35, in the second half, including a 30-13 run in the final nine minutes.
Pitino admitted that they need to improve their defense, as they allowed the Tigers to shoot 55% from the field, including 43% from beyond the arc.
“They made their free throws. They were 21-25. We’re not a great defensive team. We’re not. We’re average at best, and we’ve got to become a good defensive team before we become a great defensive team,” said the outspoken coach, as quoted by sports reporter Taylor Korn.
The Red Storm finished 1-2 in the tournament after back-to-back losses. They fell to 4-3 overall.
Zuby Ejiofor had 24 points and six rebounds to lead St. John's, while Joson Sanon chipped in 16 points and two steals. Bryce Hopkins was limited to nine points on 2-of-11 field goals.
The team only shot 38% from the field and allowed 44 points in the paint.
Pitino, who joined St. John's on a six-year contract in 2023, is known for his philosophy on applying pressure on defense, stressing that it can control the tempo of the game. They, however, have been inconsistent so far, allowing 76.4 points per outing.
St. John's will have an extended break before taking on Mississippi at Madison Square Garden on December 6.
