St. John’s Stunned by Arkansas: Pitino’s Decision to Bench Star Player Sparks Debate
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In a shocking turn of events, the No. 2 seed St. John’s was ousted from the NCAA tournament by the 10th-seeded Arkansas on Saturday. The game took a dramatic twist when St. John’s top player found himself on the bench during the crucial moments of the match.
Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. had just hit two free throws with 4:56 left on the clock, narrowing the gap to two points. However, in a surprising move, coach Rick Pitino decided to substitute him out of the game. Luis, who was having an off day with a season-low nine points, never made it back onto the court.
After the game, Pitino faced a barrage of questions from reporters about his decision, especially since Arkansas outscored St. John’s 11-4 in the final minutes, securing a 75-66 victory in front of a packed house of 11,487 fans at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Initially, Pitino mentioned that Luis had played 30 minutes, implying it was a significant amount of time. But when pressed further on whether fatigue was the reason for benching Luis, Pitino retorted, “No. He played 30 minutes. I played other people. You’re asking leading questions, so don’t ask me any questions. You already know why he didn’t play.”
The atmosphere in the Bill Reynolds media workroom was tense. When it was pointed out that Luis had admitted to a reporter that he felt he hadn’t been a positive leader during the game, Pitino chose not to address the comment directly. Instead, he shifted focus to three other St. John’s players whom he praised.
When asked if a specific play led to his decision to keep Luis on the bench, Pitino highlighted Luis’s shooting stats. “You know he was 3-for-17. You know he was 0-for-3 [from 3]. So you’re answering your own [question],” he said. “I’m not going to knock one of my players.”
Entering the game, Luis was averaging 18.5 points per game. His previous season low was an eight-point game against Creighton on Dec. 31, where he shot 4-of-15 from the field.
Unfortunately for St. John’s, Luis’s struggles were part of a larger issue, as the team shot a dismal 28% from the field and went 2-for-22 from beyond the arc.
“It feels like we didn’t do anything, really. It sucks to lose the way we lost,” Luis reflected. “I let my teammates down.”
Pitino acknowledged the offensive woes, stating, “Offensively, we did not share the basketball enough and that was our demise. We did not move the basketball enough, and that led to us shooting a very low percentage. We have to get a high number of assists to win, and we didn’t tonight.”
St. John’s had not encountered a team with the length and athleticism of Arkansas all season, and it showed. The Red Storm struggled to adapt to the Razorbacks’ physicality, which disrupted their offensive flow.
Defensively, St. John’s had been exposed earlier in the season by Villanova, who exploited their weaknesses off the dribble. While other teams attempted to replicate this strategy, none had Arkansas’s talent to consistently break down the Red Storm’s defense.
As St. John’s continued to miss from long range and Arkansas penetrated the lane with ease, the Red Storm’s frustration was palpable. Their body language spoke volumes, and at one point, teammate Zuby Ejiofor (23 points, 12 rebounds) had to give Luis a pep talk on the court.
Arkansas players noticed the shift in St. John’s demeanor. “Ohhhhhh, most definitely,” exclaimed Arkansas freshman guard Boogie Fland, when asked if he could see the accumulated frustration. “You could see it on their face. Body language … says more than words. They actually showed that. We were wearing them down, wearing them down.”
- St. John’s finishes the season with a 31-5 record.
- Arkansas advances further in the NCAA tournament.
- Rick Pitino’s decision remains a hot topic of debate.
Originally Written by: Pete Thamel,Mike Reiss
