Rick Pitino took over the St. John’s men’s basketball program in March with high expectations for a team that’s struggled in recent years.
Pitino, who has two NCAA tournament titles and seven Final Four appearances on his résumé, got hit by a harsh reality check on Sunday as the Red Storm lost 63–59 to Division II Pace University in an exhibition game.
Despite the unexpected preseason loss, Pitino managed to find a positive twist on the defeat.