Rick Pitino gives honest reaction to St. Johns free throw struggles | Sporting News

Rick Pitinos move to St.

Johns initially flew under the radar, but now its clear that the impact hes had on the program is anything but quiet.

What began as a low-profile hire has turned into a major shift for the Johnnies, who have become a force in college basketball under Pitinos leadership.

When he took over, the program was in disarray, but Pitino has completely changed that.

Currently ranked No.

12 in the country, St.

Johns is 20-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play.

The Johnnies are one of the hottest teams in college basketball.

They entered their Tuesday night game on an eight-game winning streak, hoping to extend it to nine, and with a home crowd behind them, they had a valuable edge.

St.

Johns hosted Marquette in a top-15 showdownits first such game since January 1999.

Pitino had his team well-prepared, and they dominated on the boards throughout the night.

The victory marked the best start to a season for the program since 1985-86.

After the game, Pitino expressed his excitement for whats ahead.

Im having a blast coaching these guys.

Im having a blast seeing The Garden explode like this, Pitino said.

The only downside to St.

Johns performance was a significant struggle at the free-throw line.

The Johnnies finished just 17-for-31 from the charity stripe.

After the game, Pitino was interviewed by Bill Raftery and was asked about the teams free-throw shooting woes.

"Yeah, you know, inside I want to kill myself.

Outside I say thats okay, well make the next one,'" Pitino said jokingly.

It was a candid and humorous response to a very real issue.

Despite their struggles from the free-throw line and beyond the arc, the Johnnies still found a way to get the win.

Theyll face another tough test on Friday when they take on defending national champions UConn..

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