Rick Pitino stands on the brink of a significant career milestone, with the opportunity to secure his 900th on-court victory against a familiar adversary. The St. John’s coach notched his 899th win on Tuesday evening, setting the stage for a potential landmark victory this Saturday when the Johnnies face Xavier, led by none other than his son, Richard Pitino. This achievement would see him tie with Bob Knight for fourth place on the all-time list of on-court victories.
“It’s amazing,” Pitino remarked after St. John’s edged out Seton Hall 65-60 at the Garden, drawing a crowd of 13,776. “Kenny Klein from our media relations team mentioned it to me four games ago. He said, ‘If you keep winning, your 900th win could be against your son.’ I thought, ‘What are the odds?’ Coaching for 50 years and then achieving a milestone like this against your own son is quite a treat for me and my family, regardless of the outcome.”
This will be the first time the father-son duo faces off in a conference game since Richard assumed the head coach position at Xavier during the offseason. The Musketeers have gained momentum recently, particularly on their home court, with victories over Providence and Butler.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun—a great game,” Pitino expressed. “If we lose, I’ll leave my team in Cincinnati.”
The pair last met on the court when Richard was at the helm of New Mexico, a nonconference match that saw St. John’s emerge victorious. This upcoming clash adds another intriguing chapter to their familial rivalry.
The two faced each other last season when Richard was coaching New Mexico. St. John’s won that nonconference battle.
Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway singled out Ruben Prey for his contributions in St. John’s come-from-behind win. The reserve forward saw extended minutes due to Zuby Ejiofor’s foul trouble, and produced six points and four rebounds. St. John’s outscored Seton Hall by six points in his 15 minutes.
“I thought he came in and gave them excellent minutes,” Holloway said. “I thought he gave them excellent minutes, he was all over the place.”
St. John’s improved to 7-1 in Big East play for the second consecutive season. The last time that happened was in 1998-99.
