Michael Cohen
University football and university basketball editor
Storrs, Connecticut – The first backstage of fans of Uconn Sloshed and saddened came down from the upper level of the Gampel pavilion with 3:11 to play in a game which was supposed to revive the two national champions in title, but rather transformed by passing conference Torch of regional power to the arrivals of the queens. “F — that,” shouted a man by waving a disgust arm and hit the last sips of his adult drink, looking for comfort in $ 2 of beer. At that time, the Huskies dragged eight following a pair of free throws from the star of the storm of Red Kadary Richmond, a thorn to the Connecticut team for his entire collegial career, and nothing on the Malaise filled with revenue from the home team suggested all kinds of tale book return was at stake.
But suddenly, Tarris Reed converted two free throws and Liam McNeley returned a runner on the right side of the track, reducing the four -time margin. The fans who had started their gloomy walking towards the outings reversed the route and put their neck to have a last overview. In both directions, these old rivals of Big East went in a jerk and frantic finish which left the Huskies to need a defensive stop to give themselves the chance to bind in the decreasing seconds. And it was at this point that the assistant coach of St John, Bob Walsh, wrote a brilliant game for the free shooting goalkeeper RJ Luis Jr. for a basic jumper who won the nets and torn the Heart of anyone clinging to hope, restarting the Husky exodus en masse.
“(Luis) never met a shot he didn’t like,” said St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino. “
The 17 feet of Luis with 10.1 seconds on the clock raised St. John’s to a possible victory of 68-62 which aroused all persistent questions on the veracity of the Pitino group, which entered the week with a A global record seeing but just a single quad 1 victory over its curriculum vitae. But in the elimination of Marquette No. 11 and UCONN n ° 19 in a four -day section – suffocating both with a corrosive mixture of defensive intensity, robust physicality and camaraderie in time – the Red Storm wrote the most beautiful and relevant program of the program of the program in the largest national level in decades while simultaneously fighting on the control of the Big East of its last two champions of the regular season and the tournament, respectively. St. John’s is now alone at the top of the ranking at 21-3 in total and 12-1 in the league while hosting realistic expectations of competition for titles inside and outside the conference, a feeling that seemed unimaginable before the arrival of Pitino d’Iona two years ago.
The last time Pitino brought a team to the Gampel pavilion with this very anticipation surrounding the match was January 29, 2011, for an old -fashioned Big East force between Louisville n ° 23, where he trained for 16 seasons , and Uconn, fifth row. A morning in the afternoon in front of a closed window crowds of 10,167 accelerated quickly in a classic double extension while the leader of the cardinals Peyton Siva distorted his body in the air for a meager suspended who forced the first Additional session and then cut in the way for a right -chandage which required the second. Two other Siva Layups, whose seven goals on the ground all came from the interior of the arc, won a 79-78 victory for visitors.
Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun was so irritated with the inability of his team to hinder the diminutive Siva, generously listed at 6 feet high and 185 pounds, that he killed the defensive effort of the Huskies in a replica Memorable post -match: “I have no explanation – for that – none,” said Calhoun. “If I did it, I would have tried to resolve it. I tried to use different centers, but they both ruled out to make sure that (Siva) had a lighter view of the edge.”
So Elated was Pitino that his group persevered despite the follow-up of nine half the second half and abandoned 21 offensive rebounds-“we were completely, physically exceeded on the glass”, he said-that the Temple of possible fame has passed part of his new conferences at the poetic highlight on how much he loved Louisville’s list: “It is one of the bravest teams I have ever trained,” said Pitino. “I’m really lucky to train this team.”
In mind and diction, the feeling that the January day equaled what Pitino said about his current team after a pugilist victory against Marquette Tuesday evening, launching a week that will launch the red storm towards their highest ranking From the 21st century when new polls were released at the start of next week. St. John’s has overcome the horrible performance of the Franc launcher line (17 for 31, 54.8%) and the line of 3 points (3 for 16, 18.8%) by batping the gold eagles for 36 points in paint and a plus 22 rebound advantage. Subsequently, Pitino spurred how fun his players to train, how he finds their behavior “refreshing with the way they play, how much they play” and suggest that his pride in the team of this year is tied with any other since an illustrious career which includes seven appearances in the Final Four and two national championships.
The pure brutality of this match seemed to stun the head coach of Marquette Shaka Smart, who opened his post-match press conference after a defeat of 70-64 by praising “incredible violence” and “Force” with which the red storm had played. Such an underestimated hair of one of the nearest and most respected colleagues from Hurley hit the head coach of the Uconn during his preparation for St. John’s. Long considered as a roaming supporter of legalized assault, Hurley encouraged his players to watch the film “Gladiator” in preparation for the level of physicity they would meet on Friday evening. “It’s going to be a war,” said Hurley.
And the Huskies rugged in combat. Buoyed and Bolstered by the Emotional Return of McNeeley, A Five-Star Recruit who Missed Nine Games with a High Ankle Sprain, and a raucous crowd that wound snake-like-like lines through the competition in pursuit of highly discounteed adult, howy’s team exploded for 24 points in the first seven minutes splashing five 3 points which built a two -digit lead. The crowd of 10,299 beat and broke the possibility of a defining week of the season, the Huskies having won an unexpected victory on Marquette last Saturday.
But nether pitino’s brow nor His immaculately Tailored follows Every Grinkle, With the 72-Year-Old Pacing Miles Along Gampel Pavilion’s Sideline in His Trademark Stance: Both Arms Behind His Back, The Fingers from one handcrafed by the palm of the palm of the palm of the palm of Another, leaning forward at the waist to bark the instructions and peck the managers. The freshness radiated from Pitino to a collection of players who seemed just as highly, even if the red storm abandoned its original defensive game plan in favor of a relentless press in field. When Pitino asked his Harry team and harass an under -organized milk Uconn rear area – with the leader Hassan Diarra Limited by a sick knee and the absence of a secondary ball manager – St. John’s replied in Forcing 22 reversals and transforming them into 18 points in the other direction.
“What the press has done for me for 40 years is that it has worn legs in terms of legs where they don’t shoot the ball,” said Pitino. “This is always the gift that my teams have had. If we can exhaust their legs, they won’t shoot it too. But they came to us and they got too easy photos. Press will remove a little starch from their shots, would take a little time in the rear area, we will make ultra-aggressive.
Point by point, possession in possession, the red storm took control of the game. They left the hole in the first half in 14 points with a barrage of mid-range horsemen of Luis, which made 10 of the 21 attempts On the ground for a summit of 21 points with a shooting graph which has actually condemned what is considered to be analytically sound. They eroded a second half-time deficit of six points when Richmond began to make his way through traffic for a brutal lay-up after the other, marking his 12 points in the final stanza. There was a six -minute period in the last stages of the second half when Luis and Richmond combined to score 16 of the 18 points on the team. Even Hurley admitted that the red storm was physically stronger than Uconn apparently all positions on the ground.
“I think we consider the ball as food,” said Luis. “And we try to take it. I have the impression that we are a group of dogs playing hard, and I have the impression that we wanted it more than them.”
A missed lay-up of McNeeley with three remaining seconds finally sealed the fate of the Huskies, a moment at which Reserve St. John’s Center Ruben Prey began to agitate the rest of the goodbye student section. In the handshake line, where Luis absorbed a playful thrust after another of his adored teammates, the exchange between Hurley and Pitino was without incident. They briefly kissed, then separated with the two men, understanding exactly why this game took place as it did.
And then the celebration entered the high speed while the assistant coach of St. John’s, Taliek Brown, started to strike the chests with apparently all the players who left the field, each exchange more powerful than the previous one. It was a painful scene for the handful of Great from Uconn seated a few meters away, behind the Huskies bench, as their former teammate was delighted with the victory of another school. Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor and Rashad Anderson considered the starting goalkeeper of their 2004 national championship team enjoyed that the Big East Torch changes their hands for at least one season.
“We have done it now,” said Pitino, “and we won’t let him slide a little.”
Do you want beautiful stories delivered directly to your reception box? Create or connect to your Fox sports accountAnd follow the leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Michael Cohen covers university football and basketball for Fox Sports by emphasizing Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter @ Michael_Cohen13.
Get more university basketball Follow your favorites to get information on games, news and more
