St. John’s Red Storm coach Rick Pitino was asked about his team’s next matchup in a recent interview, where he did not mince words of praise about their opponents’ likely one-and-done star’s NBA future. On Sunday, March 22, coach Pitino and his 2025-26 Red Storm team will match up against coach Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks for the second round of the East Region of the 2026 March Madness in neutral territory, the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.
During his recent post-game press conference, coach Pitino was asked ahead of the matchup against the Jayhawks about his thoughts on the opponent. Amid his struggles with health and fitness, Pitino turned the discussion towards Kansas’ likely one-and-done star in Darryn Peterson, who is a projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Pitino believes that Peterson can be great in the league.
“He’s gonna be a great NBA player because he has an NBA game. And you know, we’ve got our work cut out for him just trying to stop him. But, they have a well-rounded team. [Melvin] Council’s terrific. He’s great on the break. He’s got one of the best floaters in the game, so. They’ve got the defensive player of the year. They got a terrific team. They’re well-rounded,” Pitino said. (0:24)
Pitino is coming off of his squad’s first round win of this year’s NCAA tournament over coach Ben Jacobson’s Northern Iowa Panthers in the same venue, wherein they won by a staggering 26 points, 79-53. With St. John‘s moving closer to a deep run in this year’s national tournament by eliminating the Panthers, the team now holds an overall record of 29-6 (18-2 Big East) on the year.
Rick Pitino Details What Aspects Of Darryn Peterson’s Game Make Him Great
Also during his most recent post-game presser, Rick Pitino expounded on what facets of Darryn Peterson’s game make him great and make him a candidate for the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
“Well, he gets to the foul line. He’s got great size. He’s got a beautiful looking jump shot with great arc. His size presents a problem. When he uses a pick and roll, he’ll reject it, and his size getting into the rim’s great. He’s a great scorer,” Pitino shared. (0:07). Pitino detailed aspects of Peterson’s scoring prowess and physical traits that help the young talent be a spitfire scorer.
Also Read:
Bill Self Defends Darryn Peterson’s Media Absence Amid Injury Struggles
Is Silas Demary Jr. Injured? UConn vs. UCLA Injury Report Ahead of March Madness Clash
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