Rick Pitino talked with reporters after a “somber” scene with his players as reality sunk in that the Red Storm would not be heading to their first NCAA Tournament in five years, and the head coach went off on the popular college basketball metrics that didn’t seem to be taken heavily into account when it came to his team’s resume.
“I think we all should probably never mention that word again because it’s fraudulent,” Pitino said of NET rankings, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I think the NET is something that shouldn’t even be mentioned anymore. I think we had a good strength of schedule [in] KenPom. Why mention him? We tried to play a tough schedule, we tried to do things the right way, and we didn’t get in. But I never make excuses.”
Many were surprised to see St. John’s not even listed among the first four teams left out of March Madness, considering their NET ranking of 32. The Johnnies ended their season with six straight wins, including a Big East Tournament victory over Seton Hall, then battled top-ranked UConn to the brink before falling by five.
It wasn’t enough to sway the committee, and while Pitino went off on the metrics that the committee seems to hold in high regard, he backed off when it came to the committee itself.
“Every possible upset happened and the three of us really got hurt by that,” Pitino said, noting the conference final upsets that led to stolen automatic bids. “You have to say the committee did the best they could.
“We’re not going to gripe, we’re not going to say we got screwed. Bitterness does not help. I’ve had enough bitterness in my life to last a lifetime.”