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00:00St. John's has won 10 games in a row.
00:08The Red Storm are red hot.
00:11The win streak, including two recent victories against ranked teams, has elevated Rick Fittino's Red Storm into the nation's top 10.
00:18If they can win their remaining games, the top seed in the NCAA tournament is now within their grasp.
00:26We're witnessing an amazing season, and Villanova is next.
00:31It's a road game in the Big East. It's going to be tough.
00:34They know if they lose, they're not going to the tournament.
00:37But we're better than them. We're going to win the game.
00:41Wiltshire, Simi, and Wiltshire! Big time!
00:47Down the track! Perkins!
00:52On a 10-game winning streak, hang to the balance.
00:568.7 to go, so now the question is, what will Rick Fittino do here?
01:07Providence does it. A big upset.
01:10The Louisville Cardinals are champions.
01:13Rick Fittino, his biggest win without a question of a doubt.
01:16The king of college basketball.
01:22St. John's won a big game last night against Marquette.
01:26St. John's now has won nine straight and 15 of their last 16.
01:30They've got kind of a big game this weekend.
01:32Oh yeah, they do.
01:33The Con.
01:34Yeah.
01:36Richmond can go to the basket as well as any player on the college level.
01:42Matter of fact, he might go to the basket better and more powerfully than any player in the country.
01:48Is there talk of like, let's get this banner, let's get that banner?
01:52We're really just staying level-headed. We're taking it one game at a time.
01:55But, you know, coming into the season, we probably had like four or five guys just, you know, transferred in.
02:01And we got to know each other a little bit better.
02:04Our main thing was we're going to win the beast.
02:07The rising profile that comes with winning brings with it more requests from the media,
02:12like this interview with Slam Magazine.
02:15They are willing learners.
02:17They try to get better each day, and they've become relentless at the defensive end,
02:21which is important to be a tournament team.
02:23Coaches don't win games. Players win games.
02:25So we had confidence going in that we could recruit the players necessary to win.
02:30It's confidence that you'll bring in the right players to fill the culture that you want to present.
02:37Budget-wise, we don't truly know where all the money's coming from like we did in the past.
02:42Although it is midway through the Big E season,
02:44Athletic Director Ed Cole and NIL Director Matt Abdel-Massi
02:49are already hard at work planning for next year's team.
02:52From a budget standpoint, I mean, certainly for me,
02:56the increase from last year to this year was ridiculous.
03:01Last year, a Tier 1 player might have cost $500,000, $600,000.
03:06This year it costs a million.
03:08You have to decide yourself, is it worth spending the million dollars for a needle-moving player?
03:14Matt really represents the new age of college athletics.
03:19NIL is name, image, likeness.
03:21That value, of course, is as incredibly vague as you can possibly get,
03:25other than the market really setting it really on what they do on the court.
03:30We know the transfer portal is going to open.
03:32We know that there's going to be players in there that we need to get.
03:35And we know that we need to have the money to do so.
03:38Coaches and even administrators have to accept this is the way of the world.
03:42If we want to be competitive in college basketball, you need to adapt or die.
03:47We are incredibly fortunate that Mike Rapoli has stepped up in a massive way
03:52to assure us that money is never going to hold us from getting a player.
03:59Mike Rapoli, the billionaire behind football,
04:03Mike Rapoli, the billionaire behind Vitamin Water and Smart Water,
04:07is a devoted St. John's alum who has stepped forward to become
04:10the primary financial backer of the basketball program.
04:14You need a wham. You need somebody who can say, here's a few million.
04:20And that's what Mike Rapoli is doing for St. John's.
04:24Guys, Mike's a great friend.
04:27And we are where we are today because of really good players, because of him.
04:31Rapoli even visits the locker room during the season.
04:35You guys have a chance to make history. This place is rocking.
04:38Just do me a favor. Do what you did to Seam Hole.
04:40Blow the s*** out so I don't have to sit here and worry.
04:42I got a plane to go catch.
04:44Mike Rapoli is as big of a personality as Rick Pitino.
04:47I mean, I know him through covering horse racing.
04:50Vitamin Water guy, proud St. John's alum.
04:53He wants St. John's to be good, and he has the money to make them good.
04:58That is a very strong partnership.
05:06We have incredible donors that have stepped up outside of Mike
05:10that have put us in a position to be able to field a roster
05:14that Coach Pitino feels good about.
05:16Alumni who now really become owners of our basketball program.
05:21Shareholders and investors. Now, it's also a negative.
05:24When things ain't going well, they're like,
05:26why did we pick up this kid?
05:28Jayden Glover, a freshman, as you can see, is very talented.
05:32Has a great body.
05:33Only thing negative is he thinks that defense is part of the COVID virus.
05:38But offensively, he's terrific.
05:40We really appreciate your support emotionally, financially, and everything else.
05:44Another key avenue for funding is to grow the fan base.
05:48You and I both know we need more fans.
05:51We need more season ticket holders.
05:53Winning, of course, speaks for itself.
05:56Just win, baby.
05:59All right, guys. Connecticut's had six days to prepare for us.
06:03It's going to be an extremely hostile environment,
06:06so we're going to see some things that we're not prepared for.
06:09This is the first time St. John's will square off
06:11against the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies this season.
06:15Last year, Connecticut went undefeated against St. John's
06:18in all three of their matchups.
06:20This week's game offers another chapter in the growing rivalry
06:24between Rick and UConn's future Hall of Fame coach, Dan Hurley.
06:28I don't think people truly understand the significance historically
06:33of what UConn has done the last two years.
06:36In 2023, UConn's main troika, Andre Jackson, Jordan Hawkins,
06:41Adama Sunogo, carried them to a national championship.
06:44They all left school.
06:46Last year, UConn was more dominant.
06:49Over that time span, the Huskies have won 12 NCAA tournament games
06:53by an average of 21.7 points per game.
06:56UConn hasn't just dominated opponents.
06:59UConn has eviscerated opponents.
07:02They are a great offensive basketball team. Great.
07:06So you have a coach in Rick Pitino,
07:08who has now taken over this program in St. John's,
07:11which hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 2000.
07:15And standing in the way is Dan Hurley,
07:18who has had as good of a two-year run
07:21as anybody that we've seen in college basketball.
07:27Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino are made for each other.
07:31They're in the same conference. They're in each other's way.
07:34They're big personalities. They're big celebrities.
07:37Dan Hurley wants a foul.
07:40Dan wants it all.
07:42This coach has been yelling all week at them.
07:45And I know for a fact that he's yelling.
07:47St. John's is not for first place. Connecticut's first place.
07:51That's all he's been saying all week.
07:53So you have to understand the magnitude of this game and what it means.
07:59Recent history between the two teams and coaches has been heated,
08:02including an incident at MSG when they faced off last season.
08:06Technical foul on the call against the St. John's bench.
08:10I think Dan Hurley is talking about a gentleman in the front row.
08:13Dan Hurley just told one of the officials to throw a fan out.
08:18Rick has known Danny forever.
08:20One thing about these coaches,
08:22they want to win and they want to beat the other guy on the other side.
08:27I just think that they talk s***.
08:31The Hurleys and the Pitinos don't like each other.
08:33That's all there is to it, OK?
08:34I like that they don't try to hide it.
08:36I think that just makes things better.
08:40The key to this game is if I'm guarding the passer,
08:44they're going to slip it, they're going to pop out,
08:47and their shooting is off the charts.
08:49We have no excuses.
08:51We have to stay in first place and win the league.
08:57Stop. Stop. You didn't do your job.
09:00There's the ball.
09:01So you're just pushing, you're watching the ball,
09:03and you're pushing down with your forearm.
09:04You have to beat somebody for there to be a rivalry.
09:07St. John's hasn't been able to beat UConn under Dan Hurley
09:12with Rick Pitino as their head coach.
09:14They beat us three times.
09:16I'm a sore loser, so I can't wait to get back at them.
09:22No good. No good.
09:24Run it again.
09:27Anytime St. John's and UConn play and Rick Pitino's coaching one team
09:30and Dan Hurley's coaching the other,
09:32it's really going to be a must-watch.
09:35Traveling to play inside UConn's intimidating domed arena,
09:39the Red Storm will need to defeat the Huskies
09:41under their opponent's six championship banners.
09:48Here's another fascinating game this weekend.
09:50The statement it would make to go in the source
09:54and beat that coach and beat that program
09:57and really solidify what UConn is capable of
10:00and beat that coach and beat that program
10:02and really solidify what they've done over the last few weeks.
10:07I can't wait to see how St. John's matches up with UConn.
10:13St. John's wants to win here in Connecticut tonight
10:15and they're the two-time defending national champions.
10:18It should be some great theater.
10:30St. John's.
10:37Look around.
10:39There's only 14,000 people.
10:42It's working and trying at the end of this game.
10:46Welcome back to stores.
10:47We're ready for number 12, St. John's,
10:50against number 19, Connecticut.
10:52Back-to-back national champions.
10:54This should be a good one, folks.
10:57And off.
10:59Johnson slips. Ball deep.
11:04He's got eight already.
11:07Baseline steward.
11:10You got to switch earlier than that.
11:1311-2 run for the two-time defending national champs.
11:20Up top, Wilson.
11:22Trying to stop the bleeding nose.
11:26Steward for three now.
11:28And hits.
11:32Who gave that up?
11:35Guys, come on.
11:37You're on national TV.
11:39You're just making yourselves look bad tonight.
11:41I don't mind losing a game, but with this type of heart?
11:48Ball, a quick release.
11:52Come on, get close.
11:53Don't give up that three.
11:57And Storm trying to find themselves now.
11:59Smith steps into a three in transition.
12:02It's pure and the foul.
12:05White, white, white.
12:07Rick decides to change the defensive strategy mid-game,
12:10calling out white, the team's code word for full-court press.
12:16They're bothered by the white.
12:17They're bothered by it. Stay in it.
12:19Jumping the white every time.
12:21Nothing behind you.
12:27Walking through the building here.
12:30And a steal.
12:31Nice job.
12:32Smith, oh, what a beautiful foul pass.
12:34And a two-hand flush.
12:36R.J. Lewis muscles his way up and in.
12:40Baseline, R.J. Lewis.
12:42And he rattles in another.
12:46Baseline.
12:47And the oh.
12:49So how about this?
12:51Johnnies reel him in with a 15-2 run.
12:57Now you've got to play harder and pick it up and play smarter.
13:04Now you've got to play 20 minutes all out.
13:06All out.
13:07You're taking the crowd out of the game.
13:08You're playing great defense.
13:09You've got to be alert.
13:10No more penetrations.
13:11Keep them in on your chest.
13:16Lewis, the kick.
13:17Pull-up jumper.
13:18Wilshire.
13:19Peel.
13:21Finds McNeely.
13:22Quick release.
13:23Three.
13:24Got it.
13:26Inside.
13:27Pull-up.
13:28Got it.
13:29There's that sweet spot.
13:31That's the way to shoot it.
13:32Keep shooting, son.
13:33You're going to make them.
13:35Now look.
13:36We're right back in the game.
13:37You can't lose sight and give them a three at the end.
13:40Give them nothing in transition.
13:42Make sure you're in the white.
13:45Griswold.
13:47Pull-up.
13:48Got it again.
13:49Ah, what?
13:53McNeely again.
13:55Into the corner.
13:58Top of the key.
13:59Crossover dribble.
14:00In and out dribble.
14:01Double pump.
14:02Off the glass.
14:03And in.
14:05This game both feels like a Sweet 16 matchup.
14:10They're on their feet in Connecticut.
14:16Three seconds on the shot clock.
14:1912.1 on the game clock.
14:22Richmond serves as the end ball.
14:26Three seconds on the shot clock.
14:28They find Lewis.
14:29Baseline.
14:31RJ's latest arrival.
14:34And that will be your ball game, folks.
14:38There's a new sheriff in the Big East.
14:40And his name is Rick Pitino.
14:52They don't lose many games here.
14:54It takes really a tough team to execute it.
14:56Great execution.
14:58That's a big-time pressing win.
15:00Big-time defensive win.
15:01You made all the great plays down the stretch.
15:03Really proud of you.
15:16We just got it rolling right now.
15:17If we just stick together, we can accomplish anything.
15:20We gotta just stay together as a unit.
15:22Stay together as a team and keep going.
15:34Tough place to play.
15:37Tough place.
15:39But you know, this team doesn't lose its composure.
15:43Which is nice.
15:46They were just hurting on man defense.
15:49So I went to the full-court press
15:51to try and take their legs out,
15:52try to get them to use a little more time.
15:54And it worked beautifully.
15:56And sometimes you have to throw your scouting out
15:59and go to a different plan.
16:02But they executed beautifully on defense down the stretch,
16:06which was awesome.
16:08And it was a fabulous win.
16:18All right, we're all set.
16:21Let's go.
16:37After winning 10 games in a row,
16:39St. John's is 21-3.
16:41That's more wins than they had all last season.
16:44Oh, and they're ranked ninth in the country,
16:47the first time they've been in the top 10 in 25 years.
16:51It's great.
16:52What Coach Patino does in like a year to a year two standpoint
16:56is ridiculous.
16:57Make it look like you're screening here.
17:00And then come off.
17:01And then hold them in the lane.
17:03I think it's a great group of guys.
17:04And obviously, you know, with the NIL transfer portal scheme
17:07nowadays, we brought in Ace Scott,
17:10Qadari,
17:12Devon.
17:14You're continuing out.
17:16Zuby, pop out.
17:18You're going there to the corner.
17:19We sign players to one-year contracts.
17:21Trying to mesh seven, eight new players every year
17:25is what makes it difficult.
17:27I think it's just really fun.
17:28It's kind of something like free agency in the NBA.
17:30You know, you never really know who you're going to play with
17:32season to season.
17:34Just ask St. John's point guard, Devon Smith,
17:37who was playing for his fourth team in four years.
17:40Each program has brought him new teammates
17:43and a new opportunity to enhance his earnings.
17:45I feel like since NIL has been involved,
17:48it's more of a job.
17:50Coach Patino and Macielo hit me in the portal.
17:53One of the first few out of all the schools.
17:56And that was really, like, genuine.
17:59And I thought I could see myself being successful.
18:01And I have family here.
18:03I wanted them to be able to come see me play.
18:05So I just wanted to be comfortable, have fun, and win.
18:08One more. You got one more?
18:10A couple of years ago, the NCAA lifted restrictions
18:13on the transfers of athletes from one school to another.
18:16And now an athlete can put himself on the portal.
18:19So what we have is kind of a backdoor open market.
18:23Just like in free agency, you work with their representation
18:26to figure out truly what that value looks like.
18:29In order for you to enter the transfer portal,
18:31you have to perform.
18:33Transfer portal is kind of like an elevator.
18:35You know, it just lets you go to the next level.
18:40But you also need to know how to manage it.
18:43I mean, I'm still trying to, you know, adapt to this new lifestyle.
18:47He don't really love me enough to let me ride his scooter.
18:51It's all good, though.
18:52The weight limit is 220, and Zub is, like, 240.
18:55Only 20 pounds?
18:57That's a lot.
18:59Young players like myself just need to really just educate themselves
19:03on what it really means to, like, earn that type of revenue.
19:07Not just going out there, buying cars, a bunch of clothes.
19:10How much was it?
19:12Like 600.
19:14You know, you got to pay your taxes and stuff like that.
19:18Bye, RJ.
19:19Want to see a trick?
19:29As part of their contractual NIL duties,
19:32players promote the team around the St. John's campus from time to time
19:35to raise awareness of the program.
19:39Obviously, the crowd plays a huge part
19:41in the amount of success that we've had,
19:43so we're just handing out flyers to get everybody on campus involved
19:46and just let them know how much we need them.
19:53Whether it's a certain amount of social media posts a month,
19:56certain amount of meet and greets a month, charitable work,
19:59I have to facilitate that, organize it for them,
20:02and make sure that they deliver on certainly what there is contractually.
20:08Don't walk by.
20:12Unlike the generations of collegiate athletes before them,
20:15players now face complicated internal dynamics with their teammates
20:19because while all of them are being paid,
20:21they are not all being paid equally.
20:23The personal business of, like, finances and all that stuff,
20:26that's not something that's talked about.
20:28We kind of keep that out of the locker room
20:30because that's what you have going on,
20:32that's what's going on with you personally,
20:34so it doesn't really matter.
20:36We're here to play basketball.
20:38We're not here to have the contest of who gets the biggest check.
20:41Yo. What's your name?
20:43RJ. Nice to meet you.
20:45For me, the biggest thing was being able to support my family.
20:48It's helped me, you know, clear some financial burdens, you know,
20:51that minority households go through and stuff like that, you know.
20:54I got two little sisters. I look out for them.
20:56So, I mean, it feels good just to be able to provide for them
20:59and just give them anything they need.
21:02I sometimes feel so sorry for my players
21:05because of the enormous pressure that families put on them.
21:09If Player X comes in,
21:11even though I know he's going to play a lot as a sophomore,
21:14his family may say, well, he didn't play,
21:16we're going somewhere else,
21:18thinking the grass is greener elsewhere,
21:20rather than saying, this is our journey.
21:24Last year, I wasn't really going to play a whole lot.
21:28I was a freshman. There was a lot that I had to learn.
21:30There's a lot that I'm still learning,
21:32and I continue to have to learn.
21:34It's a great thing that NIL is a part of college basketball right now.
21:37But it can turn bad,
21:39because sometimes it can just become like,
21:41I'm going to go somewhere where I can get the most money.
21:44And it may not be what you need personally
21:46for you to take that next step,
21:49not just being a basketball player,
21:51but, like, next step in life.
21:53Wiltshire launches for three and buries it.
21:56I told my players the biggest regret I have about the portal,
21:59and about NIL and all that other stuff,
22:02is you guys will never get that feeling of my players at Kentucky,
22:05never get that feeling of my players at Louisville,
22:08or Providence, or BU,
22:10where you go back for homecoming,
22:12and you love that place with all your heart.
22:14You don't get the relationships that you had in the past.
22:17Even by just playing a second season,
22:20the relationships between players and coaches deepen.
22:23Zuby played at Kansas for a year,
22:26and didn't do s***.
22:28I knew he was going to make a joke.
22:31But now he's the heart and soul of our basketball team.
22:34He's captain, and I'm real proud of him.
22:37You build a strong relationship.
22:39When you get a player for seven, eight months,
22:41you do as well as you can in a short period of time,
22:44but you don't make lifelong friends in seven months.
22:47You just don't.
22:49St. John's has won ten games in a row.
22:52They are ranked in the top ten of the country.
22:55The Red Storm are red hot.
22:58For so long, you've wanted to walk into the deli in the mornings
23:02and see St. John's on the back page of the paper.
23:04Well, it's happened like four times in the last ten days.
23:10It brings excitement to the whole area.
23:13People are pumped up.
23:15When you win in New York,
23:17it's nothing like it.
23:19But I love it the most for the guys
23:21because any time you're tied to winning or success,
23:24it's really life-changing,
23:26and our guys are starting to see that.
23:28Coach creates an environment,
23:30and he's a master at it of every aspect of your life
23:34becomes better when you win.
23:37To see, like, the city and the people cheer for you,
23:40I think it's a super, super great feeling.
23:43I think everybody's realizing what winning is doing.
23:46It's creating opportunities.
23:48I think the guys are liking the attention they're getting,
23:51and they know to keep it up, we got to keep winning
23:54and get to that big stage.
23:56Absolutely, we're enjoying it,
23:59but part of the enjoyment is
24:01you're moving on to another challenge,
24:04preparing for Villanova.
24:06It's a road game in the Big East.
24:09It's going to be tough.
24:17Just as St. John's prepares to face a tough Villanova team,
24:21Davon Smith re-injures his shoulder in practice
24:24and will have to sit out.
24:26I took a little hit in practice
24:28and kind of reactivated my shoulder.
24:30It kind of hurts to raise it up and shoot.
24:35I just don't feel 100, so I just want to kind of take it easy
24:38and try to get back to myself.
24:40There's a lot of good things going for the guys, for the team,
24:43and I want to be a part of it and be on the floor,
24:46so it's definitely hard,
24:48but I'm going to do what's best for me and the team.
24:54Davon is an impact guy, right?
24:56I mean, he's a guy that can change the game
24:59on both ends of the floor.
25:01He's really crucial.
25:14He said Villanova has to find a way,
25:17when you're playing St. John's,
25:19to match, if not exceed, the effort level.
25:22Ball reversal, dribble, hand-off.
25:24Nice cut, dive with the open middle.
25:27Is that pretty?
25:29Little fan dribble.
25:31Great ice block.
25:39Wiltshire hits.
25:42Wiltshire hits.
25:49Down to six, pop through and in.
25:51What an attack by Wuga.
25:54With two, it's Dixon.
25:56Catch.
26:03Nice chance.
26:05Again, hands.
26:08Perfect.
26:12Wildcats have their largest lead thus far.
26:20Down by ten,
26:22Rick implores his team to deny three-pointers
26:24and make the big plays on defense
26:26like they have all year.
26:30Johnny's had a score of four and a half minutes.
26:35I mean, I-O.
26:37Connects.
26:42Here's Richmond. That's his game.
26:44That's his game. That is filthy.
26:47I mean, I-O thriving.
26:49Leotopolis.
26:54This was just a ten-point game moments ago.
27:03Remember I told you
27:05how hard people go to play?
27:07They're playing like starving dogs.
27:09They know if they lose,
27:11they're not going to the tournament.
27:13You can't let them outwork you.
27:15Just make sure you pay attention to all the little things.
27:17Can't let them get high from your three-point line.
27:19Okay? We're good. We're good.
27:21Let's go. We're good.
27:28Nice pass and a back cut.
27:30And there's the attack to the rim
27:32by Kadari Richmond.
27:34And now a turnover on the inbounds to Wiltshire.
27:36They're so dangerous at ready.
27:39Lewis.
27:41How about that for a start to the second half
27:43in 27 seconds.
27:47Aaron Scott. Corner trade.
27:54Nice pass.
28:00Griff gets with three.
28:02That is a long.
28:04Louded here again.
28:06Vintage Spinner at Pavilion.
28:09Richmond
28:11with five.
28:13It's a triple.
28:15They do with Dixon here.
28:17That's a bad pass.
28:19Look at this for Dixon.
28:21To Aaron Scott
28:23who continues a big night.
28:27That is a big individual.
28:29He is a tank.
28:31Good effort.
28:37But Johnny's never stopped.
28:39That is impressive.
28:45Griff gets Dixon with three.
28:47Dixon.
28:51It's Eric Dixon.
28:53What will Rick Pitino do here?
29:01By two, St. John's 10-game winning streak
29:03is on the line.
29:07Wiltshire.
29:09Big time.
29:13How about that?
29:17Down to 12.
29:19Don't know if it has a timeout
29:21if they want to stop things again.
29:23Perkins.
29:25Woo!
29:27To Richmond
29:29with eight.
29:31The Brooklyn Bull is five.
29:33Richmond with three.
29:35Wiltshire for the win!
29:43Nova knocks off St. John's.
29:55I was able to hit
29:57one out of the two.
29:59Sucks that I wasn't able to hit the second one.
30:05It's a shot that I would take again
30:07if I had the opportunity to.
30:09It's all good.
30:11I can't really hold my head.
30:15Great game.
30:17Guys played their asses off.
30:19This is one of the best shooting teams
30:21in the country
30:23to stop their outside shot.
30:25Rick, can you give us an update
30:27on where Smith is?
30:29We need to get him healthy
30:31because he's not the same
30:33player he was a month ago.
30:35And I think if you bring him
30:37back too soon, you're going to lose him
30:39for the playoffs.
30:41Thank you all.
30:43It was a bad pain.
30:45It was like all through my neck, my shoulder.
30:47I definitely thought
30:49the season was over.
30:51Yeah, I really don't enjoy
30:53sitting out.
30:55Rehab and PT and stuff is probably
30:57like the worst time.
30:59I got the quarter zone shot yesterday.
31:01I'm feeling a little bit better.
31:03So now we're just attacking the treatment heavy.
31:05I'm going to try to get
31:07some sleep.
31:09I'm going to try to get some sleep.
31:11I'm attacking the treatment heavy.
31:15There's a lot of stuff that goes on
31:17that could test you mentally, and I'm still here
31:19pushing through.
31:21Definitely challenging,
31:23but I'm getting through it.
31:27Even if
31:29Davon's injury were to be season-ending,
31:31his one-year NIL contract
31:33is guaranteed. But if a player
31:35is injured, plays below
31:37expectations, or a better player
31:39is recruited, their contract for next
31:41season is not a sure thing.
31:45If a player is not producing,
31:47they're not going to get the same amount of money.
31:49Or you're going to cut them
31:51and move on. It's your job
31:53to always put the program
31:55first, but
31:57scholarship's a separate deal.
31:59It's almost impossible for you not to keep your
32:01scholarship. Nothing can really interfere
32:03with it.
32:05The guaranteed contract
32:07is part of the new NCAA
32:09NIL system
32:11that has radically altered the way
32:13the NCAA used to treat players.
32:15I feel like it's way
32:17long overdue. I mean, even just
32:19Coach Pacino's legendary teams
32:21and his early Kentucky teams,
32:23Louisville, I feel like those guys
32:25are definitely owed some money.
32:29The NCAA is a
32:31grouping of 1,100
32:33schools, and they all come together
32:35and they make rules.
32:37Between 1906 and 1955,
32:39they didn't even allow scholarships
32:41in the NCAA.
32:43In 1955, there was a reform.
32:45They started to allow scholarships,
32:47but they were limited to tuition,
32:49room, board, and books.
32:51They called it laundry money.
32:53Back then, it was $15 a month.
32:55They had a rule that you didn't pay
32:57the college athletes. This was really about being
32:59students and being amateurs.
33:01And so, on the one hand,
33:03you had a rule that said you can't pay them.
33:05On the other hand, they were clearly valuable.
33:07It was under this
33:09paradigm that in 2017,
33:11a Louisville assistant coach got caught
33:13up in an FBI investigation
33:15into illegal payments.
33:17The FBI investigation happens
33:19and they're caught up in that.
33:21There's been
33:23no evidence that Rick Pacino
33:25knew what was going on
33:27with any of that.
33:29He was exonerated from any wrongdoing
33:31or circumstances.
33:33Today, when I look back on it,
33:35I'm not upset at the University of Louisville.
33:37You have a right to fire whoever you want to fire.
33:39The NCAA
33:41investigated the whole thing,
33:43but they drag it out.
33:45No respect for them.
33:47Do I have a chip on my shoulder for them? Without question.
33:53It was always an unfair system.
33:55And then the NCAA, which was a greedy,
33:57corrupt organization, still is.
33:59And is holding on by a thread and shouldn't even exist.
34:01They
34:03are using players' name,
34:05image, and likeness in games
34:07and not giving the players anything.
34:09Look how much money
34:11is involved.
34:13You can't act like this is a mom and pop shop.
34:15Now it's not.
34:17Because the athletes weren't allowed to be paid,
34:19the coaches got paid for the
34:21athletes they recruited.
34:23But a large majority of the players are players of color.
34:25And they're getting paid nothing.
34:27Meanwhile, coaches,
34:29many of whom are white men, are getting
34:313, 5, 10, 15 million dollars a year.
34:33How is this
34:35system allowed to happen?
34:39You kind of knew it would be inevitable
34:41that these student athletes would be like,
34:43hey, I'm not getting a dollar for it.
34:45It was always
34:47hypocrisy.
34:49You knew as soon as anybody took it to court,
34:51they couldn't lose.
34:53So there were a couple of antitrust
34:55cases. They said the NCAA
34:57is violating antitrust laws
34:59and creating constraints
35:01or restraints on trade.
35:03This was a restraint on trade.
35:07The NCAA in 2021
35:09lifted its restriction on NAL.
35:11Now it
35:13became possible that third parties
35:15would come along and
35:17give a football player
35:19a million dollars.
35:21You know,
35:23it's ironic to me
35:25that we are less than 10 years later
35:27and all of the things that assistant
35:29coaches were losing their jobs for
35:31and obviously being arrested
35:33for are now all legal
35:35in the sport.
35:37So we spent two, three,
35:39four years dealing with
35:41this FBI scandal for things that
35:43are now legal.
35:45If we had made certain things
35:47legal, like name, image, and likeness,
35:49like it should have been for a long time,
35:51we could have avoided
35:53this entire runaround.
35:57It's been an incredible
35:59transformation.
36:01I mean, in the span of what feels like
36:03eight minutes, we went from
36:05having rules
36:07guiding how much cream cheese you
36:09could put on a bagel, literally,
36:11to
36:13how much money can you pay.
36:15Not that you're allowed to pay.
36:17If you don't,
36:19you're not going to win.
36:21St. John's will need
36:23to win when Creighton, their rival
36:25at the top of the conference,
36:27comes to Madison Square Garden.
36:39St. John's 10 game winning streak
36:41has come to an end.
36:43They can't sit around
36:45and think about things too much.
36:47They have to come right back and play.
36:49We'll see how they bounce back from it.
36:51Inside Madison Square Garden,
36:53No. 9 St. John's, No. 24 ranked.
36:55Creighton, lots on the line in regards to
36:57position in the
36:59Big East Conference.
37:01One game separating the two of them right now.
37:03It's a journey.
37:05Take it one game at a time.
37:07If we get Creighton, we've got a two game lead.
37:09This has a double effect
37:11because it's worth two games because we're battling
37:13in the first place.
37:17In a surprise twist,
37:19Davon Smith has recovered from his injury
37:21much faster than expected
37:23and plans to join the team on the court
37:25for the game.
37:27When he's in the lineup, we get anywhere from 16 to 20
37:29fast breaks.
37:31Against Villanova, we had six.
37:33So the pace picks up
37:35when he's in the game because he's so fast.
37:37There you go.
37:41You're going to fake it.
37:43You're going to come down to here.
37:45You're going to take him out on the low side
37:47for a three.
37:49Get together on that. Get together.
37:51Here we go. Motion.
37:53Motion.
37:55We've got to create more movement in this game.
37:57We've got to pick up the pace and we've got to make sure
37:59they're a great three point shooting team
38:01at just about every position.
38:03So we've got to stop that.
38:07Last year, we had a tough time getting
38:0912,000 people.
38:11You are now selling out Madison Square Garden
38:13like the New York Knicks.
38:15It's your hard work
38:17that has done it.
38:19The coaches haven't sold one ticket.
38:21It's all you.
38:23You should be proud of that.
38:25You don't want to lose that. You've earned it.
38:27You deserve it. Take it to a new level tonight.
38:37Here's Kalkreuter.
38:39He can also dial it up. Had a hand
38:41in his face and got the bounce.
38:45Lewis lines it up. He's off.
38:47A sharp
38:49start for the Blue Jays.
38:53Ashford dials it up.
38:59And now a nice entry to Green.
39:01Jason Green with authority.
39:07Don't say another word. You hear me?
39:09Now look at the play. Like an adult
39:11who wants to be a professional.
39:13Get your ass back and stop
39:15making mental mistakes.
39:21A big ovation
39:23for Davon Smith.
39:25A top four score
39:27for the Red Storm, but does so much more
39:29than that.
39:33Smith and Richmond are on the floor together.
39:35They are dangerous.
39:41Another turn on numbers.
39:43Aaron Scott.
39:45Pass.
39:47Ashford can't answer.
39:49And now this building. They're gearing
39:51up here after a slow start by the
39:53Red Storm.
39:59Two triples.
40:01R.J. Lewis.
40:03Triple.
40:07Here's Smith.
40:09A tackle. Davon Smith is blown.
40:11He really is. He changes
40:13the speed and the pace.
40:15Ashford comes
40:17around the horn. Stephen Ashford.
40:19That's a pure teardrop.
40:25Answer for Scott by Paul Kretter.
40:27And we've got a one-point game in this
40:29showdown for first at the half.
40:33How do you feel, D?
40:35You okay?
40:37Alright, we're up one.
40:39We're out
40:41shooting them at the three.
40:43They're just killing us from the two-point range.
40:45Contain your men.
40:47Push the pace. They can't guard you in the open court.
40:57Smith.
40:59A tackle.
41:03Here's Lewis.
41:07Lewis to answer for Matt
41:09Wilbrey.
41:138-0 Johnny's run.
41:1519,812
41:17are into it.
41:19Rejected.
41:21Jays haven't scored
41:23in four and a half
41:25minutes. Fred King
41:27is now inserted into action.
41:29Got his own miss.
41:31Things have come undone
41:33for Creighton.
41:35Stuck in a six-minute scoring
41:37drought.
41:41They've got numbers.
41:45Skies to the rim!
41:49And a turnover here by Andrew
41:51for Creighton.
41:53Off to Lewis.
41:57Head goes over his head.
41:59Aaron Scott tries to get it.
42:01Believe it. New York City.
42:05The Red Storm have risen
42:07to the top of the
42:09Big East behind Ricky P.
42:13There are not a lot of
42:1572-year-old coaches who are
42:17willing and able to adapt
42:19to these
42:21massive changes. Most of the coaches
42:23in his cohort are either getting out
42:25of the game or complaining about
42:27the game or both.
42:29A lot of
42:31coaches are very worried about how can I
42:33control this player if he's making all
42:35of this money.
42:37I don't think Rick gives a hoot about
42:39how much they're paying him. He's not going to change
42:41who he is. He's going to coach players hard. He's going
42:43to demand of them. He's going to be exacting.
42:45He's still in charge of making
42:47them better. We've gone through
42:49problems with Davon early in the year, with
42:51Sim, but we've never wavered
42:53with our discipline of what the way you should
42:55be. He's saying, what's
42:57the situation now? Where's this
42:59thing going? And let's go there.
43:01I've never in my lifetime coached
43:03a team like this. They are bringing
43:05the fans all back with their effort
43:07and I know St. John's appreciates that.
43:09Thank you all.
43:11Coming up next time.
43:13This is Madison Square Garden,
43:15a sellout crowd
43:17with the Big East on the line.
43:19St. John's tries to complete
43:21a season sweep of rival UConn
43:23in front of a sold out Madison
43:25Square Garden.
43:27And that's the kind of start you want
43:29if you're UConn. Their coach is going to make this
43:31very personal.
43:35That type of motivation
43:37just gets them fired up.
43:39And UConn, just like in the first meeting,
43:41off to a good start. Every single guy
43:43here is going to take it to a new level.
43:45Listen to this crowd.
43:47UConn giving St. John's
43:49a taste of their own medicine.