Rick Pitino’s first move has so far been his best one.
The night before his introductory press conference, the Hall of Fame coach convinced Joel Soriano to stick around.
While all the new pieces Pitino brought in are still mostly finding their way at St. John’s, adjusting to their new teammates and surroundings, Soriano has been the team’s rock.
His strong play continued Wednesday night. He was dominant, ensuring St. John’s didn’t play around with an inferior opponent.
The big man posted game-highs of 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, as the Red Storm crushed Northeast Conference preseason favorite Sacred Heart, 85-50, to win their fifth game in six tries.
It was a stress-free night in Queens for St. John’s (6-2) after it nipped West Virginia last Friday in the Big East-Big 12 Battle.
Jordan Dingle added 17 points and Daniss Jenkins had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
The Johnnies were a dominant plus-24 on the glass and had 25 assists on 31 made field goals.
Turnovers (16), a season-long issue, remained a concern.
Soriano was the star, as he has been all season.
He owned the paint, continued to show off his stroke from beyond the arc with a 3-pointer and dazzled with his passing when Sacred Heart doubled him.
It was an interesting offseason for Soriano.
Pitino didn’t name him a starter when asked on multiple occasions in the fall.
The coaching staff wanted Soriano to get into the best shape of his life.
He obliged, getting to eight percent body fat, and hasn’t just been a starter, but by far the team’s best and most consistent player.
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