“We put together this basketball team abruptly,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino acknowledged.
If the season can be saved, the team will need to come together — and play defense — abruptly.
St. John’s has just one more non-conference game — a city faceoff with Fordham on Saturday at the Garden — before the grueling Big East schedule begins.
If the Red Storm (6-3) have grand plans for Pitino’s first season, a defense that Pitino called “abominable” after an 86-80 loss to Boston College on Sunday would have to iron itself out in a hurry.
In five games (including three losses) against top-100 teams, St. John’s has allowed 79.4 points per game.
Pitino pointed at the thrown-together nature of the team — which includes 10 transfers — and said he focused on recruiting offensive-minded players, believing the defense would come.
“We tried to get as many good offensive basketball players as possible,” Pitino told reporters Friday. “The first year I’ve coached at every place, it has taken time to put in all the defenses. No matter if it was Boston University, whether it was Providence, the Knicks, Kentucky or Louisville, it takes time, especially when you have all offensive basketball players. I knew that it would take time.”
Guard Jordan Dingle called the loss to Boston College a “wake-up call.”
“I think that the biggest thing is, we know that we are better than that,” Dingle said. “The performance that we put on against Boston College really wasn’t who we are.”
Fordham (5-5) projects as a possible springboard for the Johnnies.
Keith Urgo’s group has shot just 41.9 percent from the floor and entered Friday ranked 241st in points per game.
The matchup will be special for big man Joel Soriano, whose collegiate career began at Fordham.
It would be more special for St. John’s if their individuals play like a team defensively.
“Coach P’s always been saying it’s going to take time to get to where we need to be as a team and that time is approaching,” said Dingle, whose Johnnies will open their Big East slate against Xavier on Wednesday. “But our practices have been intense since day one. I don’t think that there is a more physical exertion part, but definitely mentally.”
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