Rick Pitino keeps momentum going as St. John’s lands four-star Brady Dunlap

[Halldan1]

Rick Pitino keeps momentum going as St. John’s lands four-star Brady Dunlap

Rick Pitino and St. John’s have momentum now.

nypost.com

By Zach Braziller

Rick Pitino and St. John’s have momentum now.

A day after landing Oregon State transfer Glenn Taylor Jr., the team’s likely starting small forward next season, the Johnnies received a verbal commitment from four-star high school wing Brady Dunlap Tuesday morning.

The sharpshooting, 6-foot-7 Studio City, Calif. native picked St. John’s over Villanova, North Carolina, Penn State and Nebraska.

He was signed to play at Notre Dame before reopening his recruitment after coach Mike Brey announced he was leaving the ACC school.

St. John’s assistant Taliek Brown met with Dunlap out west shortly after Pitino was hired and Dunlap took an official visit

He helped Harvard-Westlake win the California Open Division state title, averaging 17 points and five rebounds per game, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“There’s definitely high-upside there, just because of the shooting and size alone,” Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy said. “He’s a floor-spacer. He creates matchup problems on the perimeter. You can’t leave him alone out there and he can score a little bit in the lane, too. He’s a versatile scorer.”

Right now, Dunlap is a true wing, but could develop into a stretch power forward if he adds muscle to his 180-pound frame, Cassidy said.

The addition of Dunlap leaves St. John’s with three remaining open scholarships and clear needs to fill: A scoring guard, power forward and backup center.

The two top targets right now are five-star high school prospect Mackenzie Mgbako, a McDonald’s All-American who was signed to Duke but was recently let out of his National Letter of Intent, and Penn transfer Jordan Dingle, a Valley Stream, N.Y. native who was second in the nation in scoring last season.

Mgbako took an official visit to St. John’s last weekend and there is believed to be mutual interest between Dingle and the Johnnies.

 

[jack 1970]

Pitino can recruit.

 

[SOBO1]

so can his staff

 

[PirateFan94]

People kept saying we didn’t want him when I said we should make a call. We’ll regret it with him at St. John’s. They will challenge for conference title in 2 years.

 

[williaza01]

People kept saying we didn’t want him when I said we should make a call. We’ll regret it with him at St. John’s. They will challenge for conference title in 2 years.

I agree with you. However, Pitino would not have even picked up the phone no matter how many times we called. So, its a non-starter anyway

 

[CL82]

People kept saying we didn’t want him when I said we should make a call. We’ll regret it with him at St. John’s. They will challenge for conference title in 2 years.

Hiring Pitino is a tough call for an administration. As an individual he’s a pretty scummy dude, but he’s one hell of a coach.

 

[PirateFan94]

I agree with you. However, Pitino would not have even picked up the phone no matter how many times we called. So, its a non-starter anyway

Says who? If he picked up for St John’s to get out of Iona hell he’d have picked up for us. It was a call that should have been made years ago, the first time Willard flirted with leaving.

 

[PirateFan94]

Hiring Pitino is a tough call for an administration. As an individual he’s a pretty scummy dude, but he’s one hell of a coach.

There are a lot of scummy dudes. Only relevant question is can he coach and recruit? He checks both those boxes.

 

[Halldan1]

Spoke this past winter with a D1 coach who talks to him all the time. Before it became widely known he said he was told that Pitino would only leave for Georgetown or St John's. Otherwise he would stay put at Iona.

Same coach told me that Boeheim would not coach beyond this past season but didn't want that out as the conversation was off the record.

 

[dehere23]

Spoke this past winter with a D1 coach who talks to him all the time. Before it became widely known he said he was told that Pitino would only leave for Georgetown or St John's. Otherwise he would stay put at Iona.

Same coach told me that Boeheim would not coach beyond this past season but didn't want that out as the conversation was off the record.

If he really wanted to stay exclusively in the NY area near his home, I can see why that would be the case. He'd be in the hunt most years at Iona to make the dance because of his ability to develop players and the type of kids he could recruit there. He didn't like the one-bid aspect of that league - said so publicly. But at his age you can see why otherwise he might have been content staying there unless something came along he was really, really interested in pursuing.

 

[williaza01]

Says who? If he picked up for St John’s to get out of Iona hell he’d have picked up for us. It was a call that should have been made years ago, the first time Willard flirted with leaving.

Says everyone and no he wouldn’t..I’d bet he preferred Iona to us as a job…actually I’d bet a LOT on that

 

[TheHall87]

Says who? If he picked up for St John’s to get out of Iona hell he’d have picked up for us. It was a call that should have been made years ago, the first time Willard flirted with leaving.

Pitino would have started dining at McDonald's before he would pick up the phone to talk to Seton Hall.

 

[catholicman]

People kept saying we didn’t want him when I said we should make a call. We’ll regret it with him at St. John’s. They will challenge for conference title in 2 years.

This will be Pitino's first and last year at St John's. Watch and see.

 

[CL82]

This will be Pitino's first and last year at St John's. Watch and see.

How so?

 

[PirateFan94]

This will be Pitino's first and last year at St John's. Watch and see.

How so?

I assume he thinks he'll use this as a stepping stone to a bigger job. I'm bookmarking this post becasue I think he's 100% wrong. In 3 years he'll be challenging for the BE reg season title. In my opionion he's the best coach in the conference day 1.

 

[PirateFan94]

Says everyone and no he wouldn’t..I’d bet he preferred Iona to us as a job…actually I’d bet a LOT on that

We'll never know since the call was never made. I'm in sales and saying is you don't ask you don't get.

 

[williaza01]

We'll never know since the call was never made. I'm in sales and saying is you don't ask you don't get.

That’s cool you’re in sales..I know two people in the Pitinosphere..he would’ve classified Iona as the superior job to SHU and would never have even picked up the phone..sorry but that’s a fact

 

[CL82]

That’s cool you’re in sales..I know two people in the Pitinosphere..he would’ve classified Iona as the superior job to SHU and would never have even picked up the phone..sorry but that’s a fact

I guess. You would think that going to a high major would be more attractive. I would certainly think that Seton Hall would pay better than Iona. Finally, one would think it wouldn't be too bad of a commute for him. That said the buzz was either Georgetown or St. John's in St. John's had the upside of not requiring him to move.

 

[SJUBall]

I guess. You would think that going to a high major would be more attractive. I would certainly think that Seton Hall would pay better than Iona. Finally, one would think it wouldn't be too bad of a commute for him. That said the buzz was either Georgetown or St. John's in St. John's had the upside of not requiring him to move.

He was coming off a rough out and I think always wanted to claw back to college ball. Pitino wanted the SJU job even before this go-around, before Anderson was hired. He’s a NY guy at heart, loves the Garden, lives on Winged Foot golf course and wasn’t gonna leave this area. NJ isn’t far but for a while it’s been known that he wanted to close his career out here. I think that’s all it is. Not an indictment of the Hall.

 

[PJVegas]

Great coach, lousy person. Guess they (SJU & Ricky Pee) got what they wanted. Sad.

 

[dehere23]

Great coach, lousy person. Guess they (SJU & Ricky Pee) got what they wanted. Sad.

It's been that way forever. The great coaches will always have opportunities. And programs will hire them if said coach can help win more games. Willard hired one of the worst characters associated with HS sports to avoid being fired. And it worked. You think a basketball-lifer like Willard, who is clearly a solid coach and grew up in this, wanted to bring freaking Tiny Morton around his program and have him on the sidelines to "coach". Of course not. It's always been about winning games first and foremost.

 

[IronKaz1]

That’s cool you’re in sales..I know two people in the Pitinosphere..he would’ve classified Iona as the superior job to SHU and would never have even picked up the phone..sorry but that’s a fact

Iona better job than The Hall? yeah ok

 

[williaza01]

Iona better job than The Hall? yeah ok

In many ways it totally is..esp for him..location..arena..he was the absolute king of his entire conference..pretty much guaranteed NCAA appearances..with no pressure

Look at this year makes the NCAA gets blown out by UConn..no one cares…if he had won the legend of Pitino would grow

He would 1000% tell you he preferred Iona to SHU and he would tell you he had the better job

 

[PJVegas]

And who in their right mind would believe anything that guy said?

 

[IronKaz1]

at SHU you have a better chance at 1- advancing due to the talent level of Big East vs MAAC 2- his salary would be higher 3- playing in a pro area vs a 5000 seat arena and 4 the TV exposure

 

[williaza01]

at SHU you have a better chance at 1- advancing due to the talent level of Big East vs MAAC 2- his salary would be higher 3- playing in a pro area vs a 5000 seat arena and 4 the TV exposure

You’re a good poster but this is wrong

He doesn’t think Big East vs MAAC he sees it as Seton Hall vs Iona

Iona has great infrastructure in that league..they are the big fish..he could be the dominate team every year..will never happen at seton hall

He doesn’t want to play in a pro arena (MSG is totally different)

He is his own media exposure.

Again for the like 10 million time on this board…we are looked at as a VERY challenging job (that’s the nice way to put it) many many coaches would not give us a look.

 

[radecicco]

You’re a good poster but this is wrong

He doesn’t think Big East vs MAAC he sees it as Seton Hall vs Iona

Iona has great infrastructure in that league..they are the big fish..he could be the dominate team every year..will never happen at seton hall

He doesn’t want to play in a pro arena (MSG is totally different)

He is his own media exposure.

Again for the like 10 million time on this board…we are looked at as a VERY challenging job (that’s the nice way to put it) many many coaches would not give us a look.

Your last statement is exactly correct. It seems like many posters don’t want to acknowledge this. Fortunately Sha was available at the right time.

 

[PirateFan94]

That’s cool you’re in sales..I know two people in the Pitinosphere..he would’ve classified Iona as the superior job to SHU and would never have even picked up the phone..sorry but that’s a fact

Never know until you try. That apparently didn’t happen.

 

[williaza01]

Never know until you try. That apparently didn’t happen.

Lol

 

[IronKaz1]

You’re a good poster but this is wrong

He doesn’t think Big East vs MAAC he sees it as Seton Hall vs Iona

Iona has great infrastructure in that league..they are the big fish..he could be the dominate team every year..will never happen at seton hall

He doesn’t want to play in a pro arena (MSG is totally different)

He is his own media exposure.

Again for the like 10 million time on this board…we are looked at as a VERY challenging job (that’s the nice way to put it) many many coaches would not give us a look.

I think that challenge is getting smaller, we proved success under Kevin, we play in the Big East, we have a nice arena, and now we have the new practice facility coming soon, so I think The Hall is in good hands

 

[Seton75]

Your last statement is exactly correct. It seems like many posters don’t want to acknowledge this. Fortunately Sha was available at the right time.

Come to think of it, so many people equate Tim Welchs run at Iona with what PJ did with us.

 

[LBP43]

 

[SHU_Pirate1]

Come to think of it, so many people equate Tim Welchs run at Iona with what PJ did with us.

Well it’s legal 🪴in NJ now so I can see that 😛

 

[hbkmyr]

 

[mbraue]

And who in their right mind would believe anything that guy said?

For great reading and an excellent story about just how unprincipled Pitino is, read award-winning writer Pat Forde's article in Sports Illustrated about Pitino.

Pat was a sports writer at the Louisville Courier Journal, so he was in the trenches when all the stuff broke about prostitutes for hire at Louisville, Rick's affairs, etc.

The piece just just doesn't talk about the womanizing, but also all the salesmanship and broken promises at Iona, Celtics, etc. He's a great salesman and a quintessential narcissist. Good coach for sure but with boatloads of baggage.

 

[Halldan1]

O.K., Let’s Call Out Rick Pitino’s Latest Coaching Move For What It Really Is​

• PAT FORDE
• MAR 20, 2023

https://www.si.com/college/2023/03/20/st-johns-hires-rick-pitino-despite-past-scandals-and-spin

 

[JoePeppitone2012]

Their program is going to another level

 

[SHU_Pirate1]

View embedded media

This Repole looks like a cross between Adam Sandler and Bababooey.

 

[catholicman]

Their program is going to another level

They've stooped to a new low in their quixotic quest to build a winnning program.

 

[PirateFan94]

I am extremely jealous. After years of being near the basement, St John’s will now be challenging the top of the conference. Say what you want about Pitino, the man can coach AND recruit.