Arkansas couldn’t do it. Saint Mary’s couldn’t do it. Neither could San Diego State, Miami or Gonzaga.
The only team that held a halftime lead over Connecticut in its dominant run to the national championship last March was lona University.
Iona’s coach, Rick Pitino, had a lot to do with that.
“The film never lies in terms of who you know you’re going up against,” UConn coach Danny Hurley recalled. “You could see how well prepared the other team is, you could see that they have a philosophy that fits their personnel and that they’re not going to make a lot of mistakes.”
Now, Pitino and Hurley are in the same conference.
There is a more level playing field than when UConn overwhelmed Iona in the second half of a 24-point victory last March, and Hurley is certain Pitino will turn St. John’s around.
He’s off to a good start, upgrading the roster by bringing in 10 transfers and two freshmen.
The Johnnies were picked fifth by the Big East coaches in what is expected to be a loaded conference this season.
“It’s great for the Big East to be able to add a coach of his quality and a nationally competitive, top-of-the-Big East St. John’s competing makes this league even better,” Hurley said at Big East media day inside the Garden on Tuesday. “[Pitino] has had a huge impact on recruiting, it’s had a huge impact on the energy around the program and the confidence of the program. … These games [against St. John’s] are going to be wars and even more intensity and electricity.”
One of those players is a former Husky, shooting guard Nahiem Alleyne.
Alleyne, a fifth-year senior, put on an impressive display in St. John’s double-overtime victory over Rutgers in an exhibition game for charity on Saturday.
The sophomore scored 19 points and forced the second overtime with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“He is now effectively the enemy but he was great [for us]. Accepted his role off the bench, put his ego aside for the group, and helped us win a national championship,” Hurley said.
When told that Alleyne said Hurley is a young Pitino, Hurley joked: “He’s still the enemy.”
There was a time that Hurley was interested in coaching St. John’s himself, back when he was coaching at Rhode Island.
The Red Storm went with favorite son Chris Mullin instead in the spring of 2015, and a few years later, Hurley landed at UConn.
St. John’s hasn’t reached the main draw of the NCAA Tournament since then.
But that figures to change soon, possibly even this year.
Hurley isn’t the only Big East coach who expects Pitino to deliver.
So does new Georgetown coach Ed Cooley.
“I’ve said this before: I think he’s the greatest college coach in the history of the sport,” Cooley said. “He’s a resurrector, he’s a mover, he’s a shaker, an incredible coach.”