In a shocking turn of events, Rick Pitino and No. 2 St. John’s were defeated by No. 10 Arkansas on Saturday. Even more surprising was Pitino’s decision to bench Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. during the final five minutes of the game, raising eyebrows and prompting questions from the media.
Despite the junior guard’s struggles—making only 3-of-17 shots and scoring nine points—few anticipated he would remain on the bench at such a critical moment. Roger Rubin from Newsday Sports pressed Pitino about the decision: “You had RJ on the bench for a pretty long stretch at the end. Was that just because he just wasn’t making them, or was there something more to it?”
Rick Pitino: “[RJ Luis] played 30 minutes. That’s a long time.”
Roger Rubin: “So he was tired.”
Pitino: “No. Played 30 minutes, & I went with other people. You already know the answers, Roger. You’re asking leading questions. You already know it…”pic.twitter.com/uqgclWIN5b
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2025
Another reporter attempted a different approach, asking, “Was there one play with RJ that made you sit him the last five minutes?”
“You know he was 3-for-17, you know he was 0-for-3 (three-point attempts),” Pitino replied, clearly irritated. “So, you’re answering your own … I’m not gonna knock one of my players.” While it’s understandable that Pitino was frustrated after the loss, which marked the end of St. John’s best season in decades, a more cordial response could have addressed the questions fans and reporters were contemplating.
