Rick Pitino said no to the NIT when his St. John’s University basketball team was snubbed by the NCAA’s selection committee for March Madness.
And Dan Lynch Jr. is hot — really hot.
“Rick Pitino deciding not to have his team accept a bid to the NIT is a slap in the face to New York City basketball,” said Lynch, who coached baseball at St. Francis College, Brooklyn. “It’s a total example of the me, me, now, now mentality.”
St. John’s has always been the face of New York City basketball, Lynch continued. “When you think of Madison Square Garden basketball, the glory days of the NIT, you think of St. John’s,” he said.
“The NIT and Madison Square Garden has always been good to St. John’s,” he said. “St. John’s has always been a major part of the great history of New York City basketball. To turn your back on the 2024 NIT is to turn your back on the great basketball legacy of the Joe Lapchick and Lou Carnesecca teams who were the epitome of New York City basketball.”
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Lynch cites a great example of New York City basketball loyalty.
“In 1956,” he says, “St. Francis College was the No. 1 team in New York City. They had won 18 consecutive games. They did not have a home court on campus. They had an athletic budget less than a CYO parish program. The University of San Francisco with Bill Russell was the No. 1 team in the country.”
And when it came down to a post season tournament, the NIT made St. Francis its No., 1 local selection.
“The NCAA also invited the Terriers to be part of their tourney,” Lynch reminds. “They were hoping to sell a ‘David vs. Goliath’ showdown between St. Francis and Francisco,” he said. “They (NCAA) offered a huge financial incentive for St. Francis to select their invitation to participate in the NCAA over playing in the NIT,” Lynch said.
St. Francis Coach Dan Lynch Sr. — Dan’s dad — announced at the weekly coaches’ luncheon at Mama Leone’s that his team would be going…
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