Rick Pitino not backing down from his criticism of St. John’s players: ‘I’m fine with what I said’

Rick Pitino has no regrets about the critique he delivered about his team Sunday night after St. John’s blew a 19-point first-half lead and collapsed to a 68-62 Big-East loss to Seton Hall at UBS Arena.

The Hall of Fame coach looked and sounded dispirited as he called coaching his first Red Storm team “the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime.”

But he really put himself under the national microscope by questioning his players’ toughness and describing them as “unathletic.” A half dozen players were mentioned by name along with their shortcomings.

His postgame remarks drew considerable attention and airtime Monday on WFAN radio and a variety of outlets. For example, after CBS Sports Network aired news conference excerpts, studio host Zach Aldridge said Pitino “clearly hates his team.” Pitino also was criticized as “ripping” his team.

“I truly wasn’t ripping anybody,” Pitino told Newsday on Monday. “I was pointing out exactly — in a monotone voice — why we lost. . . I am not always calm and certainly not when I rip someone . . . I was not ripping anybody.

“I sometimes want my players to hear my words and read my words. That was my intention [Sunday].”

And the players do hear the criticisms Pitino has leveled in news conferences throughout the season.

Earlier this season, Chris Ledlum was asked about how the coach’s words land with them and replied, “Coach Pitino knows what he’s talking about and sometimes you have to take the message — you have to take what is said and not how it is said.”

St. John’s (14-12, 6-9) went into Sunday’s contest having lost seven of nine and descended from what had been a solid position for making the NCAA Tournament to a spot where beating Seton Hall (17-9, 10-5) had become essential.