Michigan vs. St. John’s score, takeaways: Wolverines spoil Rick Pitino’s return to Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK — It have been 20 years since early season buzz surrounded St. John’s l like this. Twenty years since optimism was once so potent, it warranted the Red Storm renting out the construction within the preliminary portion of the nonconference time table. SJU remaining performed at Madison Square Garden this early within the season long ago in 2003. 

Hiring Rick Pitino adjustments so much.

On Monday, regardless that, it did not exchange the end result. Michigan simply dished Pitino his first loss at St. John’s, profitable 89-73 after a laugher of a 2nd part. It was once U-M’s eleventh consecutive win on the Garden.

Before it completed in a whimper, the Garden was once humming for the Johnnies in some way it seldom has over the former 15-plus years. A devil-red glow lit up the sector pre-game. On the videoboard, a pre-recorded Pitino hype clip incorporated the declaration: “St. John’s is going to be back, I guarantee it.”

“Run This Town” blared over the audio system as pyrotechnics introduced 1000’s of SJU lovers to their ft. This was once to be the primary giant second for the Red Storm of their new technology. It was once time for St. John’s to announce its first fundamental observation of the Pitino Era.

Michigan wasn’t all in favour of any of it. 

Perhaps later this season, or two or 3 years down the way in which, we’re going to witness St. John’s profitable an NCAA Tournament sport or two and glance again in this dud of a debut at Madison Square Garden with amusing. It’s a humble get started, unquestionably.  

“They played intelligent basketball. And we did not,” Pitino mentioned. “We played like a team in early November. And that was a difference in the game.” 

Here are my 3 giant/prolonged takeaways from Michigan’s Monday night time mauling at MSG.

It turns out maximum everybody was once mistaken on Michigan

Time for a mea culpa. I had Michigan 62nd heading into the season. No one was once in point of fact in on U-M — the Wolverines have been picked eleventh within the Big Ten — but few power-conference groups had been extra spectacular thru 3 video games than this workforce. 

Credit to Michigan intervening time trainer Phil Martelli for steering the send. With Juwan Howard nonetheless now not waiting to return after fresh middle surgical treatment, Martelli (a person with just about 450 wins, I’ll remind ya) has with ease coached Michigan to a 3-0 get started with a mean win margin of 24.7 issues over 2023 NCAA Tournament group UNC Asheville, Youngstown State and St. John’s. 

“I’m appropriately tired, and it feels good,” Martelli informed me later on of briefly resuming his former position of operating a program.

The Wolverines don’t seem to be overloaded with ability, however they appear to be a good unit thus far. At 18-16 remaining season, Michigan was once a letdown (partly on account of accidents). This group’s an offensive gadget in this day and age, losing 89 or extra in all 3 video games; on Monday, it scorched St. John’s to the track of one.24 issues in keeping with ownership. 

“They’re gonna have a great season,” Pitino mentioned. “I don’t follow the Big Ten too much, but there’s not too many teams better than Michigan, I can assure you of that. Because they score so well. They rebound the ball. They share the ball.”

It’s nonetheless unclear when Howard will come again, however between Martelli operating the day-to-day, Howard Eisley taking part in offensive coordinator and Saddi Washington operating the protection, that trio has numerous basketball brainpower. It’s why I picked it as probably the most superb training teams in faculty basketball this offseason. 

As for the win and the surroundings, Martelli, a bona fide don of Philadelphia basketball, could not lend a hand himself.

“You’re gonna get pissed, but (Madison Square Garden is): the second best basketball arena in the country,” he informed the media mins after the win. “You’re well aware the Palestra is the best basketball building in America.”

There might no be quick-fixing this St. John’s D

When I sat down with Pitino at Big East Media Day in October, he was once ebullient on all issues with the exception of one. Pitino informed me his group’s defensive prowess was once nowhere close to the extent it wanted to be so as to have NCAA Tournament credentials. He mentioned he was once bracing for the primary few weeks of the season, as a result of he sensed there was once much more paintings to be achieved. A significant explanation why for that was once he introduced on numerous mid-major transfers from groups who were not above reasonable remaining season.

With just about 5 a long time {of professional} basketball enjoy, the person is aware of what he is speaking about. The Red Storm was once imponent defensively lots of the night time. That would possibly also be hanging it too properly. In reality, I’ll let Pitino’s phrases inform the tale — succinctly. In his first postgame MSG presser in ages, he was once rational however blunt.

Three pull-quotes: 

• “Our frontcourt depth is terrible.”
• “Our offense shocked the s— out of me. Shocked the hell out of me that we didn’t share the ball.”
• “I always tell them … the film never lies. It never lies. You know, when you watch a great movie, the same things are gonna happen in that movie. And they’re gonna watch it tomorrow, they’re gonna be very embarrassed at their play.”

The Johnnies have been listless all through the second one part. Pitino said his group did not come shut to matching the fervor of the St. John’s lovers (attendance on Monday night time: 14,188). His greatest stunner was once how his group went limp at the offensive result in the second one part. The Red Storm seemed content material to watch Michigan run away with the sport. It could be surprising to see this sort of frame language and collective efficiency from this group via the center of convention play. 

But to that time, Pitino mentioned, “We better be careful now, because this early schedule is tough.”

A pair mins later, he deadpanned in regards to the time table: “And the Big East will be much easier.”

Few groups introduced extra intrigue — or hype — heading into November than St. John’s. We can name this precisely what it was once: A flop. Pitino has a mission on his arms, in all probability one in all his harder assignments of the previous 10 years (Louisville, Iona and the EuroLeague in that reach). So, in standard Pitino model, Monday night time didn’t conclude with him leaving MSG to head again house to his comfy homestead at the grounds of Winged Foot Golf Club. The guy is a preparation freak. He made certain a gathering room on the within sight Renaissance Hotel was once booked smartly prematurely, in case the coaches wanted it to overview video ASAP after a loss. Monday night time introduced alarming defea, which supposed a find out about consultation was once so as. Within 90 mins of the sport finishing, all the St. John’s body of workers was once again on the group lodge and poring over the tape. 

Dug McDaniel’s profession night time a big Michigan building

Michigan might be probably the most 25 superb groups within the nation presently, however St. John’s did not be offering up sufficient of a resistance to appropriately gauge the Wolverines’ doable. Despite that, two gamers introduced up a horizon of hope for this season. 

Alabama switch Nimari Burnett opened his night time making his first 8 pictures. He completed with 21 issues and was once chargeable for holding Michigan in keeping with an excited St. John’s group within the first 10 mins of the sport. He had a career-best 19 issues — with six mins left within the first part. 

“We settled in because Nimari settled in,” Martelli mentioned. 

The loopy section: Burnett was once coming off a bagel a couple of nights previous. He did not ranking towards Youngstown State. For all he did, it was once sophomore level guard Dug McDaniel who was once the MVP. He scored a game-high 26 issues, plus seven assists and 6 rebounds. McDaniel is indexed at 5-foot-11, however I will document that is a vintage beneficiant media information spice up from his faculty. 

If he is going to be THIS more or less playmaker — a plot level few envisioned — then it might exchange Michigan’s calculus. Martelli informed me McDaniel’s had a large on-court and off-court maturation procedure because the spring. It all culminated right into a profession night time on Monday. McDaniel is diminutive however demonstrative in his taste. A amusing participant and may develop into probably the most superb guards within the Big Ten. How a lot U-M has to depend on him might be key. 

“He really has to play (almost) 40 minutes,” Martelli mentioned. 

Michigan’s backup choices to run the offense are Burnett and not-ready-yet freshman George Washington. (Jaelin Llewellyn remains to be convalescing from an ACL damage.) 

Before the sport, Michigan gamers have been donning the ones “MICHIGAN VS. EVERYBODY” shirts that experience turn into the soccer group’s rallying cry. In some way, it prolonged to the lads’s hoops group due to the low-end projections from around the recreation. Motivation for this group? Not such a lot, in keeping with the gamers. 

“We don’t really pay too much attention to [preseason rankings],” McDaniel mentioned. “We don’t pay attention to the outside noise. It’s kind of fun being underdogs.”

A real take a look at to their credentials will come subsequent week, when Michigan travels to the Bahamas to play within the Battle 4 Atlantis. A 2-1 or 3-0 document in that bracket will destroy this season large open. Here’s to hoping Howard is wholesome and again at the sideline in time for that match.