MARCH MADNESS: Rick Pitino and St. John’s suffer historic March Madness snub after reaching Big East semis… as Hall of Famer’s son, Richard, sneaks into Big Dance with New Mexico

St. John’s NCAA Tournament snub was historic, as the Red Storm were the highest-ranked team in the NET to never make The Big Dance at No 32. 

The Red Storm were not even close to making the field either, as Rick Pitino’s team was not listed among the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament. 

That means at best, the NCAA Tournament’s selection committee thought St. John’s was the fifth-best team it did not select for an at-large bid.   

St. John’s appeared to be hoovering right around the cut line, with a win over UConn last Friday assuring it a place in the field. A five-point loss to the eventual-top-seeded Huskies did not move the Red Storm any closer to the NCAA Tournament. 

Instead, Rick’s son, Richard Pitino, led his New Mexico squad to the NCAA Tournament with a victory in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.  NCAA Selection committee chairman Charles McClelland labeled the Lobos a ‘bid-stealer’ live on-air. 

Richard Pitino’s New Mexico team qualified for the NCAA Tournament on Saturday

If less bid-stealers were out there this season, by McClelland’s estimation, five compared to the usual one or two, the younger Pitino could have cost his father’s new team a spot in the tournament.  

The 71-year-old Pitino has led five other teams to NCAA Tournaments, tied for the record with Tubby Smith and Lon Kruger. 

Should the Red Storm have landed on the right side of the bubble, the record would belong solely to Pitino. 

By the Lobos making the NCAA Tournament, the younger Pitino has now led a second team to March Madness. 

The 41-year-old Pitino made two NCAA Tournament appearances as the coach at Minnesota.