St. Johns title team wasn’t ‘built by NIL money’:…
Rick Pitino needed to set the document straight: St. John’s isn’t the product of a high Name, Image & Likeness payroll.
“First of all, I think there’s a lot of misrepresentation about NIL,” the Hall of Fame coach mentioned after the top-seeded Johnnies blasted No. 2 Creighton 82-66 to win their first Big East Tournament title in 25 years. “NIL didn’t get us this team because Zuby [Ejiofor] and RJ [Luis Jr.] are very low-paid players. That’s nonsense about NIL.”
There have been a number of tales written currently about St. John’s NIL and the important position of billionaire booster Mike Repole.
St. John’s, The Post not too long ago reported, has an NIL payroll round $4 million, which is believed to be No. 1 within the Big East.
It has three gamers who make within the mid-six figures and above, though no person on the roster makes seven figures.
St. John’s introduced in extremely regarded transfers Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith within the offseason.
But Pitino is true. Two of their best gamers, Ejiofor and Luis, went from position gamers to stars this season, a main facet of the team’s success.
Rick Pitino is all smiles after St. John’s Big East Tournament title-clinching win over Creigton on March 15, 2025. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ejiofor set a St. John’s Big East Tournament document with 33 factors in Friday’s semifinal win over No. 5 Marquette and Luis was the match’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 27 of his 29 factors after halftime.
He was additionally the primary Johnnie to be the Big East Player of the Year in 39 years.
“Somebody asked me about Zuby and RJ. You don’t know what you are getting,” Pitino mentioned of the 2 juniors. “Zuby didn’t even play at Kansas. RJ was a good freshman [at UMass], strong, however you didn’t know what you have been getting. So listed below are two stars, very underpaid. I’m sure they’ll be at [general manager] Matt [Abdelmassih’s] window as quickly because the season ends, however they’re not going wherever.
“So you build a team by making sure you understand the whole puzzle of what goes into it, and people just mischaracterize the NIL and [how] St. John’s has been built. St. John’s didn’t get built by the NIL. St. John’s got built with the character of the players, and certainly we are excited to have these young men.”
Asked about being “low-paid,” Ejiofor smiled and mentioned: “I appreciate him for that, but, man, I’m the type of person that doesn’t really care about that NIL stuff. All I care about is winning and going there and playing for Johnnies Nation and playing for my teammates. These are the moments that I play for. I play for championships and making history.”
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