Expect St. Johns to soar to new heights in Rick Pitino Year 2 for one big reason

Look, it’s entirely possible that this is just a statistical quirk that may have no bases in modern times.College basketball is an entirely different entity than it was even three years ago, let alone 30. Still, it’s happened a lot. Too often to just write off as an anomaly. So here goes: When Rick Pitino begins his second year as the head coach at St.

John’s Nov.4 when Fordham visits Carnesecca Arena, there will be any number of reasons to feel good about the Johnnies taking a step forward — primarily a roster that, on paper, seems more in tune with Pitino’s methodology. They offered a hopeful glimpse by beating Rutgers in an exhibition, since Rutgers is a Top 25 team that, by season’s end, might well be taking aim at the top 15. Those are the actual reasons to have hope. Here is another: At every one of Pitino’s previous five college stops, the team took gigantic steps forward in Year 2.

Every single time, BU to Providence, Kentucky to Louisville to Iona.And in almost every case, Year 2 set the tone for what would be the entirety of the Pitino tenures there. You can look it up: Year 1, 1978-78: 17-9 Year 2, 1979-80: 21-9, which included a regular-season championship in the old ECAC North.

It was the Terrier’s first 20-win season in 19 years and just the second going back to the program’s founding in 1915.They also played in their first NIT, which was still a legit consolation prize at the time, losing to BC at BC. Year 1, 1985-86: 17-14 Year 2, 1976-87: 25-9, which earned the Friars their first NCAA Tournament in nine years (just two years after they lost 20 games).

And they made the most of it, too, winning four straight games including an 88-73 thrashing of Georgetown in the Southeast Regional finals at Louisville’s Freedom Hall. Year 1, 1989-90: 14-14 Year 2, 1990-91: 22-6, which included wins over Kansas, Notre Dame and Louisville, then a 14-4 record in the Southeastern Conference, which earned the Wildcats the SEC regula...