Sports
St. John’s Is Back, Rick Pitino’s Big Mouth Is Louder, and the Big East Title Is Theirs
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino signals in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images When No. 7 St. John’s beat Butler on Wednesday night, the Red Storm clinched at least a share of the Big East title for the first time since 1992.
Cue Rick Pitino: “We are not interested in sharing anything.”
St. John’s is getting the full Pitino experience: an unmistakable personality, some eye-catching quotes for better or worse, and a whole lot of winning.
Maybe we all should have seen this coming. You can make the argument that no modern coach does a better job of instilling his ethos into a new program and getting near-immediate results.
All of his teams, from Providence to Kentucky to Louisville and even Iona, made a dramatic jump between Year 1 and Year 2, as documented here by college basketball mensch Trilly Donovan. At St. John’s, Pitino’s first season ended with a 20-13 record and an NCAA Tournament snub—not the worst place to start.
Now the Red Storm are 25-4 and a realistic candidate for the Final Four.
Think back to Feb. 18, 2024, when St. John’s blew a 19-point lead at home to lose to Seton Hall. Pitino laid into his players postgame.
“We are so nonathletic that we can’t guard anybody without fouling,” Pitino said, before naming five of his players and calling them “slow laterally” or “physically weak.”
It felt brutal at the time. You do that behind closed doors, not at the microphone, some declared (I may have been among them). But the wiser among us could recognize a motivational tactic when they saw one.
Since that day, St. John’s has gone a ridiculous 31-5. Talk about a turning point.
Granted, this year’s group is far different than last year’s. Such is life in the transfer portal era. But Pitino has proven well-equipped for that. At Big East media day, he didn’t hesitate to speak about the money being on the table now instead of under it.
However you feel about his past or his persona, this is a man who knows how to attract talent. And then he squeezes out their full potential.
This season, he pieced together an all-transfer backcourt of Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith and Aaron Scott while building up Zuby Ejiofor into a real threat on the block (from 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last year to 14.0 ppg and 8.1 rpg now). Then there’s captain RJ Luis Jr. on the wing, the leading scorer who does a little of everything well.
VICE cameras shooting a documentary series captured Pitino giving his players a fiery halftime speech earlier this season when they were losing to Providence. Free from digs about physical weakness and lateral slowness, it was a message about learning how to handle adversity instead of wilting in the face of it. St. John’s held Providence to 28 points in the second half of that game and won 72-70 on Ejiofor’s last-second shot.
His players were fired up, but Pitino’s son Richard, the coach at New Mexico, had a different reaction. “PTSD of the time I didn’t make my bed,” he wrote on X.
Like father, like son. They’ll keep the quips coming, and the wins to back them up.
Sports
Inter Miami sign Brazilian superstar M Casemiro
June 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, U.S.; Brazil’s Casemiro celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Inter Miami announced the signing of Brazilian superstar midfielder Casemiro on Wednesday.
Casemiro, 34, is under contract through 2027 with an option until June 2029 following five years with Premier League side Manchester United. Inter Miami acquired his discovery priority from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Casemiro just helped Brazil reach the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, increasing his career totals to 91 caps and 10 goals with the national team. It was his third World Cup.
“What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow. The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me,” Casemiro said.
“I’m incredibly grateful, and I can’t wait to get started so I can repay that trust — not only during the 90 minutes on matchday, but every day in training as well. All I can say is thank you, and I’ll give everything I have to return the affection and confidence the club has shown me.”
Casemiro has recorded 73 goals and 61 assists in 663 club appearances with Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Spain’s Real Madrid, Portugal’s Porto and Manchester United. His 21 club trophies include five UEFA Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns with Real Madrid from 2013-22.
“Casemiro’s arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami,” said managing owner Jorge Mas. “We never settle. We’re always looking to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season. We’ve built a global club with the vision of becoming not only the best club in the United States, but also a benchmark globally.
“Casemiro embodies everything this club stands for: leadership, a winning mentality, and an extraordinary track record at the highest level of the game,” Mas added. “After achieving virtually everything there is to achieve in fútbol, his decision to join Inter Miami shows that he shares our ambition and our commitment to the highest standards as we continue building for the future. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Inter Miami family.”
Casemiro now joins forces with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, his former rivals at FC Barcelona.
“I’m very proud to welcome Casemiro and his family to Inter Miami,” said co-owner David Beckham. “He is a person and a player that I have admired for a long time. He is a winner who has achieved so much in the game, and after such an incredible career with Real Madrid and Manchester United, I’m delighted that he’s decided to make Miami his next home.”
Defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami (15-9-2, 31 points) are in second place in the Eastern Conference as they return from the World Cup break to host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Witt Jr. put on 10-day IL, likely sealing Royals' seller status
Jul 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) makes a diving stop during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. landed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday due to tightness in his lower back.
A starter for the American League in the All-Star Game last week, Witt left the Royals’ 4-3 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday with back spasms. The roster move is retroactive to Tuesday.
Being without their best player for any length of time is likely the crowning blow for the Royals, who at 42-60 have a better record than only the Los Angeles Angels (41-60) and Colorado Rockies (41-61) heading into play Wednesday.
Because of the relative weakness of the AL Central, the Royals are 12 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. But with a little more than two months to play and a dozen games to make up, Witt’s injury should insure the Royals will be sellers at the trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Veteran starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha are projected to be coveted by contenders, though the Royals have said they are not inclined to move either right-hander.
In 94 games this season, Witt is batting .289 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs. He has 103 hits and 22 doubles, scoring 51 runs.
His 30 stolen bases lead the major leagues.
Witt is a three-time All-Star and the winner of two Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He won the AL batting title in 2024 when he led the majors with a .332 average.
Kansas City’s shortstop since 2022, Witt has a career average of .288 with 118 home runs, 412 RBIs and 178 stolen bases in 720 games.
In a corresponding move, the Royals promoted 32-year-old Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Omaha. He is a well-traveled utility infielder who has not played in the major leagues since 2023.
He and Tyler Tolbert, a 28-year-old infielder hitting .328 in 38 games this year, are expected to share duties at shortstop.
The Royals also transferred right-hander Stephen Kolek to the 60-day injured list, designated center fielder Kameron Misner for assignment and traded right-hander Nate Pearson to the Houston Astros in exchange for right-hander Max Martin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
O's place rookie C Samuel Basallo (shoulder) on 10-day IL
Jul 12, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) throws to first for an out during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Already without injured starter Adley Rutschman, the Baltimore Orioles placed rookie catcher Samuel Basallo on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.
The roster move is retroactive to Monday. In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez from Triple-A Norfolk.
Basallo, 21, is enjoying a solid first full season in the majors, posting 16 homers and 46 RBIs to go along with a .241 batting average in 86 games. He left Sunday’s game at the Houston Astros with right shoulder discomfort and did not play in Monday’s series opener at the Boston Red Sox.
Sam Huff started Monday and also was behind the plate Wednesday afternoon in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against Boston. Tuesday night’s game was rained out.
Rodriguez, 26, is 0-for-7 with an RBI in five games this season with Baltimore. He played 44 games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024-25, hitting .176 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Inter Miami sign Brazilian superstar M Casemiro
Bobby Witt Jr. put on 10-day IL, likely sealing Royals' seller status
