Rick Pitino Calls NET Rankings 'Fraudulent,' Turns Down NIT Bid After NCAA Snub

The St. John’s Red Storm will not be going dancing in the NCAA D1 tournament (better known as March Madness), or any other tournament for that matter.

Rick Pitino’s squad was considered one of the biggest snubs of this year’s selection. The Red Storm won 20 games, were ranked 32nd in the NET ratings, and pushed UConn (the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness) to the brink in the Big East semifinals.

Nonetheless, it was not enough to get St. John’s into the tournament. In an interview after the Selection Show, Pitino blasted the NET rankings and said that it was ridiculous for his team to be ranked that high and not get an at-large bid.

"I think we all should probably never mention that world (NET) again because we think it's fraudulent," Pitino said. "We tried to play a tough schedule, we tried to do things the right way, and we didn’t get in." 

After learning that they wouldn’t get a chance to go to the dance, the Red Storm had the option to play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). However, the head coach said that St. John’s would not plan and look ahead to next year.

Pitino (left) and St. Johns Red Storm decided no to play postseason basketball after not earning a bid to March Madness.  (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

"First and foremost, we have great respect for the National Invitation Tournament and St. John’s storied history in the event," Pitino said in a statement. "After thorough consideration of all that goes into postseason participation, we believe at this time it is best for our team and basketball program to prepare for next season. We remain focused on building a championship-level program here at St. John’s. I would like to thank all our fans and look forward to the bright future ahead for St. John’s basketball."

The future is indeed bright for the Red Storm. But they'll have to wait one more year to get a shot at postseason fame.