LAS VEGAS — Boston Celtics fans don’t remember Rick Pitino too fondly. His years with the organization in the late 1990s were marred by failure, losses, and the legendary head coach’s rather abrasive personality. Needless to say, the fit was far from seamless, and within four seasons, he was onto his next venture.
Fast forward to present day, and he’s revived the St. John’s basketball program. In just his second year as head coach, the Red Storm made it to the Round of 64 for the first time in a decade, and Aaron Scott, who played for the Celtics in Summer League, helped lead the way.
Nothing about Pitino has changed.
“Oh, man,” Scott said when asked what it was like to play under Pitino in college.
Aaron Scott showed off his hustle in Celtics vs. Hawks Summer League game
Scott played his first real minutes of Summer League on Sunday night against the Atlanta Hawks. In the first two quarters alone, he grabbed six offensive rebounds, getting his hands on boards that looked bound for Atlanta’s hands.
Every chance he saw, Scott was sprinting for rebounds, showing off the unrelenting hustle that was a requirement at St. John’s.
“The energy that I brought today, we had to bring that every practice, every game, from everybody,” Scott said of Pitino’s St. John’s squad. “We had a good season last year, and it shows off. I have so much respect for Coach Pitino, how he gets the team to buy in, and we did what we did last year.”
Scott has always played that way, leaving every ounce of energy he has on the hardwood. But playing under Pitino took it to the next level.
“I was like this before, throughout my whole years of college,” Scott said. “But Coach Pitino elevated it. Like I said, he knows how he gets his players to buy in, and he just elevated that.”
Last season was Scott’s only one with the Red Storm after spending three years of college ball with North Texas beforehand. He started 30 games under Pitino, earning 27.2 minutes per contest, which ranked fourth on the team.
Scott averaged 8.4 points, 4.3 rebounds (1.9 offensive rebounds), 1.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 38.9% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc.
In his one and only Summer League game (getting significant minutes) against the Hawks, Scott finished the night with three points, nine rebounds (seven offensive), three assists, one steal, and one block on 1-of-4 shooting from the floor.