There are several players that remain at the forefront of Rick Pitino’s mind.
A lot of them are from his iconic Kentucky teams but one of his all-time favorite players will now be joining him at St. John’s after Peyton Siva has opted to accept the Hall of Famers job offer.
The 2013 National Champion will be leaving his alma mater after two seasons with Louisville to join the Johnnies and his former coach.
During their time together as Cardinals, Siva was a two-time Big East Tournament Most Valuable Player and Third Team All-Big East selection in 2013, in addition to winning the title.
He would be a late second round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and after one season in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Siva embarked on a very successful international career that saw him be the top scorer in the EuroCup as well as a two-time champion in the Bundesliga, the top professional league in Germany.
After his playing career, he returned to Louisville to begin his coaching journey.
St. John’s had a vacant spot on its coaching staff after Greg Youncofski left the Johnnies this offseason for an assistant coaching role with Richard Pitino at Xavier.
The Red Storm recently elevated Steve Masiello to the general manager position although he will maintain his duties and responsibilities as an associate head coach as well.
Siva now joins a coaching staff of Masiello, Bob Walsh, Taliek Brown, and Ricky Johns.
In a game that could already have major storylines and national ramifications, St. John’s could play Louisville this season in the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas. The most natural way the two teams could play each other if both either win or lose its opening game.
Rick Pitino has not played against Louisville since his firing from the school in 2017. Â
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