With 4:56 remaining in the second half Saturday and No. 2 seed St. John’s trying to stage a comeback from a 13-point deficit against No. 10 seed Arkansas, Red Storm star RJ Luis Jr hit two free throws to cut the lead to two points.

Then he hit the bench. And did not return for the remaining minutes of play.

The curious decision to sit the Big East Player of the Year, while trailing, raised eyebrows as St. John’s fell 75-66. Pitino argued in defense of his choice, stating, “He played 30 minutes. That’s a long time.”

When asked if fatigue was the reason for RJ’s benching, Pitino retorted, “No. Don’t ask me leading questions; you know why he didn’t play.”

Pitino also acknowledged the struggling performance of the team’s assists, stating that their success was heavily contingent on moving the basketball effectively. The defeat left St. John’s season at the end of their journey, despite achieving a tie for program-high 31 wins.