Rick Pitino is planning to honor close friend Kenny Klein next season.
Pitino is going to leave the seat next to him — that Klein traditionally sat in at the scorer’s table — unoccupied during games. Asked about the team wearing a commemorative patch, Pitino said he has yet to talk to anyone from the school about it.
“We’re definitely going to do something,” Pitino said.
The 66-year-old Klein had a tragic episode at a dinner June 11 and never regained consciousness. He died June 25.
He spent the past two years working in the Red Storm’s sports information department after a long career as Louisville’s sports information director.
Klein was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame in 2015, and two years later he became a member of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was awarded the Katha Quinn Award, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, for providing outstanding service to media covering college basketball.
Pitino gave a touching eulogy at Klein’s funeral Monday.
“I had other things I wanted to say, and I couldn’t get through it,” Pitino said.
He later added: “Now each day that goes by, not only did you lose a great friend … he added so much to St. John’s. It’s going to be a big loss, personally for me and professionally for St. John’s.”
Last week, St. John’s had three players selected for the first time in the modern era of the NBA draft. Zuby Ejiofor was taken 23rd overall by the Hawks, while Dillon Mitchell went 40th to the Celtics and Bryce Hopkins was picked 49th by the Nuggets.
“I was elated, especially with Bryce getting drafted,” Pitino said. “We didn’t know he was going to get drafted, and we weren’t sure about Zuby in the first round. There were a lot of question marks, but it turned out great.”
Oziyah Sellers will join that trio in the NBA’s summer league, inking a deal with the Knicks to play in Las Vegas for the defending champions.
Full team workouts will begin next week. Several players have been on campus taking part in individual workouts. The rest of the team arrives this weekend.
