Rick Pitino on playing against Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey: 'We know they're very talented'

NEW YORK – Rick Pitino is looking forward to Thursday's charity contest against Rutgers and believes it will be a big test for both teams to start the season.

Rutgers hosts St. John's in a contest that ends at 6:30 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena in the first game of the Dylan Harper/Ace Bailey era.

“Obviously Thursday is an important day for us to see where we are,” Pitino, the Naismith Hall of Fame coach, said Tuesday at St. John's Media Day. “We’re playing against a top 25 team.”

“We hope to raise a lot of money for Dick Vitale Children's Cancer Research and there is no better place than playing on the road to a sold-out venue to prepare for the season because Rutgers has a very distinct and strong home game. “ When you have an advantage and get going right away, you learn more about your team. It shows you who's mentally tough, who's physically tough and who's ready for the likes of Baylor and Tennessee, the opener against Fordham and Georgia as you head into the Big East

“So we’re really excited about it and looking forward to seeing what we have.”

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Pitino has coached a number of future NBA players, including Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell at Louisville, but in general he hasn't recruited many individual players throughout his career.

How good does he think Harper and Bailey — two projected top-five NBA lottery picks — can be? We'll probably find out more about this on Thursday evening.

“I think you’re better off asking that question to John Calipari than to me,” Pitino said in response to a question from NJ Advance Media. “Those are two top-five draft choices, I haven’t dealt with too many top-five draft choices.

“We know they are very talented and that they will get better as the season progresses. It’s also good for them to play against us because hopefully they will have a strong defense.”

St. John's point guard Kadary Richmond, who transferred from Seton Hall, was named co-captain of Pitino's second team at the Big East school.

He knows all about the Rutgers role from his time at The Hall. Last December, Richmond scored 21 points and 9 rebounds as the Pirates lost to Rutgers in the Garden State Hardwood Classic.

“Another game against Rutgers. I'm used to playing against them, so it will be nice to start the season with a nice win,” he said.

Richmond is older than Harper, the former Don Bosco Prep star, and has never played against him but is familiar with his game.

“The projected top-five finishes are a good thing,” Richmond said of Harper, “so he must be doing something right.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter covering Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his website ZAGSBLOG.com.