Quinn Ellis praised by Rick Pitino for playing like a veteran in St. Johns preseason win

Quinn Ellis scored only three points in St.John’s exhibition opener Wednesday night, but coach Rick Pitino came away impressed by his new point guard anyway.The Red Storm’s new floor general opted against taking many shots — he only attempted two — preferring to set the table for his new teammates.

It left an early impression on his Hall of Fame coach.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St.

John’s.“Quinn is the only one on the team who really understood how to play.

He didn’t even care about looking at the basket.He played like a veteran,” Pitino said after St.

John’s took care of Drexel 81-52 at Carnesecca Arena in the first of three exhibition contests.“When everybody else was hunting 3s early in the game, nobody understood you have to make the defense work, tire their legs out, run them into screens.

Quinn understood it and nobody else did.“That’s why he’s a great player without scoring.He could score, but he didn’t want to.

He wanted to get the other guys [involved] in the game.”The 6-foot-4 Ellis did everything but score.He had six assists, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks in 27 quality minutes.

He looked the part of a top-flight point guard, a player Pitino said is just as good as the top point guards he’s coached in Queens, Kadary Richmond and Daniss Jenkins.He’s a ball mover who is always looking to attack, and create opportunities for others.“It’s amazing to play with Quinn, his ability to find you, get you open shots,” Babacar Sane said.

“I always tell him, every assist he makes for me, it’s one dollar.Today he gave me three assists on his shots, so I owe him three bucks.“I told him, I have never seen a point guard who’s looking first to pass.

It’s wonderful to have somebody like him at St.John’s.”A day earlier, Ellis was cleared to play this season by the NCAA, after weeks of waiting.

Piti...