Rick Pitino knew No. 15 Alabama would present a unique early-season litmus test for No. 5 St. John’s .

Armed with elite athleticism and an unmatched pace of play, Alabama led the country in scoring both of the last two seasons and certainly hasn’t slowed down this year under longtime head coach Nate Oats.

“They shoot the ball, on average, within 15 seconds,” Pitino said ahead of Saturday’s meeting at Madison Square Garden. “We’ve not seen anything like that in the three years I’ve been here.”

And while St. John’s kept up with the Crimson Tide for much of Saturday’s heavyweight bout, Alabama’s high-speed offense proved too much to overcome.

St. John’s lost, 103-96, to fall to 1-1 on the young season.

Saturday’s game was largely dominated by Alabama’s guards, including Labaron Philon

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