Rick Pitino and St. John's

[KentuckyWild2020]

Social Media Wildcat groups, not my words...


Hear me out. A little food for thought
Just to start some dialog.
I think right now Pitino needs Kentucky
I think Kentucky needs Pitino
They both have lost their way.
Maybe a Reckoning!
I think we need each other, we both could use some redemption.
I loved watching his full court press.
Raining 3s , no missed freethrows
I loved them playing with heart and leaving it all on the floor.
The fans reaction to nobodys becoming somebodies, throw in an all American here and there.
If we lost the game we enjoyed the fight.
Regardless of his personal struggles,
Pitinos style of play hasnt changed
He wins wherever he goes.
Im not advocating Coach Cals removal. Theres always a what if.
I hope to see the Kentucky Dynasty return in my lifetime. I survived staying up late to watch no live games and still get up early for work, Suttons emery envelope, Coach Gilespi (sp) UK / UCLA. then I’ve earned my right to not be happy when we lose.

[Will Lavender]

That sort of junk isn't even worth responding to. There's so much wrong and bizarre in it that it's ludicrous on its face.

Just trying to pick out a couple of things:

One, Pitino's style has absolutely changed. Of course it has. What's he even talking about there?

Second, missed free throws. This current team shoots 70%. That's good enough to win most games. It's better than Pitino's '97 team, one point off from the '96 team. Free throws haven't been a problem with the exception of the other night and a couple of games early in the year. We've been fine.

There are several other silly things in there but the most important is the fact that Mitch Barnhart probably wouldn't even say Pitino's name out loud, let alone hire him to coach this program.

[Will Lavender]

And this is why I will always be for replay reviews. How can you not want calls that can be reviewed to be corrected? Eliminate as many errors as possible.

I've been a proponent of removing reviews completely unless a coach challenges.

But now that the pandora's box has been opened I don't think they'll ever get rid of them.

The major problem with reviews is what they're reviewing. Flagrant fouls have become (by far) the most common, and in this category there's stuff like the "hook and hold." Are players getting injured on this play? When? How? Why exactly is it a flagrant foul? And why are we over there at the monitor studying it like the Sasquatch tape for five minutes?

Because stuff like this is reviewed, it makes the end-of-game reviews--the ones that should matter--really tedious. The game of basketball is meant to be played in a near-constant rush. It's so different than football, which has these built-in stoppages. Basketball isn't supposed to stop like these reviews make it stop. And because of that over the last five to seven seasons I've become okay with official error if it means stopping them from walking over to the TV screens ten times every game.

[40bill]

There is a ground swell across bulletin boards wanting Coach Pitino back.

Just this old guys opinion, I'd say no.
Coach P did a masterful job years ago, but his game has changed as well as he has.

I wish him no ill will, but his career would be better elsewhere.

[Will Lavender]

Even if you assumed the fact that the adidas scandal, the hooker thing, and the Sypher affair weren't an issue, you get into the problem of Kentucky being a rebuild job if Cal leaves. Because if he left the freshmen coming in would also leave. So Pitino would have to come in here, rake the portal, and basically rebuild the roster with a prayer and a hope.

That isn't the game he's playing at at 70 years old. Maybe at 40 when we hired him but not now, no way.

[KentuckyWild2020]

That sort of junk isn't even worth responding to. There's so much wrong and bizarre in it that it's ludicrous on its face.

Just trying to pick out a couple of things:

One, Pitino's style has absolutely changed. Of course it has. What's he even talking about there?

Second, missed free throws. This current team shoots 70%. That's good enough to win most games. It's better than Pitino's '97 team, one point off from the '96 team. Free throws haven't been a problem with the exception of the other night and a couple of games early in the year. We've been fine.

There are several other silly things in there but the most important is the fact that Mitch Barnhart probably wouldn't even say Pitino's name out loud, let alone hire him to coach this program.

I agree. If Pitino was 55-60 maybe it's different but he days as a Kentucky coach are long gone.

Unfortunately i think a lot of Kentucky fans are so desperate that we would sell our soul to the devil to get back on the map......

[Will Lavender]

Pitino would have definitely zoned with this team pretty much all year and I'd say it would have saved us at least three or four losses--which would be huge. Instead of a 6 seed hoping for a wing and a prayer suddenly we're a 3 seed looking at going through Louisville.

[85 Fly]

Probably the worst loss I've ever witnessed as a UK fan. Worse than Wisconsin, IMO, only because I loved that team so much.

Was walking around a week after that game thinking about it. Only time that's ever happened to me as a UK fan.

I have rewatched games over the Cal era that we won or lossed but to THIS DAY I haven't watched Wisconsin game..I loved that 38-1 team

[Catsrock]

Pitinr has spoken. It would take a truly special place for him to consider leaving his current wonderful position. Iona just lost. Countdown is on. How long before he proclaims St . John’s (or Georgetown) the most special place in the country? 12 hours?

[TrueblueCATfan]

Looks like Pitino is headed to St.Johns

[Lighthouse]

Looks like Pitino is headed to St.Johns

Where did you hear this?

[TrueblueCATfan]

Where did you hear this?

Matt Jones on Twitter

[Catsrock]

So…less than 2 hours? Phony

[KentuckyWild2020]

I have rewatched games over the Cal era that we won or lossed but to THIS DAY I haven't watched Wisconsin game..I loved that 38-1 team

Me too. We win that game and go on to win it all, 96 team takes a backseat and I loved the 96 team ,my greatest UK team all time..

[Pobilly]

Rick will be a good fit for them. Keeps him in the northeast.