His father, Rick Pitino, cheered for his son Saturday night without worrying about how a victory would hurt his basketball coach, Rick Pitino, who was selected Sunday.
In what could have been a March Madness version of basketball’s patricide, coach Richard Pitino’s New Mexico State emerges from the NCAA Tournament bubble by playing San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference tournament finals. Although he succeeded, it had little effect on bursting his bubble. his father’s St. John’s program.
The Red Storm were not among the first four teams eliminated from the 68-team roster when the standings were announced Sunday.
“What made me feel a little bit better, and it might sound a little crazy, is that we weren’t in the first four,” the senior Pitino said. “That’s because you’re playing something in your mind. What if?”
When last week began, father and son were thought to be coaching a bubble team, but New Mexico left nothing to chance by winning four games in four days.
Rick thinks North Carolina State and Oregon trying to steal an automatic bid out of nowhere will cost St. John’s more than New Mexico.
“I’m so proud of my son. He’s done a great job,” Rick said. “As a father and as a former assistant to my team, I couldn’t be more proud. We will move on.”
The Lobos return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2014 as the No. 11 seed to take on No. 6 seed Clemson in Friday’s West Regional game.
The Red Storm, who finished in last place in 2019, will have to wait until at least next year to win a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.
It may seem inconceivable, but the Mountain West (six deals) sold for twice as much as the Big East (three deals).
Rick enjoyed Richard’s moment of glory Father’s Pride Saturday on XIt used to be Twitter.
The Post has you covered with a printable NCAA bracket featuring the entire 68-team field for March Madness 2024.
The younger Pitino, who previously coached the University of Minnesota to the NCAA Tournament twice during his eight-year tenure, jumped to New Mexico for two years to build the program following his father’s latest rebuild.
Rick is trying to make St. John’s the sixth school to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
“I think we fulfilled our potential,” Rick said. “We didn’t make it to the NCAA [Tournament]But the team that played all the way looked like a very good basketball team and would be dangerous if they made it to the NCAA Tournament. ”
