Oh, how I wish I could…32 years ago. Time to move on.
Said the last thing he time the team "crowd Laettener, but he hasn't missed a shot all game, whatever you do, don't foul him"
Says that's what he regrets about that ending.
It obviously bothers him. In that regard I feel bad for him.He has said the same thing for 30 years. He said that at the Father and Son Camp in the Summer of '92....I was there. We watched a replay of the game.
That game was the rebirth of UK basketball. As agonizing as it was in the moment, we've won 3 titles since then. Prior to that point you have to go back to 1951 to to get to 3 titles.
We were on a 14 year year draught at that point. I refuse to look at that game negatively any longer and haven't since HS to be honest. Once we beat them in '98 that devil was slayed.
Time for the next rebirth.
He just said it. So I shared it. I wasn't even alive yet so that shot doesn't hurt me that much, at least compared to those who watched it live. It's UK history, with a new quote on it from the coach at the time, so I shared it here.32 years ago. Time to move on.
32 years before the shot, Cotton Nash hadn't played a varsity game yet.Oh, how I wish I could…
All he could have done better is put a man on Grant Hill, making it harder for him to throw that inbound pass.The grass always looks greener from the other side. Refs were blowing whistles on everyone who looked at Laettner that game. And if he wasn’t going to miss a turnaround with two seconds left and a man in his face there’s no way on Earth he would have missed a foul shot from the same spot with all the time in the world.
It took me near thirty years to realize it. And maybe it’ll take him longer. But Pitino did everything right in that game. Everything.
In fact, while K coached that game too and beat him, he had more NBA talent on his roster. He also had the refs on his side, pretty clearly.
In that game, largely recognized to have been the best college game ever played, there’s a real strong case to be made that Rick Pitino turned in the best single-game coaching performance in history. Time to stop beating himself up over it.
Yup, and he shouldn’t have even been in position to take that shot if the refs called the game fairly and thru his punk ass out for stomping on a player.The grass always looks greener from the other side. Refs were blowing whistles on everyone who looked at Laettner that game. And if he wasn’t going to miss a turnaround with two seconds left and a man in his face there’s no way on Earth he would have missed a foul shot from the same spot with all the time in the world.
It took me near thirty years to realize it. And maybe it’ll take him longer. But Pitino did everything right in that game. Everything.
In fact, while K coached that game too and beat him, he had more NBA talent on his roster. He also had the refs on his side, pretty clearly.
In that game, largely recognized to have been the best college game ever played, there’s a real strong case to be made that Rick Pitino turned in the best single-game coaching performance in history. Time to stop beating himself up over it.
32 years before the shot, Cotton Nash hadn't played a varsity game yet.
The chances of the ball going to anyone but Laettner = nonexistent. I will echo what has been said a thousand times, Pitino should have had one of our tallest players guarding the inbounds pass. The defense that Pitino set up allowed a straight pass to Laettner at the free throw line instead of an , up for grabs, lob. It is more than possible the ball would have gone to the side for a last second heave from 3/4 court. Still, it was a great game by a well coached UK team.The grass always looks greener from the other side. Refs were blowing whistles on everyone who looked at Laettner that game. And if he wasn’t going to miss a turnaround with two seconds left and a man in his face there’s no way on Earth he would have missed a foul shot from the same spot with all the time in the world.
It took me near thirty years to realize it. And maybe it’ll take him longer. But Pitino did everything right in that game. Everything.
In fact, while K coached that game too and beat him, he had more NBA talent on his roster. He also had the refs on his side, pretty clearly.
In that game, largely recognized to have been the best college game ever played, there’s a real strong case to be made that Rick Pitino turned in the best single-game coaching performance in history. Time to stop beating himself up over it.
I can assure you, it's not new.He just said it. So I shared it. I wasn't even alive yet so that shot doesn't hurt me that much, at least compared to those who watched it live. It's UK history, with a new quote on it from the coach at the time, so I shared it here.
The interview was new, and even being on this board since 2004 I've never heard it. Sorry for my ignoranceI can assure you, it's not new.
And leave four of our guys—but not our four tallest—playing number 1 Duke four on four with Laettner in and Mashburn fouled out and Laettner still not having missed a shot all game and the refs still whistling anyone who looked at him?The chances of the ball going to anyone but Laettner = nonexistent. I will echo what has been said a thousand times, Pitino should have had one of our tallest players guarding the inbounds pass. The defense that Pitino set up allowed a straight pass to Laettner at the free throw line instead of an , up for grabs, lob. It is more than possible the ball would have gone to the side for a last second heave from 3/4 court. Still, it was a great game by a well coached UK team.
This. And you would think future coaches would learn from it. But nooooope. And I've seen it bite coaches right in the ass.All he could have done better is put a man on Grant Hill, making it harder for him to throw that inbound pass.
Nah we probably win that game. That game was the title game that year and is STILL the best game of college basketball EVER played.I often wonder if we made the Final Four that year how we'd do. Indiana would've wanted revenge and that was Knight's last great team there. Who knows. If we knock Duke out the Hoosiers may have won another title.
Nah we probably win that game. That game was the title game that year and is STILL the best game of college basketball EVER played.