Pitino's 1991 clinic against Shaq and the LSU zone is a thing of beauty (video).

[Son_Of_Saul]

I'm looking forward to having a real Xs and Os coach again, in the similar vein as vintage Pitino.

Take a look at this video if you get bored. Pitino employed a masterful destruction of the LSU zone. It shows what elite coaching and outstanding team cohesion can do against elite talent and mediocre coaching (here's looking at you, Cal).

Also, I look forward to Rupp being as loud again as it was in this game.

Good times are on the horizon.

 

[Jireh]

Shows what a bunch of guys can do who may not be the most athletic, but can shoot and know how to play.

 

[dlh331]

35 years later and Pitino is still (arguably) the best Xs/Os coach in the game.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

35 years later and Pitino is still (arguably) the best Xs/Os coach in the game.

He demanded the best from his Kentucky players, and they met the challenge. The fact that UK went from probation in 1991 to #1 in the nation in 1993 is the best turnaround in the history of college basketball.

 

[bnewt]

He demanded the best from his Kentucky players, and they met the challenge. The fact that UK went from probation in 1991 to #1 in the nation in 1993 is the best turnaround in the history of college basketball.

Because he did not let the inmates run the asylum

 

[Kybluedude]

Because he did not let the inmates run the asylum

No agents, nil, 40 hr week and no transfer portal helped him as well

 

[kyboy1998]

Pitino was great as a strategic leader. He was coaching against Dale Brown there though.

Dale was like dollar store Cal really.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

No agents, nil, 40 hr week and no transfer portal helped him as well

All of that is negated by a shortage in scholarships, no postseason for two seasons, and probation.

 

[westerncat]

Thanks for the video Son_Of_Saul that was fun to watch. I think this will be like we will play this season.

 

[TopCatCal]

I'm looking forward to having a real Xs and Os coach again, in the similar vein as vintage Pitino.

Take a look at this video if you get bored. Pitino employed a masterful destruction of the LSU zone. It shows what elite coaching and outstanding team cohesion can do against elite talent and mediocre coaching (here's looking at you, Cal).

Also, I look forward to Rupp being as loud again as it was in this game.

Good times are on the horizon.

And the way that Pitino's & his UK defense held Tim Duncan to a 2-7 shooting night in the 1996 NCAA tournament also a thing of beauty...... The perfect marriage, Rick Pitino & the UK men's basketball program. What might have been, if only he would have stayed on here.

 

[Fox2monk]

I'm looking forward to having a real Xs and Os coach again, in the similar vein as vintage Pitino.

Take a look at this video if you get bored. Pitino employed a masterful destruction of the LSU zone. It shows what elite coaching and outstanding team cohesion can do against elite talent and mediocre coaching (here's looking at you, Cal).

Also, I look forward to Rupp being as loud again as it was in this game.

Good times are on the horizon.

Reggie Hanson was a fine player, he never gets talked about even when discussing Pitino players.

 

[CRZ4UK]

Could you imagine what Pitino could have done with the Kentucky dream team? With all that talent pressure for 94 feet. Bringing in Booker, ulis fresh off the bench for more pressure.
Instead Cal pulled it out and tried to grind games out. Eventually losing to a two white boy, unathletic team in Wisconsin. Ugh!!

 

[JC CATS]

35 years later and Pitino is still (arguably) the best Xs/Os coach in the game.

He always gave Cal a clinic in the Louisville UK matchups

 

[JC CATS]

Could you imagine what Pitino could have done with the Kentucky dream team? With all that talent pressure for 94 feet. Bringing in Booker, ulis fresh off the bench for more pressure.
Instead Cal pulled it out and tried to grind games out. Eventually losing to a two white boy, unathletic team in Wisconsin. Ugh!!

Actually he could have recruited them to Louisville, as that is part of a coaches job

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

I miss Jefferson pilot

Also, zone sucks

 

[m080470]

Depends on what you mean by X's and O's. Game preparation he was the best, maybe the very best to have ever coached the game. Opponents were very often beaten and demoralized after the first ten minutes. As a bench coach, he was pretty poor. Without looking it up, he had like a 1-7 or 1-8 record in overtime games at UK (the Arkansas SEC tourney was the only win) and of course the Duke and Arizona losses were heart breaker's. I think it's the reason he struggled so badly against Cal when Cal was at UK is Cal always had superior talent that negated a lot of the things Louisville could force on equal and lesser teams.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

This is what we did not get with Cal and this is what we will get with Pope, who we all know is a Pitino protege.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Why didnt we just hire Pitino instead of his student with a fraction of the resume?

 

[HerrosHeroes]

Why didnt we just hire Pitino instead of his student with a fraction of the resume?

Ummm because:

 

[JonathanW]

That was my first game watching UK in Rupp

 

[chroix]

That was my first game watching UK in Rupp

Hooked for life right? What a first game!

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Why didnt we just hire Pitino instead of his student with a fraction of the resume?

If he was 51 years old, it would be a no brainer. But he's not 51. He's 71. You don't rebuild with a 71 year old man, even one as basketball-smart as Pitino.

The best thing that could have happened is Tubby stepping willingly stepping down when Pitino left Boston. It didn't happen, however.

 

[chroix]

If he was 51 years old, it would be a no brainer. But he's not 51. He's 71. You don't rebuild with a 71 year old man, even one as basketball-smart as Pitino.

The best thing that could have happened is Tubby stepping willingly stepping down when Pitino left Boston. It didn't happen, however.

It’s tragic he went to Louisville. Had he gone to an East Coast school and waited a minute he could have come back after Tubby left.

 

[chroix]

I’ll add in he came across as a total prick when he went to Louisville. I was at the first game between us and them and he was playing it up big time. Glad he recognizes the error of his ways now.

 

[Myotis]

Depends on what you mean by X's and O's. Game preparation he was the best, maybe the very best to have ever coached the game. Opponents were very often beaten and demoralized after the first ten minutes. As a bench coach, he was pretty poor. Without looking it up, he had like a 1-7 or 1-8 record in overtime games at UK (the Arkansas SEC tourney was the only win) and of course the Duke and Arizona losses were heart breaker's. I think it's the reason he struggled so badly against Cal when Cal was at UK is Cal always had superior talent that negated a lot of the things Louisville could force on equal and lesser teams.

I concur about Pitino and the difference between pre-game preparation and in-game management. Rick wasn’t especially good at the latter and poor at half time strategy adjustments. But his pre-game planning and player development was so good that he rarely needed to make any adjustments in the first place.

If you had access to a transmogrifier (Calvin and Hobbs) and could blend together Calipari (recruiting), Pitino (conditioning, scouting and game prep) and Smith (game management) you might have the Perfect Coach. Each of their specialist skills were strong enough to bring an NCAA title despite weaknesses in other areas.

Nothing speaks to the special character of UK basketball more than the fact that five different coaches have won Championships here.