The scene played out on the videoboard above the court for all to see as the chorus hit its crescendo. The Johnnies are regularly making back-page headlines of the New York tabloids.
On Saturday, with a Providence team struggling to stay above break-even in town, 19, showed up to watch the Red Storm beat the Friars on a pull-up jumper in the waning seconds by Kadary Richmond.
And a lot of the older coaches, 55, 60, 65, are getting out, and Rick, he evolved. Wherever he goes, Rick Pitino is a winner. The return on investment has been everything St. Only Pitino, though, has won titles at two schools Kentucky in and Louisville in Richmond, a Seton Hall transfer who was a first-team all-Big East selection last year, is a versatile 6-foot-6 wing who has been finding his form during the recent surge. Dan Hurley, college basketball villain? Actually, this sport could use more like him.
Pitino still runs individual skill drills with his players in the morning β after he gets in his own 5 a. He still coaches with a maniacal attention to detail, especially on the defensive end.
He demands relentlessness and toughness, both physically and mentally, from his players, though he goes about getting it a little differently these days. And we were rolling at the end, because we all started to understand it. And this year β¦ the returners have really communicated that to really listen to what he means, not how he says it.
