NEW YORK (AP) — Rick Pitino is on the cusp of one other teaching milestone. And get this — his first shot at 900 wins comes towards his personal son.
In a household circle coincidence, Pitino has 899 profession victories on the faculty basketball courtroom as he leads St. John’s into Saturday’s sport at Xavier, the place Richard Pitino is in his first season as Musketeers coach.
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“What’s the possibilities of that occuring?” the elder Pitino stated this week. “So I feel that’s a giant deal with for me, and the household. Both manner we all know we’re going to have a tough sport towards them due to their model of play. He’s doing a wonderful job.”
Rick Pitino is 3-1 in teaching matchups versus Richard, together with a Crimson Storm victory over New Mexico at Madison Sq. Backyard final season. However their Huge East contest Saturday marks the primary time they will sq. off in convention play.
So what does the 73-year-old Corridor of Famer take into consideration the prospect of profitable No. 900 on the expense of his boy?
“I feel he’ll do every little thing humanly potential to cease it,” Rick Pitino stated with a smile.
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Sitting simply exterior the AP High 25 this week and using a five-game win streak, St. John’s (14-5) holds second place within the Huge East standings at 7-1.
Xavier (11-8) is tied for sixth with two different groups at 3-5.
“It’s like some other sport,” Richard Pitino, 43, stated Wednesday evening following an agonizing 94-93 loss at Creighton. “I do know there’s the storyline of my dad and this and that. However for me it’s a house sport versus among the best groups within the nation. I’ve received to do my easiest to not make it about that and make it solely on attempting to place my guys in place to beat a extremely good group.”
After capturing nationwide championships at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013), Rick Pitino is trying to be part of only a handful of coaches who’ve received 900 video games in Division I males’s basketball. That legacy, nevertheless, is sophisticated.
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Citing on-court accomplishments, St. John’s famous Pitino tied Bob Knight for fourth place at 899 profession wins (most amongst lively coaches) when the Crimson Storm rallied for a 65-60 victory Tuesday evening over Seton Corridor.
Knight, although, is credited with 902 victories by the NCAA as a result of three Indiana losses on the courtroom have been later dominated forfeits by the Hoosiers’ opponents as punishment for program violations.
“I can’t spell Coach Knight. He’s one of many greats of all time. I in all probability simply coached lots longer than him,” a respectful Pitino stated.
Subsequent on the wins record is Roy Williams with 903. However the NCAA report e-book acknowledges solely 776 victories for Pitino after stripping him of 123 due to infractions at Louisville.
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No matter all that, St. John’s plans to commemorate and have fun the achievement each time Pitino earns No. 900. He’s 899-316 total in 38 seasons as a school head coach, starting with six video games in an interim function at Hawaii in 1976.
Pitino additionally made stops at Boston College, Windfall and Iona, sandwiched round NBA jobs with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, plus a stint with Greek group Panathinaikos.
Now in his third season with St. John’s, the reigning AP nationwide co-coach of the 12 months has been to seven Ultimate Fours and is the lone coach to take six colleges to the NCAA Event.
After 5 a long time on the bench, Pitino stated it is “superb” to him that his 900th win may come towards his son, beforehand one in every of his assistants. Rick Pitino joked Tuesday evening about urgent Xavier’s workers for a greater walkthrough schedule this weekend, and the way a lot Richard likes to needle his dad.
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“He has a humorousness like no one else,” Rick Pitino stated. “I’m actually, actually happy with Richard.”
However as soon as their groups tip off on Saturday, it is not about mother or milestones or any of that.
Simply profitable.
“That is going to be plenty of enjoyable. Nice sport,” Rick Pitino stated. “If we lose, I’ll go away my group in Cincinnati.”
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AP Sports activities Author Eric Olson contributed to this report.
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