Rick Pitino has never been shy with a microphone in front of him, and after losing to Kentucky in Atlanta, he had plenty to say about the Wildcats.
He started by tipping his cap to the point guard who flipped the game on its head.
“I congratulate UK for the great second half. Think a big difference is the play when Jaland Lowe comes in the game, they’re a different basketball team,” Pitino said. “He makes people better. He is very tough to guard in pick and rolls.”
Then he went straight to Mark Pope’s identity shift and basically said Pope reinvented this team on the fly.
“I think Mark did a brilliant thing. He came into the season thinking he had this great shooting team, and it’s obvious that it’s probably just an average shooting team, and he said I’ll change the whole mindset. We’re going to be a physical team. We’re going to be a tough team, and they totally changed the personality of who they are.”
Pitino says Kentucky had 'no shot' before injured stars returned
Pitino framed it as a complete reset in philosophy, and he loved it.
“That’s all he talks about, the physicality and toughness. I think he made a change, and the injured guys have come back. Makes them a much better basketball team.”
Then came the part BBN is going to screenshot for the next month. Pitino told everyone to stop losing their minds every time Kentucky has a bad night.
“I think you all need to learn a little bit of a lesson as writers because you’re expecting Kentucky to be this great basketball team with all those injuries,” he said. “You can’t be a great basketball team without two of your best players, with no point guard, no big men.”
He reminded everyone that the blowout losses came without those “two gigantic pieces” and made it clear where he thinks this is heading.
“So I think they’ll be a very good basketball team. They’re going to have to keep playing smashmouth basketball and play like that physical team, and I give Mark all the credit in the world.”
For a fanbase that has lived on edge since November, hearing Rick Pitino tell everyone to relax and trust Mark Pope is something you probably did not have on your bingo card. But here we are, Kentucky is as healthy as they have been all year long and looking to start to build some real momentum.
Pitino is telling everyone to just relax, fans included, and trust in Pope.