Billy Donovan was not walking through the door.
This time there was no Billy the Kid to rain down 3s on Alabama, that was a different time (1987) and a different place and a different school (Providence College) and a different team (Final Four) for Rick Pitino.
Pitino nevertheless reminded the college basketball world of his talent on Saturday afternoon.
The Hink Fieldhouse was the perfect place for Rink and Miracle to dream the impossible, as it was where Bobby Plump hit the shot that won the state championship for Milan High School in 1954 that inspired the film Hosiers.
Alabama seemed to think that the 17-point underdogs would pounce as soon as the Gauls would see their jerseys.
wrong.
Iona came in to win, and played to win, and never stopped believing that it could win, because the more you give hope to the 15-seed, the more trouble you find yourself.
Each time Bama scored a run, Iona responded with a run of her own for 30-plus minutes.
I wish, as long as it was winning time.
When Eastern Region first-round 68–55 winner Bama finally remembered that he was 2-seeded, and Alex Reese exploded on an 11–0 run, ignited by a pair of 3s.
You knew Rick and Miracle would be all set. He was not in awe. He contested every occupation. They had no fear.
“We thought we could win tonight,” Pitino said.
A Hall of Fame coach can believe an undermanned team.
His gulls were being destroyed on the offensive glass and refused to go away. He stopped seven shots in the first 24 minutes. Pitino quickly called off a 6-foot-3 walk-on sophomore redhead guard named Parker Weiss, the same 6-3 walk-on sophomore redhead guard who played an average of 1.8 points during the season. Next redhead up. The elder man Nellie Jr. Joseph was sitting on the back with three fouls and he did not mind.
Isaiah Ross said, “We knew what they wanted to do, what they do for the game and what they don’t”.
Alabama missed nine straight 3 at one point. Sorting followed by layoffs. Was careless with basketball. They try to play fast. But Iona let him play half-fast. Bama senior guard John Petty Jr. was a one-man gang who could not shoot straight from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Ross threw a corner jumper before the buzzer sounded in the second half and of course it went inside.
For so long, Iona wanted it more.
The Iona bench was on fire.
There was a ruckus in Alabama.
It was strange to see this coach of the Hall of Fame with the Hall of Fame wardrobe without Ron Mercer or Walter McCarthy or Antoine Walker without Montrisel Harel or Rez Smith. Or a Donovan Mitchell.
You are not the McDonald’s All-America coach at Iona, at least not now, after Pitino’s first year of NCAA exile of 2017. This is the reality.
Pitino deserves a significant number of wins over the course of a season. As Boom Phillips once said of the late Alabama football veteran Bear Bryant: “He can take himself and beat himself, and then he can move around and beat himself . “
And most of the time, Pitino can take his EN and beat himself, and then turn around and beat his ANN.
He scared the holy hell out of Alabama.
“His IQ is off the charts,” Ross said. “He sees things that other coaches won’t see.”
There was nothing about stopping Pitino from his customary manicure sideline, Kajoling, seemingly burning thousands of calories in front of his bench, as he would coach this way at Five Star Camp, this one, which is always Has been with
Give credit to your players. COVID simultaneously destroyed their practice time. They remained through the crucible of the MAAC tournament. He bought what Pitino was selling.
“I’m in heaven right now,” Pitino said.
And he will reach for the sky with Iona College. Reinforcements are on the way. Iona will not be an aggressive challenger team.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Iona’s being a force to get down along the road,” Pitino said.
Never bet against him.
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