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DES MOINES, Iowa – Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino thought he'd seen the Gophers play Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
"When you see Louisville appear, you ask yourself," What am I going to say to the media? " How am I going to lie to these media? "Pitino said, you must be prepared for these questions."
He was ready on Wednesday, a day before the 10-headed Gophers met the 7-headed Cardinals of the East. After giving a brief overview of his original thinking, Pitino played down the fact that he was coaching against the school where his father, Rick, had coached for 16 seasons and had won a national championship in 2013 before to be fired in 2017.
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Richard Pitino worked twice as an assistant for his father in Louisville.
"From an emotional point of view, when you play in the Big Ten, there are so many emotional games," Pitino said. "I've learned that, I'm only 36. It's a young head coach, but you have to keep your emotions in check, I think I'm doing a pretty decent job of that." .
"When I watch a movie and I watch a Louisville play, the name of the jersey is not really indicated, but I'm looking at a very good team in Louisville, a really well-prepared and well-coached team. a lot of talent and how can i put myself in a position to help our team beat them up? & # 39;
Rick Pitino, who coaches in Greece, was silent publicly about the match.
"I already talked to him once," said Pitino. "It is not really easy to make ends meet in Greece.We did not talk much about anything other than what he asked (injured Gopher Matz Stockman) and how he's doing.He asked questions about the team. "
Most of his matchday press conference was full of questions on the subject, but Pitino said it was not and would not distract him.
"I am excited that we are participating in the NCAA Tournament," he said. "I'm going to play against anyone, I'm excited, there is not a part of me that is not 1000% honored, grateful, humiliated by the fact that we are in the NCAA tournament.
"You will never hear me complain about whoever you play with."
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