Rick Pitino was proud of his team for beating UC Irvine on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament despite a scare, but he’s not delusional about his squad’s abilities.
After the Cardinals squeezed out a 57-55 win that came down to the final seconds, Pitino was interviewed by TBS and acknowledged that his team is not championship caliber.
“We survive and move on and that’s what it was, survive…We’re not a great team this year, but we’ve made it to the round of 32,” Pitino said.
Pitino would know a great team when he sees one about as well as anyone else. He took the Cardinals to the Final Four in 2012, won the national championship the next year, and he took them to the Sweet 16 last season. That’s probably why he had such amazing praise for Kentucky — he knows how good they are.
Pitino knows his team isn’t playing its best and that they were 3-3 without Chris Jones, who was dismissed from the team, entering the game. Still, though they may be underdogs against Northern Iowa, Pitino is a great coach and not someone you want to pick against.
