Rick Pitino‘s done it again. The Iona head coach and the Gaels clinched a tournament bid on Saturday. Then, during his postgame press conference, Pitino couldn’t help but take a jab at the NCAA.
It’s no secret Pitino has an awkward standing with the NCAA. The Iona head coach admitted as much on Saturday, following Iona’s big-time win over seven-seed Fairfield in the MAAC Tournament Championship game.
“We’ve been the No. 1 of No. 1 overall seeds, but with the treatment by the NCAA of me, we might get an 18 seed,” Pitino said on Saturday, via college hoops reporter Jaden Daly.
Yikes. Pitino certainly doesn’t mince his words anymore. Unfortunately for the NCAA, there’s nothing it can do about Pitino’s Gaels playing in this year’s Big Dance.
Rick Pitino: “We’ve been the No. 1 of No. 1 overall seeds, but with the treatment by the NCAA of me, we might get an 18 seed.” #ICMBB
— Jaden Daly (@DalyDoseOfHoops) March 13, 2021
Whether you like Rick Pitino or not, there’s no denying his on-court spectaculars. He’s still one of the best in basketball and gives any team he coaches a chance.
Iona is now the fifth team Pitino will have taken to the NCAA Tournament. He also led Boston, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to the prestigious stage.
Given Pitino’s experience, the Gaels are going to be a terrifying first-round matchup next week. The program is projected as a 15-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, meaning it’d take on a No. 2 seed.
Regardless of where Iona winds up in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Gaels are in. They punched their ticket to the Big Dance on Saturday with Pitino leading the way.
The post Rick Pitino Cracks Joke About NCAA After Iona Clinches Tournament Bid appeared first on The Spun.
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