Rick Pitino says blue bloods no longer have big advantage in college basketball
By Mark Kern
Published:
Rick Pitino has St. John’s preparing for a Sweet Sixteen matchup on Friday against Duke, which is one of the elite blue blood programs in the country. Pitino, having coached at a one of those type of schools in Kentucky understands that those schools used to have an advantage on the rest of the country.
However, coming off a Round of 32 win against Kansas last weekend, Pitino believes those schools don’t have nearly the same advantage anymore.
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“I don’t mean the blue bloods are dead, it’s just they don’t have the advantage they once had,” Pitino told reporters. “Everybody is now on the same level of playing field. There is no difference between an NC State and North Carolina. You are no longer going to Kentucky because of the facilities and great history. You are going there because you want to play for that coach, and obviously your contract is very good.”
We have seen it in many different sports. In college football this season, Indiana was able to win a national championship. The Hoosiers haven’t had nearly that type of success in their program history, but it is now about how invested your athletic department is.
After Arkansas’ win against High Point, John Calipari told reporters that coaches win games, administrations win championships.
While he took one blue blood down last weekend, Pitino and his team will face another tough one on Friday in the Sweet 16 when they take on the Duke Blue Devils. Tip-off in that game is at 7:10 p.m. ET and the game will be on CBS.
