Rick Pitino Over Tom Izzo? No Way
By Jason McIntyre
They both have one National title. Izzo has six Final Four appearances; Pitino five. Goodman presumably gave Pitino the nod because he has 214 more wins (in nine more seasons).
But if you take the win total into account, you also have to take the Final Fours into account. What’s more impressive – Pitino’s Final Four trip every five years, or Izzo’s every six in 16 seasons? Actually, if you remove Izzo’s first three years as a head coach, and last season, he’s pulled off six Final Four trips in a 12 year span. That’s some Coach K shit right there (7 Final Fours in 9 years; 3 in 6 years).
And where is it harder to recruit, Michigan State or Kentucky/Louisville? (Pitino’s Final Four at Providence was very impressive – Billy Donovan, Delray Brooks & Marty Conlon? Come on.)
Surely the notoriously vocal Kentucky fans will give Goodman beef for rating Pitino ahead of Calipari, but I don’t have an issue with that since Cal’s best runs have been, shall we say, shady (UMass & Memphis Final Trips have been vacated). But Doug Gottlieb’s buddy Izzo has to be ahead of Pitino. [CBS Sports]