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Rick Pitino wants Sweet 16 revenge against Duke for what happened in 1992 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Rick Pitino hasn’t forgotten about one of March Madness' biggest moments. Unfortunately, he was one the wrong side of history.
However, the legendary coach made it clear after St. John's dramatic buzzer-beating win over No. 4 Kansas that he's ready to witness another one. Pitino talked about guard Dylan Darling, who attacked the lane for a game-winning layup as time expired, as an example of fearless confidence in today’s game.
Pitino said he was struck not just by the shot, but by Darling’s willingness to take it despite struggling throughout the night.
“I’ve been on both sides of it — winning and losing at the buzzer,” Pitino told reporters after the game. “For a player today, with all the scrutiny, to want the ball when he’s not shooting well — that says everything about his confidence.”
Pitino acknowledged coaching Darling hard earlier in the game for a defensive lapse, but praised his ability to move on to the next play. That mentality, Pitino said, defines winning players.
The moment also stirred up memories of Christian Laettner’s heartbreaking buzzer-beater that lifted the Duke Blue Devils past Pitino’s Kentucky team in the 1992 NCAA Tournament.
More:Texas punches ticket to Sweet 16 – this year's 11-seed ‘Cinderella?’
Now more than three decades later, the sting remains. “You win some, you lose some,” Pitino said. “Hopefully, we can get Duke at the buzzer next time and make up for that Laettner shot.”
For Pitino, the past still fuels the present and perhaps, the future at St. John's.
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