The Herd with Colin Cowherd THE HERD - Hour 2 - Rick Pitino stops by The Herd
Mar 4, 2026
Rick Pitino, veteran college basketball coach and two-time national champion now leading St. John's, shares decades of perspective. He debates tournament expansion and NIL's effect on talent. He contrasts European style with U.S. play and explains coaching multilingual rosters. He also pinpoints free throws and guard play as tournament keys and reflects on why he still coaches.
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NIL Elevated College Basketball Talent
- NIL and the transfer market have meaningfully raised college basketball's talent level across top teams.
- Rick Pitino says foreign players now prefer U.S. college pay and competition, making Duke, Arizona, Michigan and others deeper than years prior.
European Skills Improve Offense But Hurt Defensive Talk
- European players bring superior ball and player movement which improves offense but often lack defensive verbal communication.
- Pitino notes his roster's foreigners pass, cut, and space the floor yet 'they don't verbally communicate as much' defensively.
Demand Defensive Communication Even Across Languages
- Require defensive communication regardless of language to build cohesive team defense.
- Pitino tells his Greek player 'Lefty' to 'communicate defensively' even if he speaks Greek so teammates know switches and coverage.