Pure comedy, as expected. It was a bit hard to keep up with (video will be posted later), but here are some of the highlights:
--(Rick) Richard and I feel like this such a great honor to be playing in this game honoring our veterans. It's an unbelievable privilege for both programs to play in this game, it's more than just playing on ESPN and being Minnesota vs. Louisville on opening night, and we both feel that way.
--(Richard) So much is being made of us vs. them and me vs. him, but I think our guys are really going to realize what this is all about once we get there. It's a very special event.
--(Richard) This is totally different than the last time. At FIU, I was collecting a check and moving on. That was a guarantee game. Now, we're coming in and I'm preparing our guys to win. It never comes up in the locker room, "we've gotta beat my dad" or anything like that, we're just trying to beat a top 10 Louisville team.
--(Richard) Everyone's making a big deal about where Mike and Chris are sitting, I think they're more worried about who they're going to party with after the game.
--(Rick) They've got great experience. They played a top seven schedule last season and they were a lay-up away from being an NCAA Tournament team. They had a lot of quality Big Ten wins and they have a lot of guys back from that team, so Louisville isn't going to scare them. I lived and died with them last year, watched every game, and I know just how underrated they are. It's a great opener for us. We know we could lose this game if we don't play well, and they know the same thing.
--(Rick) I look down at the bench and see him and have a great deal of pride in the fact that he's a Big Ten coach, but we both know that this isn't father vs. son, it's Louisville vs. Minnesota. We're both preparing for down the road.
--(Richard) I almost came out of a timeout during one of our exhibitions and ran a Pitino play because I knew Mike Balado would be watching and that it would make him laugh. I didn't do it, but we know what we're going to do.
--(Richard) Top to bottom, they're as good as any team we'll face this season. Montrezl Harrell is an All-American and there's no way to simulate what he does when you're in practice. He plays so hard, and our guys are going to have to adjust to that during the game.
--(Rick) It's going to be a hot day and we're expecting it to be hot inside that hangar. That's probably an advantage for them because they can play nine or 10 guys where we can really only play six or seven. They're much deeper than we are.
--(Rick) The one thing Richard has done that really makes me proud is that he hasn't complained about what he doesn't have, he's taken what he has and made it so much better. He's dressed up their facilities and made them great until they get what they need.
--(Rick) I really don't like his language. He swears too much, whereas I don't swear it all. He needs to clean it up.
--(Rick) I told Norwood Teague that I wasn't going to talk about Richard as my son but as my former assistant coach, and I told him he was one of the best assistants I'd ever had and that he would be a great hire. He fell in love with Minneapolis and he thinks he has one of the best jobs in college basketball, and I agree with him. He's got one of the best ADs in the business and it's a great place.
--(Rick) Our family says "what are we going to do when you step away from the game, our social life's going to end." I tell them no it's not, it's just going to move on to Minnesota. We've had a lot of great family traditions and a lot of them have revolved around basketball.
--(Rick) ESPN does a great job with this game. They have their best talent and their best producers on this game. It's going to great exposure for this program.
--(Rick) I think our uniforms are great and I think his turned out great.
--(Richard) Just don't let him turn this into a Nike vs. adidas thing.
--(Rick) If anyone's interested, Richard will be at Molly Malone's from 2-5.
Video here:
