Rick Pitino: Master Shit-Stirrer

After Louisville came back to beat Florida yesterday, securing a spot in the Final Four, Rick Pitino put on a clinic on how to troll an entire fanbase. With his left hand he builds, and with his right he tears down before you even notice. Asked about a potential showdown with intrastate super-rival, Kentucky, Pitino charmed their pants off—"the way I look at Kentucky and the way I look at their coaching staff, I marvel at excellence. I respect excellence. So I've got great respect for excellence." And then threw the pants out the window:

"There will be people at Kentucky that will have a nervous breakdown if they lose to us," Pitino said. "You've got to watch. They've got to put the fences up on bridges. There will be people consumed by Louisville.

It's hard to hate the guy ( I know, I know). He's got the devious smile of a meat-and-potatoes leprechaun with a sprinkle of scampi sauce for flair. And when he tells Kentucky fans they will be consumed with Louisville should they lose to the Cardinals, it's hard not to think of him secretly dying of laughter inside.

Implicit in the quote is the dagger: don't go putting any fences up just yet, Kentucky. You still have to get past Baylor this afternoon. We're already here, though, just waiting.

Louisville sets up potential epic showdown vs. Kentucky in Final Four [CBS]

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