Iona head coach Rick Pitino says the COVID-19 pandemic actually helped his program with recruiting.
Pitino, who is rebuilding the Iona roster, is bringing in eight new players this season.
In the same interview, Pitino compared Iona to Providence College, which he claims were his favorite two years in college basketball.
Here is an excerpt:
“We had to bring in eight players, this is a reconstruction project because we had to bring in 70 percent of the team,” he said. “If it wasn’t for COVID, we couldn’t have brought in the largest recruiting class in my history as a basketball coach…because if everybody was allowed to visit different places, we couldn’t get eight guys, one from Germany , one from Sweden, one from Rwanda, Nigeria, New York, North Carolina, Florida. They just had to make a decision. I think six out of the eight did not know where Iona was, what county or what state it was in. So COVID helped us in recruiting. And so not only did we look at the glass half full, we looked at filling it up right away.
“Now if had to bring three or four guys, COVID would not have been a help. But when you have to bring in eight and guys don’t have a chance to visit five difference schools, COVID helped us.”
On Providence:
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“I’ve been to seven Final Fours, we won two championships [at Kentucky and Louisville], I’ve had a great run,” Pitino said. “But my favorite two years in all of basketball was Providence College, away from the lines.”
