Rick Pitino is selected for Basketball Hall of Fame

ATLANTA -- Rick Pitino hasn’t had “One Shining Moment� this Final Four weekend. He’s had several.

It’s been pretty surreal.

It started last week, when Pitino’s son Richard, was named coach at Minnesota to replace Tubby Smith, who replaced Rick Pitino at Kentucky in 1998.

It continued Saturday, when a horse that Rick Pitino has an ownership stake in, “Goldencents,� won the Santa Anita Derby.

Later that night, Louisville’s basketball team advanced to Monday night’s NCAA title game with a win over Wichita State at the Georgia Dome.

On Monday came the announcement that Pitino was being inducted this year into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Joining Pitino in this year’s class, announced in Atlanta, are former Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State Coach Jerry Tarkanian, nine-time NBA all-star Gary Payton, former University of Houston Coach Guy Lewis and New York Knicks legend Bernard King.

Also elected were North Carolina women’s coach Sylvia Hatchell and Virginia star Dawn Staley.

The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held in September in Springfield, Mass.

Pitino is trying Monday night to become the first coach to win NCAA titles at two different schools. Pitino led Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA championship.

You wonder if Michigan should even show up for tonight’s game, as the Pitino karma is really starting to get scary.

You may recall Louisville’s front-line players really struggled in Saturday’s win over Wichita State. Two starters were held scoreless and two others combined for only 17 points.

The Cardinals would not have won without 34 points from their reserves.

Hold on to your racing form here.

Pitino’s horse won the 9th race Saturday at Santa Anita.

The winner of the 10th race, we kid you not, was “PointsOffthebench.�

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