Former Louisville player Peyton Siva believes Richard Pitino, who has been in talks with Louisville about the coaching opening, could excite the fanbase and bring success to the program. Pitino, son of former coach Rick Pitino, has coaching experience at Minnesota and New Mexico, where he improved the Lobos' performance and led them to the NCAA Tournament. Siva praises Pitino's coaching abilities and believes he could relate well to players, potentially revitalizing Louisville basketball.
The Louisville basketball coaching search appears to be leaning towards Josh Schertz, but complications arise due to his current coaching position and potential commitments elsewhere. If Schertz declines, the top candidates are Pat Kelsey and Richard Pitino. Other names considered include Shaheen Holloway, Amir Abdur-Rahim, and Niko Medved, while Marquette's Shaka Smart has been ruled out. The situation remains fluid, with the possibility of a surprise hire.
Rick Pitino was relieved that his son Richard's New Mexico team making it to the NCAA Tournament did not affect St. John's chances, as they were not among the first four teams left out. He expressed pride in his son's coaching success and acknowledged that unexpected bids from other teams impacted St. John's more. While New Mexico secured a spot in the tournament, St. John's will have to wait until next year for another chance.
Isaac Mushila, a graduate transfer forward from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, has announced that he will be joining the University of New Mexico Lobos for the 2023-24 season. Mushila, who has been dominating the boards since coming to the United States from Congo in 2016, averaged 14.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this past season. He becomes the fourth Division I transfer to join the Lobos this offseason, and will bring a psychology degree and a 3.43 GPA with him to Albuquerque.
