NEW YORK – Richard Pitino loves the Big Apple. He has family here. He won an NIT title here. He recruits here.
But the Gophers men's basketball coach can't hide his frustration about losing a home game to play Ohio State in a hoops-hockey doubleheader Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Pitino thinks it's an unfair situation for his Gophers (14-7, 3-5 Big Ten), who come to New York exhausted physically and emotionally for what will be their third consecutive game away from home in Big Ten play, something that hasn't happened to the program since 2002. And the three games are in a span of six days.
"I don't know what we're trying to accomplish there," Pitino said after Thursday's 77-67 loss at Maryland. "I understand we're trying to get in the Northeast. We could be playing Ohio State in front of 13,000, 14,000 people on Saturday [at Williams Arena]. And instead we got to go to New York City. I love New York City. I love Madison Square Garden, but I just don't get it."
The Big Ten's third annual "Super Saturday" event at MSG includes the Gophers men's hockey team playing a night game vs. Michigan State.
Pitino said he had no influence in decisionmaking when the matchups were announced two years ago.
"They didn't ask me," he said. "I'm 35. I'm the low man in that room. I understand that, and I appreciate that. So I normally keep my mouth shut on those things, but it's not fair. It's just not."
The Gophers left Sunday for State College, Pa., to play Monday night at Penn State. After pulling out a 95-84 overtime victory, they flew to College Park, Md., the next day. They played the Terrapins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday and flew to New York early Friday morning.