The plan for when Pitino returns, he said, is to use one practice a day to work on offensive execution and schemes and the other practice to work on defensive execution and schemes.
"They're going to have enough of me," Pitino said, grinning. "When we get through 10 days of double sessions, they're probably going to wish they had their white-haired (Ralph Willard) guy back."
Pitino, who has been a coach for 41 years, couldn't remember another time in his career when so much rode on a summer trip. He is confident that his team, because it is young, will "get better and better and better" as the season wears on.
But he is also concerned about a challenging schedule that features road games at Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, among others.
"We could've rebuilt in one year and been back to where we were, but I looked at the schedule and I said, 'This is going to be a disaster,'" Pitino said. "It (could have turned) into playing all young guys at Michigan State, at Kentucky, at Duke, at Virginia, at Miami. They're going to get discouraged, and that hurts your program. You take two steps back.
"I'm not concerned about having eight or nine losses, because I think, at the end of the year, this team will be tested – battle tested – and ready for the NCAA tournament."
"They're going to have enough of me," Pitino said, grinning. "When we get through 10 days of double sessions, they're probably going to wish they had their white-haired (Ralph Willard) guy back."
Pitino, who has been a coach for 41 years, couldn't remember another time in his career when so much rode on a summer trip. He is confident that his team, because it is young, will "get better and better and better" as the season wears on.
But he is also concerned about a challenging schedule that features road games at Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, among others.
"We could've rebuilt in one year and been back to where we were, but I looked at the schedule and I said, 'This is going to be a disaster,'" Pitino said. "It (could have turned) into playing all young guys at Michigan State, at Kentucky, at Duke, at Virginia, at Miami. They're going to get discouraged, and that hurts your program. You take two steps back.
"I'm not concerned about having eight or nine losses, because I think, at the end of the year, this team will be tested – battle tested – and ready for the NCAA tournament."
