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Rick Pitino's penchant for hyperbole resurfaces in Puerto Rico
Whereas other coaches tend to downplay expectations for promising newcomers in hopes of easing the pressure on them, Rick Pitino often does just the opposite.
The Louisville coach is infamous for his hyperbole when praising newcomers he enjoys coaching.
The latest example came Tuesday night after Drexel transfer Damion Lee erupted for 36 points on 11-for-18 shooting in an exhibition loss to the Puerto Rican national team. Pitino was so excited about Lee's big night that he compared the 6-foot-6 wing to a former SEC player of the year at Kentucky who was selected No. 6 overall in the 1997 NBA draft.
"You know, he's a little bit better version of Ron Mercer, because he can put it on the floor," Pitino told reporters in Puerto Rico. "Ron was terrific. He's such a quick slasher in and out. He can run pick and rolls better than Ron."
Lee certainly has the chance to be an impact transfer at Louisville after averaging 21.4 points and 6.1 boards at Drexel this past season, but the idea that he'll be "a better version of Ron Mercer" seems unfathomable.
Lest we forget, Mercer was a key member of Kentucky's juggernaut 1996 national title team and became a first-team All-American the following year when he averaged 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds and led the Wildcats back to the national title game. Furthermore, Pitino's history of exaggeration calls his credibility into question.
Pitino called Mike Marra the best high school shooter he's ever seen despite previously coaching marksmen like Billy Donovan, Tony Delk and Francisco Garcia. Marra never shot higher than 28 percent from behind the arc during an injury-plagued Louisville career.
Pitino described Samardo Samuels as "maybe the best freshman I've ever coached" early in the 2008-09 season. The burly big man produced two good but unremarkable seasons for the Cardinals before going unselected in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Pitino suggested that forwards Juan Palacios and Chane Behanan compared favorably to Jamal Mashburn during their freshman seasons. Palacios averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in four years at Louisville, while Behanan became a key contributor to Louisville's 2013 national championship team but was dismissed the following year because of off-the-court issues.
Will the Damion Lee-Ron Mercer comparison turn out to be as cringeworthy as some of those previous statements? Probably not, considering Lee's track record and Louisville's dire need for an impact player after losing 82 percent of its scoring from this past season's 27-win campaign.
Nonetheless, Louisville fans might want to temper their expectations. History suggests that's wise when Pitino makes comparisons like this after one exhibition game.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
