The battle of Hall of Famers is over! John Calipari continues dancing forward after beating not one but two Hall of Famers on the way to an unlikely Sweet 16. Rick Pitino’s dream run? Over. “They outplayed us. They deserve to move on and we don’t,” Pitino said. “That’s what March Madness is all about. No matter how good a regular season you have, you play this way, you’re going to get beat.” And just like that, the New York’s team sees their championship hopes vanish. But Coach Cal? He thinks it could’ve continued. If not for one massive blunder!

Calipari’s dominance over Pitino continues. In the last 10 years, he now holds a 9-2 record against his longtime rival. Arkansas struggled from deep, shooting just 2-19 from beyond the arc. But inside the paint? They were unstoppable. Billy Richmond and Karter Knox combined for 31 points, helping the 10th-seeded Hogs break through St. John’s suffocating defense. In the postgame conference, Calipari had nothing but praise for Pitino. But he didn’t stop there. He also revealed the real reason why St. John’s lost.

He said, “You know, Rick did a great job with his team all year. If they made a few shots, they probably beat us. So, we were fortunate to get out and but I’m proud of these guys.” 

St John’s had one of the best defenses in the country restricting their opposition to just 65 points per game. But it was never about their defense. It was always about how they were going to be offensively. They shot just 30% from beyond the arc all season. And in this game? A dismal 2-22 from deep. To rub salt on the wounds, the red storm shot 28% from the field overall, which shows where they lost the game. As Calipari himself admits, if St. John’s had shot better, they would’ve run away with it.

But St. John’s dismal shooting day wouldn’t have happened without Coach Cal’s defensive game plan. He made it tough for the opposition to get clean looks. Naturally, his players and coaching staff couldn’t help but praise his coaching. Let’s hear what his team had to say about him!

Arkansas team praises John Calipari

Those who followed John Calipari would know that his defining run at UMass also began in Providence, setting the stage for that unforgettable 1996 Final Four trip. Now, with the Hogs winning two games in Providence, this Cinderella run feels strangely familiar to that 1996 UMass run. It’s still uncertain if Arkansas can make it to the Final Four, but one thing’s for sure—everyone in Fayetteville is happy to have Coach Cal leading the way.

Arkansas assistant Bruiser Flint, who was with Calipari during his UMass days, had nothing but praise for him after turning the season around following a brutal 0-5 SEC start. He said, “It’s been a really tough year. We lost our best players. We didn’t really have that many guys. He kept ’em together. He got the big guys going. He kept the focus. He kept telling the guys to believe we’re going to be the most improved team in the country. And we did that.”

The Hogs are headed to San Francisco for their next big test. Up next? The Texas Tech Red Raiders on March 27th at Chase Center. Once again, Arkansas enters the game as the underdog—just like their last two games. ESPN gives Texas Tech a 72.7% chance to move on to the Elite Eight. It won’t be easy. But can Coach Cal and his squad keep dancing? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates!