Say what you want about Rick Pitino, the St. John’s coach certainly gets the job done! After a highly controversial career, the Hall-of-Famer has found his place at St. John’s, doing what he does best—winning. In the Round of 64 this year, Pitino’s team blitzed past Omaha with a 30 point blowout victory. They will go on to face John Calipari and the Razorbacks in the second round. But what about his former team, Louisville?

Well, they weren’t so lucky. The Cardinals had played quite well in the regular season, earning the #8 seed, but the Bluejays got the better of them. Louisville fans must be envious; Rick Pitino is through to the second round but they are not. After all, the legendary coach had a quite turbulent end with Cardinals, filled with lawsuits and controversy.

But how did he make a comeback to college basketball after such a major controversy in his career? Simple! He went to Europe. Former Hoosiers head coach Dan Dakich got candid about Pitino and his NCAA redemption on the Dan Patrick Show. “Is Rick Pitino a feel good story?” Patrick asked, and Dakich nodded.

“Yeah. I like redemption.” The Indiana legend said. “I like the fact that Rick Pitino humbled himself. He went to Greece. You know, it’s funny I was talking to some coaches about him going to Greece and winning that league. Dan, that league is a big time, big time league! He won that thing twice!” 

After Rick Pitino’s fallout with Louisville, he went to Panathinaikos in Greece, and won them two consecutive Greek Cups. He even took them to the EuroLeague playoffs, but ultimately was not successful there. It was a drastic change from coaching at the Cardinals, which was the second richest college basketball program at one point, pulling in over $53.6 million in the 2019-20 season. But Pitino made it work, as he always does.

According to Dakich, however, Louisville should’ve buried the hatchet. He talked about how Pitino is a good enough coach that he wouldn’t mind the baggage that came with him. “I don’t care about the backstory, I think Rick Pitino, I would have hired them in a second. And I wish Louisville would do this. I wish Louisville would say screw you, we’re putting the banner from 2013 back up.” However, it was not to be. The program and Rick Pitino went their separate ways, and there seems to be a clear winner between them.

The question now is whether the St. John’s team is ready for what they’re about to face. John Calipari and his Razorbacks are definitely not easy pickings, so how will Rick Pitino respond to his newest challenge? Let’s find out.

Rick Pitino’s team renews Kentucky rivalry with first-round win

The rivalry between Rick Pitino and John Calipari is an open secret. Even though Pitino recommended Cal for his big break at UMass, the two butted heads quite frequently during their Louisville vs Kentucky eras. It was a school rivalry, for sure, but according to Pitino, it was all love between the two coaches.

Rick Pitino has only admitted to having one rival throughout his career, which was Jim Calhoun in the 80s. So what about Calipari? “The only time with John was when he was at Kentucky and I was at Louisville. It’s normal. I’ve always had great respect for John.” And it seems to be the same for coach Cal as well!

So what can we expect from their matchup? Well, historically, the #2 seeds don’t do well in the opening weekend of March Madness. On top of that, Rick Pitino’s team doesn’t have the firepower that Arkansas has. What they do have, however, is momentum.

The St. John’s Red Storm have been table-toppers during the regular season, and the first round always sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. Even though Arkansas has the edge in terms of talent—Jonas Aidoo, and Boogie Fland are phenomenal players—Pitino’s team has great chemistry and high intent.

From Louisville and Kentucky to St. John’s and Arkansas, it will be interesting to see how the renewed rivalry plays out, but nothing is for certain in March! The two teams will face off on Saturday, and there’s a lot at stake here! As per BetMGM Sportsbook, Coach Pitino’s team has a 7.5 more favorite points than Coach Calipari’s Arkansas. Who are you rooting for between these powerhouses? And what are you expecting from this highly anticipated game?