PROVIDENCE, RI- Leading up to Saturday afternoon’s Round of 32 matchup between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the St. John’s Red Storm, John Calipari and Rick Pitino did all they could to deflect the idea of them being the story.
“I don’t go against coaches, I go against teams,” Pitino said. “He [Calipari] doesn’t have to worry about me. My jump shot is long gone. He’s gotta prepare for our team; we’ve gotta prepare for his players. John and I don’t play one-on-one anymore.”
There was no escaping the reality. This was all about Pitino vs. Calipari, Round 5.
Before the game, the crowd was on its feet, eagerly anticipating the moment the two Hall of Fame coaches would emerge from the tunnel.
They are two Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers. The two winningest active coaches, both in the top eight of wins in NCAA history. The only two coaches in men’s college basketball to take three different teams to the Final Four. Together, they boast a combined 1,758 victories, 13 Final Four appearances, three national championships, and 29 conference tournament titles.
In a sport where rosters change constantly, it’s the coaches who become the stars. And with these two giants of the game facing off, it lived up to the hype, with the Razorbacks advancing to the Sweet 16 win Calipari’s first season at the helm with a 75-66 upset victory.
“Congratulations to Arkansas. They were very athletic, played a great game, took away a lot of what we do,” said Pitino. “They outplayed us. They deserve to move on, and we don’t. That’s what March Madness is all about. No matter how good a regular season you have, if you play this way, you’re going to get beat.”
It had the makings of a magical finish. St. John’s made it a two-point game after a Ruben Prey dunk with 4:11 left, but the wheels came off for the Red Storm. They managed only two points the rest of the way, missing 10 of their final 12 shots. They shot 21-of-75 (28.0%) from the field and an abysmal 2-of-22 (9.1%) from three while also missing nine free throws.
Arkansas didn’t shoot well from distance either, hitting just 2-of-19 (10.5%) from beyond the arc, but they made up for it with better execution inside, finishing 25-of-44 (56.8%) from two-point range. Despite being outshot by 12 from the field and four from the free-throw line, outrebounded by 12 on the offensive glass and six total, and committing three more turnovers, Arkansas managed to pull off the upset thanks to St. John’s shooting woes. The Red Storm totaled just five assists on their 21 made field goals (23.8%).
“Rick did a great job with his team all year. If they made a few shots, they would probably beat us,” said Calipari. “We were fortunate to get out, but I’m proud of these guys, and all of them here had to overcome stuff, and they did. They did because they’re good guys; they’ve been raised right, and they knew finally, not at the beginning of the year, that we absolutely need each other or we’re going down together, and they became one heartbeat. They figured out that if I worry more about the team and less about myself, man, I play better. It took time.”
Saturday’s game marked the 24th collegiate meeting between the two coaching legends, with Calipari now holding a 14-10 edge. Their rivalry also extended to the NBA, where they split their six matchups when Pitino coached the Boston Celtics and Calipari led the New Jersey Nets. In the NCAA Tournament, they had been deadlocked at 2-2, with Pitino winning twice against Calipari’s UMass squad with Kentucky (1992 Sweet 16, 1996 Final Four) and Calipari beating Pitino’s Louisville teams twice at Kentucky (2012 Final Four, 2014 Sweet 16). This victory gave Calipari a one-win advantage in their storied rivalry.
The win also moved Calipari into the Sweet 16 for the 16th time in his 33-year coaching career. He became the first coach in NCAA history to take four different schools (UMass, Memphis, Kentucky, Arkansas) to the Sweet 16.
“I just saw we went 2 for 19 from the three and won. What in the world? Then I saw they were 2 for 22,” said Calipari. “Was it an ugly game? Or was it a game that was exciting? Like, both? An ugly, exciting game. You know I don’t care. It could be an ugly-ugly game, and I’m happy we’re moving on.”
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