PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The basketball gods should have an affinity for sportswriters, as a result of the actual fact we’re going to get Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari yet one more time is so good, it nearly feels nudged into our actuality on a celestial degree.
There are infinite different timelines beneath which Calipari and Pitino — two of the best coaches ever and bona fide (former?) enemies — would have all too moderately by no means crossed paths in an enviornment ever once more. Pitino was exiled to teaching in Greece after his 2017 firing from Louisville, solely to return to Iona in 2020 earlier than (considerably improbably) making his approach again into the Huge East at St. John’s.
Calipari was presumed fated to complete his Corridor of Fame profession at perhaps the most effective job within the sport: Kentucky. However that wound up altering after an surprising cascade of occasions triggered the chance for him to depart Huge Blue Nation for Arkansas on the Sunday earlier than the nationwide title sport final 12 months.
Then, Pitino does the near-unthinkable by lifting St. John’s to its greatest season in a quarter-century, if not longer, in 12 months 2. As this was occurring, Calipari was enduring turbulence in a spotty first season in Fayetteville.
The Johnnies swept the Huge East and earned a 2-seed. Arkansas prevented a would-be disaster by choosing up some large wins in February to make sure it made this match as a 10-seed.
Even then, we nonetheless wanted extra to permit for this rendezvous. Aided partially by the actual fact the SEC despatched a report 14 groups dancing, the choice committee had to make certain to not put the Hogs in a spot the place they might meet a standard league foe earlier than the top of the primary two rounds. So, off to Windfall they went.
After all, each wanted to maintain their enterprise on Thursday first.
They did.
Pitino’s staff predictably had little hassle (after beginning out sluggish) with No. 15 Omaha, setting a faculty tourney report with a 30-point win.
Arkansas’ activity was a lot completely different. It wanted to get previous one Corridor of Famer (Invoice Self) to satisfy one other. This is the factor that also wows me about all of it: The universe kind of winked right here, as a result of Arkansas wound up going through the worst Kansas staff ever beneath Self. In consequence, it pulled out a 79-72 victory.
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So right here we’re: No. 2 seed St. John’s faces No. 10 seed Arkansas. Pitino vs. Calipari. They will sq. off Saturday on CBS at roughly 2:40 p.m. ET., down within the backside left nook of the bracket within the West Area. The appetizer being insurgent Will Wade’s McNeese Cowboys going up in opposition to by-the-book Matt Painter’s Purdue Boilermakers. It is clear that Windfall was given the most effective storylines of any metropolis within the first weekend of the match.
And now we get yet one more probability at yet one more match between two legendary coaches and longtime rivals. It will be the twenty fourth time, with Calipari proudly owning a 13-10 all-time head-to-head benefit, which accounts for the six occasions they met within the NBA whereas teaching the New Jersey Nets (Calipari) and Boston Celtics (Pitino). Will probably be the fifth assembly within the NCAA Match between these two paisans, the 2 of them tied 2-2 in Huge Dance battles. Solely Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo (six) have extra head-to-head match matchups in historical past.
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Do not assume for a second Cal and Pitino do not know the rating.
They’re the one coaches to take three colleges to the Last 4. Including to that: Pitino as soon as coached on this metropolis, guiding Windfall to a Last 4. He is three wins away from a full-circle second if he can get St. John’s to San Antonio.
However there’s Calipari, proper there, simply standing in the way in which.
Calipari’s making an attempt to take a fourth staff to the Candy 16 (minimally).
However would not you recognize it: Pitino, of all folks, is obstructing his view.
That is the kind of teaching rivalry that uplifts faculty basketball whereas transcending the game within the course of. The nation shall be tuned in not simply because St. John’s is nice for the primary time in a number of generations, however as a result of these two have been main characters in basketball happening 30-plus years, although Pitino wasn’t leaning into the apparent narrative when requested about it late Thursday night time.
“I do not go in opposition to coaches, we go in opposition to groups,” he stated. “He would not have to fret about me. My bounce shot is lengthy gone. We’re getting ready for his gamers. He is getting ready for our gamers. John and I do not play one-on-one anymore.”
The animosity that after outlined the dynamic of those two has pale some as they’ve gotten older. Positive, Pitino will really feel a burn in his stomach to win on Saturday, however in chatting with these near him, that’s far more about his relentless competitiveness versus merely logging yet one more win vs. Cal.
On Wednesday, Pitino stated one other man with “Cal” in his final identify — Corridor of Famer Jim Calhoun, whom Pitino coached in opposition to relationship again to his Boston U days — was his solely true rival on a visceral degree. After Thursday night time’s win, he clarified what he meant.
“I am speaking about disliking-each-other rival,” Pitino stated of Calhoun, then veered into some Calipari perspective. “John was at Kentucky, (I used to be) at Louisville. It is regular. I’ve all the time had nice respect for John. We’ve got not seen (Arkansas’) measurement and athleticism all 12 months. Creighton has a 7-2 middle, however athleticism-wise, we’ve not seen this this 12 months. We all know what we’re up in opposition to, clearly.”
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Calipari wasn’t requested about Pitino on Thursday night time; Arkansas’ win got here earlier than St. John’s was assured a spot in Saturday’s second spherical. However he did have some introspection concerning the season. The actual fact Calipari’s rollercoaster Razorbacks debut may all finish vs. Pitino is chef’s-kiss tasty.
“Each considered one of us, together with me, had doubts, and all of us needed to persuade ourselves we’ll do that,” Calipari stated as he riffed in considered one of his typical monologues. He finally labored his option to this subsequent half: “However for all of us, the primary battle you could have, together with us coaches, is with your self. That is the primary battle you could have. You may’t fear about anyone else. Battle your self and get your self in the appropriate state of mind, and I did not need the albatross round my neck of my historical past of teaching. ‘You are speculated to win each sport.’ No, no, you are not. Your job is to be about these children and wherever this system is at the moment; your job is to maintain choosing them up and make them higher and make them be ok with themselves.”
Saturday will imply one thing greater than only one extra NCAA Match win to those males. It has to. These are two rabid rivals — males who observe slights, who hold rating on nearly every little thing. They’ve mixed to win greater than 1,700 video games. They’ve reached the pinnacles of their professions due to headstrong persona traits — which has additionally performed an element of their downfalls as properly.
That is theater. It feels Shakespearean. Even when Pitino would not abhor Calipari and Calipari would not detest Pitino, they each nonetheless badly need to beat one another. That is sufficient. We will take all the remainder and fill it in ourselves.
There shall be no greater matchup within the second spherical than this. Possibly it is going to be a blowout; maybe we get an upset. No matter comes, the actual fact we’re even given yet one more probability to look at 72-year-old Rick Pitino and 66-year-old John Calipari share a sideline yet one more time (one final time?) is a present from the basketball gods. Legends, rivals, each by no means wanting to offer even a millimeter — on something — to the opposite.
St. John’s. Arkansas. Pitino. Calipari. Yet another time. Saturday up within the Northeast, the place all of it started for each of those two legends. How becoming. How excellent. One may say: Divine Windfall.