Arkansas, St. John's players need history lesson on John Calipari-Rick Pitino rivalry
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The second round showdown between Arkansas basketball and St. John's is the most anticipated game of first weekend. It received a standalone spot on the men's NCAA Tournament broadcast schedule, tipping off at 1:40 p.m. CT Saturday on CBS as the nation tunes in to watch Hall of Fame coaches John Calipari and Rick Pitino.
They are seminal figures in their beloved sport, combining for 114 tournament wins amid 23 previous meetings at the collegiate level, but their players need to open the history books — or the YouTube highlights — to learn about this storied rivalry.
The Southwest Times Record asked six Razorbacks (21-13) and four members of the Red Storm (31-4) on Friday what they knew about the history between Calipari and Pitino. None of them had distinctive memories, acknowledging they were too young to capture the historical significance when Calipari was at Kentucky facing Pitino at Louisville.
"I don't know too much about it," Billy Richmond III said. "I've seen a lot of pictures on Instagram. I heard it's a big rivalry, but we're not worried about it."
Jonas Aidoo said he was more tuned-in with the feud in his home state between Duke and North Carolina. Boogie Fland knows it was 'intense.' D.J. Wagner was just too young.
St. John's Zuby Ejiofor only knows they're two great coaches, but he can't recall any specifics with their head-to-head matchups. Kadary Richmond said not knowing any of the history makes it easier to treat it like a normal game.
The coaches don't want to provide too much of a history lesson, but Calipari did acknowledge their are some Pitino consistencies his players must know before the latest installment of their head-to-head series.
"They're a team that's going to be prepared," Calipari said. "They're going to play hard. They're going to play rough. It's going to be bump-and-grind. You're not getting a free layup without getting bumped."
The coaches' dynamic was the center of attention when they both took the podium to preview the latest installment of their series. Calipari shared stories about learning from counselor Pitino at the Five Star Basketball Camp when the Arkansas coach was 19-years old. Neither coach considers the other a rival, instead expressing admiration as long-time successors in the sport.
"John was at Kentucky, (I was) at Louisville. It's normal. I have always had great respect for John," Pitino said.
The respect is long-lasting, and now the intensity of their competition will return to a fitting stage in Providence.
The Italian-Americans square off in what Calipari described as an 'Italian city.' Calipari's already traveled underneath the city's 'La Pigna,' which is a pine-cone shaped sculpture that serves as a traditional Italian symbol of abundance and has become a symbol of the local Federal Hill.
New accounts will be written on their shared story Saturday afternoon, with one coach advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time this decade.
"He's on Chapter 2 of his new book and we're on Chapter 1," Calipari said. "As a matter of fact, we're probably on the first few pages of the chapter. It's both of us writing another story and being able to come back here."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@gannett.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas, St. John's players need history lesson on Calipari-Pitino rivalry
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