Rick Pitino is embarking on another ambitious rebuilding endeavor, this time leading St. John’s through the competitive landscape of NCAA basketball. Providence holds special significance for Pitino, as it was there he guided the Friars to an astonishing run to the Final Four back in 1987. His path with St. John’s towards another potential deep NCAA Tournament run will see him contend against some of the top coaching names in the sport. Notably, this includes John Calipari and Bill Self, both Hall of Fame coaches who share the spotlight with Pitino in the challenging West Region bracket.
The tournament will take place in Rhode Island, and besides the big names of Pitino, Calipari, and Self, UConn’s successful coach Dan Hurley will also be in contention after leading his team to consecutive national championships. It’s a strong lineup of coaching talent looking to outmaneuver each other. St. John’s first match will be against Omaha. Meanwhile, a clash between titans will see Calipari’s team face Self’s, combining accomplishments that span over 1,600 wins and three national championships.
“I told my staff a week ago: you watch, 7 vs. 10, we’ll be playing Arkansas,” remarked Self as he anticipated the competitive face-off.
Pitino’s tenure at St. John’s has been marked by a rapid rise, making the team nationally significant once more by his second season. St. John’s captured their first Big East tournament title since the year 2000. This achievement marked Pitino as the only coach to lead six different teams into the NCAA Tournament, showcasing stops at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, and Iona along the way. Celebrating the achievement, Pitino declared, “I saved the best for last,” after an emphatic victory over Creighton in the Big East title game.
Pitino’s legacy includes remarkable success at Kentucky, where he captured the 1996 national championship and reached another Final Four. He went on to achieve a national title with Louisville in 2013 prior to his dismissal due to recruiting violations. After his tenure, Kentucky claimed another national championship under the leadership of Tubby Smith. As the Wildcats underperformed in 2009, they recruited Calipari, who had led both Massachusetts and Memphis to unexpected Final Four appearances.
Under Calipari, Kentucky won the 2012 national championship and reached several Final Fours before he transitioned to Arkansas. He rejuvenated the Razorbacks, securing a return to the NCAA Tournament after their prior season under Eric Musselman, who has since moved to USC. Reflecting on the journey, Calipari said, “I’ve done this a long time and this may be the most rewarding season for me because they are a bunch of good kids that struggled early.”
Bill Self has acheieved consistent success at Kansas, a powerhouse in college basketball. After a coaching stint at Illinois, Self captured a national championship with the Jayhawks in his fifth season in 2008, with another win in 2022. Kansas holds the No. 7 seed while Arkansas is seeded No. 10 in the West Region, setting up a potential showdown with Pitino’s St. John’s.
“It will be a fun, competitive game,” commented Self about the upcoming match against Arkansas. “I know we’ll have to play really well to win and I believe they’ll have to play well to win, too.”
