Rick Pitino Sets the Record Straight on Relationship with John Calipari

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 7:31 PM ET

The St. John's Red Storm suffered a surprising upset at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, with the latter coming out on top by a score of 75-66. It was another battle between legendary head coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari, and this time at least, Calipari came out on top.

St. John's were one of the top teams in the nation entering the NCAA tournament this year, but they got stymied by Arkansas in just the second round. Pitino made a controversial decision to bench his star player, RJ Luis Jr., late in the second half, which drew an interesting response from the longtime coach after the game.

"He played 30 minutes and I went with other people," Pitino said of his decision to stick Luis on the bench. "Don't ask me leading questions. You already know why he didn't play."

Regardless, Calipari came out on top over Pitino in their 30th meeting, giving him a 17-13 record against his longtime adversary. When discussing Calipari, though, Pitino admitted that while they frequently go to battle with each other, they both have a great amount of respect for one another.

"I knew him at a very young age, I knew him very well," Pitino said of his relationship with Calipari. "When he was living in Coraopolis, playing in Moon Township, I knew him very well back then. But years have gone by, and I don't think we've been to dinner one time in our lifetime. We're both Italian, we both love the game, and I think that's pretty much where the similarities end."

"I don't how long he was at Louisville while I was at Kentucky, but you're not going to be friends when you've got those two jobs."

John Calipari and Rick Pitino have a lot of respect for each other despite being rivals for years. pic.twitter.com/onRt6QAKqK
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2025

With this win, Calipari and his Arkansas squad will advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where they will face off against either the Drake Bulldogs or the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Pitino and the Red Storm, meanwhile, will head back to the drawing board after suffering a disappointing defeat.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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