John Calipari vs Rick Pitino it was supposed to be. The rivalry of decades, of two fiery personalities. But as Billy Richmond III sunk in that last free throw, it was long forgotten. This was about the coach Calipari who had been hired by Kentucky to transform a program all those years ago. It was about a coach who had known to sign future pros and about one who tops the list for most wins by an active coach. It was about Coach Cal who had taken a bubble team to Sweet 16. So that last calm-headed shot was nowhere a reflection of the emotions that ran courtside. Not just for one. 

On Saturday, in the Round of 32, Calipari’s 10-seed Arkansas Razorbacks took down Pitino’s 2-seed St. John’s, 75-66. Classic March Madness chaos. Arkansas, fresh off a win over Kansas, showed up ready to fight. St. John’s? Never quite got in rhythm. Pitino summed it up quick after the game: “Took away a lot of what we do.”

But up in the stands, the Calipari family felt every second of it.

Ellen Calipari, John’s wife, had tears in her eyes as the clock ran out. She’s seen it all over the years, but this one hit differently. A new team, a fresh challenge, and now, back in the Sweet 16– for the first time since 2019 for the head coach. When John left Kentucky, she made it clear how much those years meant. “It was a pleasure,” she said in her goodbye message, promising to support whatever came next. This moment? Just pure joy. Contrasting to the one Coach Cal’s daughter has come to admit. 

For 12 years, Calipari had made it to the NCAA Tournament as the Wildcats’ coach, but the ultimate win never came after the one in 2012. The family has had to sit through racing hearts, watching the dreams slip away every year. So Megan admitted, “Some of us have never liked March,” throwing in a smiley emoji after Arkansas’ win over Kansas. Now, here she was in tears, sitting right beside her mother as the Razorbacks remained 12 seconds away from shutting the noise. It isn’t the championship yet, but after the year Coach Cal has had, this is as big as it can get. 

Then there was Brad.

He’s spent years coaching and playing, carving his own basketball path. He played at Kentucky, then moved into coaching, with stops at Vanderbilt and Long Island University before reuniting with his father at Arkansas. Now, he’s right there on the bench, in the thick of it, helping his dad navigate the madness.

Right after the buzzer, he kept it simple on Instagram: “You can do anything, but never go against the family 🤞🏻 #sweet16.” That wasn’t just a post. That was a statement.

The Razorbacks were all but counted out, retirement calls soared for Calipari, even a Roud of 64 win was a shocker for Arkansas. It was a team that had started the season on a 0-5 note, plagued with injury. But here we are. Arkansas moves on. St. John’s goes home. And for the Caliparis? This is exactly what they live for.

John Calipari’s Arkansas Bullies St. John’s

Calipari’s Razorbacks were just too quick, too tough, and too relentless for Pitino’s Red Storm. St. John’s All-American wing RJ Luis had a brutal night, shooting 3-of-17 and getting benched for the final five minutes. Star point guard Kadary Richmond fouled out after finishing with just two assists on 2-of-7 shooting. The Red Storm just couldn’t find a rhythm—28% from the field, 9% from deep.

“I know St. John’s is physical. But we’re physical, too,” Calipari said after the game. “Rick did a great job with his team all year. If they made a few shots, they probably beat us. So we were fortunate to get out, and I’m proud of these guys.”

This one had to sting for St. John’s. They were built for this. Pitino had flipped the program fast, stacked the roster with experienced talent, and had the fanbase hyped for a deep run. But Arkansas wasn’t just along for the ride. They set the tone early, jumping out to an eight-point lead in the first five minutes. St. John’s tried to fight back, but Arkansas never let them grab control. At halftime, the Razorbacks still held the edge, 35-32.

And when the pressure cranked up, Razorbacks’ freshmen stepped up. Johnell Davis and D.J. Wagner were steady, but Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond III, and Karter Knox stole the show. Fland, just back from an injury, made big plays. Richmond put up a career-high 16 points. Knox played like a veteran in his first tournament game.

Arkansas owned the paint, scoring 46 of their 75 points inside. They controlled the pace, stayed aggressive, and made life miserable for the Red Storm all night. St. John’s had the better seed, the expectations, and the home crowd. But Arkansas had the fight, the coach, and the moment. And in March? That’s what really matters.