It’s celebration time, Madness fans! We’re officially getting a Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari showdown in the NCAA Tournament! Did you just jump out of your seat? Because THIS is the matchup we’ve been waiting for—nine years in the making. The basketball gods have finally delivered.

After leading Arkansas past Kansas in the first round, Calipari now moves on to face Pitino’s St. John’s squad, fresh off a dominant win over No. 15 Omaha. That victory wasn’t just any win—it marked the Red Storm’s first tournament win since 2000.

If you don’t know the backstory, buckle up—you’re in for a treat. Back in the ‘90s, when Calipari was lighting it up at UMass and Pitino was building a powerhouse at Kentucky, the media ran with a narrative: Cal was just a Pitino clone. But that take? Yeah, it never really held up. These two have very different paths. Both have NCAA titles with Kentucky, both are Hall of Famers, and both had… well, let’s just say, their fair share of struggles in the NBA.

For a while, it seemed like this legendary coaching rivalry was history. Pitino was ousted from Louisville in 2017 after a scandal, and it looked like his college coaching days were done. But the man found his way back through Iona, and now, here we are—on the brink of another classic showdown. 

These two haven’t faced off since 2016, when Louisville edged out Kentucky. And in their all-time meetings, Coach Cal holds the edge at 16-12, winning eight of their last ten battles. But anything can happen this time. We know that since 2019, Arkansas HC had won just one NCAA Tournament game, losing four of his last five, all at Kentucky. But things seem to be in his favour when it comes to rivalry games. So, whatever happens, for now, let’s not pretend like this is just another game.

The energy around this matchup is off the charts, even if Pitino is trying to play it cool. “I don’t go against coaches, we go against teams,” he said after St. John’s blew past Omaha, 83-53. Sounding off on Calipari, he added, “He doesn’t have to worry about me. My jump shot is long gone. We’re preparing for his players. He’s preparing for our players. John and I don’t play one-on-one anymore.”

Come on, coach, you might be downplaying this, but the whole hoop world can’t keep calm!

And by the way, St. John’s reached here making history. With 13 made triples against Omaha, they shattered their previous NCAA Tournament record of 10 set back in 1999. That’s 26 long years!

For a half on Thursday, Omaha gave St. John’s a bit of a fight, keeping things within reach as the Red Storm took a 33-28 lead into the break. But then, St. John’s exploded with a 27-8 run in the second half. And by the final minutes, the crowd in Providence was feeling it—chanting Pitino’s name like it was 1996 all over again.

This was a statement win for a St. John’s program that used to be a powerhouse back in the ‘80s and ‘90s but has been stuck in the shadows for the last couple of decades. Now, this team is one win away from its first Sweet 16 since 1999. And not to forget, if Pitino can pull this off, he’ll have led six different programs to the NCAA Tournament. And maybe even be on his way to a third national title.

But before all that, Coach Cal is standing in his way. The two have split a pair of Final Four battles before, and let’s just say things haven’t always been the friendliest.

When Rick Pitino and Calipari took their feud public

Alright… let’s rewind to 2016. You know how some coaching rivalries simmer quietly beneath the surface? Yeah, well, Rick Pitino and John Calipari weren’t exactly the “let’s keep it civil” type. Back then, their back-and-forth wasn’t just talk—it was headline material. And it all kicked off when Coach Cal decided to throw a few pointed jabs.

During an appearance on The Mike Lupica Show, Calipari made a statement that had everyone raising their eyebrows. He basically said that if something shady was happening within a program—on campus, with assistants—then the head coach probably knew what was going on. 

Now, considering Louisville was smack in the middle of a scandal at the time, it didn’t take a genius to connect the dots. People saw it as a direct shot at Pitino, who had been insisting he had no idea about the whole mess. And Pitino, never one to hold back his thoughts, wasn’t about to let that slide, especially when it was about him.

He publicly responded, saying “I don’t have time to figure out what he did or didn’t mean. If our paths cross this summer, I’ll ask him.” And this wasn’t even the first time Cal stirred things up that year. Just a month before, he had seemingly taken a swipe at Duke’s recruiting tactics.

That little nugget had Duke fans (and likely Coach K) side-eyeing him hard. Pitino, for his part, stated, “Whether it’s Duke last month now us this month, these types of comments – we’re here to build up the image of college basketball, not tear people down.” He even added that the ACC coaches have a rule that they should only praise and support each other, and if they have nothing positive to say, they should keep it to themselves and not interfere in others’ matters.

After years, here we are, with Pitino and Calipari set to face off once again in the NCAA Tournament. So yes, if you weren’t already hyped for this matchup, now you know just how much history these two bring to the table. So, mark your calendars. At stake is a Sweet 16 spot. The hype is off the charts. 

Let the madness begin!