Rivals Rick Pitino, John Calipari Trade Hilarious Quotes Ahead of Arkansas-St. John's Matchup

Pitino and Calipari will face off for the fifth time in March Madness on Saturday.

Rick Pitino and John Calipari. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Arkansas and St. John's will face off in the second round of March Madness on Saturday, setting up the fifth NCAA tournament matchup between Rick Pitino and John Calipari. Pitino, in his third season coaching St. John's, will take on longtime coaching rival and fellow college basketball great John Calipari, who just led his Arkansas team past Kansas on Thursday.

Pitino and Calipari are 2-2 in their NCAA tournament matchups against each other, with each coach winning those two games during their stints as the head coaches of Kentucky.

Prior to the fifth edition of this matchup, both coaches made a funny comment about facing the other once again.

"I don't go against coaches, I go against teams," Pitino said of Calipari. "He doesn't have to worry about me, my jump shot is long gone. He's gotta prepare for our team, we've gotta prepare for his players ... John and I don't play one-on-one anymore."

"He doesn't have to worry about me, my jumpshot is long gone" 😅

Coach Pitino says he and Coach Cal don't play one-on-one anymore 😂#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/ucyweMS98R

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025

“We both have big noses," Calipari said, via John Fanta. "He has Gucci shoes and I have itchy shoes. We’re all going to be judged 50 years from now. My hope is they say they both get their teams to play really hard.”

Pitino similarly added: "We're both Italian. We both love the game. I think that's pretty much where the similarities end."

Despite their longtime rivalry and Pitino saying the two do not know each other very well, both Pitino and Calipari expressed great respect for one another before Saturday's game.

"I don't know a whole lot about him except he's a terrific basketball coach," Pitino said of Calipari.

Calipari said of Pitino, "Everywhere he’s been, he’s made a difference."

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