A legendary coaching matchup between Rick Pitino and John Calipari headlines the Round of 32 slate in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Pitino and Calipari, once in-state rivals at Louisville and Kentucky, respectively, have crossed paths plenty of times before. Calipari also succeeded Pitino as Kentucky’s head coach, and they both won national championships: Calipari with the Wildcats, and Pitino with Kentucky and the Cardinals.
The 30th matchup between the two coaches will result in a spot in the second weekend, as two of the most seasoned coaches in March Madness battle it out for a Sweet 16 berth. The two haven’t faced since 2016, before Pitino’s stint at Louisville ended unceremoniously. What kind of college basketball fans aren’t down for a rivalry renewed?
Here’s how to watch Pitino vs. Calipari in the NCAA tournament on Saturday, as St. John’s and Arkansas face off in a much-anticipated game:
What channel is John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino today?
TV channel: CBSStreaming: March Madness Live | Fubo (free trial)
Calipari’s Razorbacks and Pitino’s Red Storm will face off on CBS on Saturday. Streaming options include March Madness Live, which requires a valid cable login, and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Watch Calipari-Pitino live with Fubo (free trial)
John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino time today
Date: Saturday, March 22Time: 2:40 p.m. ET
Arkansas and St. John’s are scheduled to tip off at 2:40 p.m. ET from Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I.
St. John’s vs. Arkansas picks, prediction, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, March 31.
Spread: St. John’s (-6.5)Over/under: 144.5Moneyline: St. John’s (-300) | Kentucky (+240)
Prediction: St. John’s 81, Arkansas 76
Arkansas will give St. John’s its best shot, but the better team eventually prevails as the Red Storm reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino head-to-head record
Calipari has a 16-13 all-time edge over Pitino, which includes six games that occurred in the NBA. Calipari also leads the series in college games with a 13-10 record against Pitino.
Calipari has wins over Pitino as the head coach at UMass and Kentucky, along with as the head coach of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets.
Here’s the full game-by-game results of each of their coaching matchups:
College games
Dec. 4, 1991: Kentucky 90, UMass 69 — Pitino winsMarch 26, 1992: Kentucky 87, UMass 77 — Pitino wins (Sweet 16)Feb. 6, 1994: Kentucky 67, UMass 64 — Pitino winsNov. 28, 1995: UMass 92, Kentucky 82 — Calipari winsMarch 30, 1996: Kentucky 81, UMass 74 — Pitino wins (Final Four)Jan. 30, 2002: Memphis 80, Louisville 70 — Calipari winsFeb. 19, 2003: Memphis 80, Louisville 73 — Calipari winsMarch 14, 2003: Louisville 78, Memphis 75 — Pitino wins (Conference USA Tournament semifinals)Feb. 4, 2004: Memphis 62, Louisville 58 — Calipari winsFeb. 28, 2004: Louisville 66, Memphis 60 — Pitino winsFeb. 9, 2005: Memphis 68, Louisville 65 — Calipari winsFeb. 26, 2005: Louisville 53, Memphis 44 — Pitino winsMarch 12, 2005: Louisville 75, Memphis 74 — Pitino wins (Conference USA Tournament championship)Jan 2, 2010: Kentucky 71, Louisville 62 — Calipari winsDec. 31, 2010: Kentucky 78, Louisville 63 — Calipari winsDec. 31, 2011: Kentucky 69, Louisville 62 — Calipari winsDec. 29, 2012: Louisville 80, Kentucky 77 — Pitino winsMarch 31, 2012: Kentucky 69, Louisville 61 — Calipari wins (Final Four)Dec. 28, 2013: Kentucky 73, Louisville 68 — Calipari winsMarch 28, 2014: Kentucky 74, Louisville 69 — Calipari wins (Sweet 16)Dec. 27, 2014: Kentucky 58, Louisville 50 — Calipari winsDec. 26, 2015: Kentucky 75, Louisville 73 — Calipari winsDec. 21, 2016: Louisville 73, Kentucky 70 — Pitino wins
NBA games
Pitino and Calipari went 3-3 against each other in NBA games, when Pitino coached the Boston Celtics and Calipari was with the Nets.
Nov. 19, 1997: Nets 108, Celtics 100 — Calipari winsNov. 21, 1997: Celtics 101, Nets 93 — Pitino winsMarch 27, 1998: Celtics 82, Nets 76 — Pitino winsApril 8, 1998: Nets 117, Celtics 104 — Calipari winsFeb. 27, 1999: Celtics 101, Nets 92 — Pitino winsMarch 1, 1999: Nets 99, Celtics 97 — Calipari wins
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Calipari vs Rick Pitino in March Madness: Time, TV channel to watch
