I wrote this in the offseason’s first top 25: “If Rick Pitino lands a stud guard, I’ll probably be inclined to move St. John’s into the top 10 because it’s Pitino.” ...

Pope was the team captain on Pitino’s 1996 National Championship team at Kentucky. To kick off his debut campaign at the helm of Kentucky, Pope invited Rick Pitino to his inaugural Big Blue Madness.

Louisville returns five scholarship players from its 27-8 team last season and has added five highly regarded newcomers. Coach Pat Kelsey has the No. 3 transfer portal class and the No. 12 overall ...

This is extremely exciting for Kentucky fans as it means Mark Pope will face off with his former coach, Rick Pitino. Ever since Pope took the job in Lexington, the two elite coaches have wanted to ...

DETROIT — Rick Pitino will face his former captain next year in a blockbuster non-conference showdown in Atlanta. St. John’s has signed on to face Kentucky and coach Mark Pope in the CBS ...

Pitino guided Kentucky back from NCAA sanctions to the 1996 national championship before later becoming an enemy to the fervent fan base for coaching rival University of Louisville.

Rick Pitino sends a message to Johnnies Nation following a big announcement ahead of the 2025-26 college ... who led Kentucky to the 1996 national championship with Mark Pope as his team ...

Pitino led St. John's to the Big East regular-season and conference tournament championships in his second season at the helm in 2024-25, while Pope guided Kentucky to the Sweet 16 in his debut ...

Mark Pope and Rick Pitino will face off during the 2025-26 college basketball season, ... Last October, the former UK head coach was a surprise guest at Big Blue Madness, ...

When Mark Pope took the job as the head coach of the Kentucky basketball program, all of Big Blue Nation wanted him to schedule a game against St. John's.

Rick Pitino and Mark Pope are set to coach against each other next season. ... In October, Pitino accepted Pope’s invitation to Big Blue Madness and received a loud ovation from the crowd.

Rick Pitino will face Kentucky next season after all. St. John’s will replace UCLA in the annual CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Dec. 20, meaning Pitino will face the school ...