St. John's HC Rick Pitino reflects on Sweet 16 loss to longtime rival John Calipari: "Don't feel we were a great basketball team"

St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino spoke on last season’s NCAA Tournament loss to Arkansas. Pitino's side was dealt a 75-66 loss to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game, played in Providence, marked the first upset of a top-four seed in the 2025 bracket and came against Pitino’s longtime rival, John Calipari.

Speaking on WFAN last week, Pitino said the team lacked offensive consistency and credited Arkansas’s defense.

“I don’t feel we were a great basketball team last year,” Pitino said. “I thought we were a great defensive team. But if one player is three-for-17 and another is one-for-10, you’ve got to give Arkansas a lot of credit.” (TS: 8:06)

He said the program has addressed the offensive problems from last season.

“We’ve made the corrections,” he said. “We’re better from the three-point line. We’re better from the foul line.”

Pitino compared St. John’s to the New York Knicks, saying both have fan bases “starving” for a championship. The coach said he is “chasing a championship” and another Final Four, noting his coaching window is closing.

Rick Pitino has no interest in returning to the New York Knicks

During a broadcast, Rick Pitino said a definitive 'no' to returning to the Knicks. He said any Knicks coach who doesn’t reach the NBA Finals will be seen as a failure, according to ESPN.

Despite guiding the team to its first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau was fired. The Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973 and last reached the Finals in 1999. Pitino coached the team from 1987 to 1989, finishing with a 90-74 record and two playoff appearances.

St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino - Source: Imagn

At St. John’s, Pitino led the Red Storm to a 31-5 season in 2024-25 and won national and Big East Coach of the Year honors. They beat Omaha 83-53 in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Arkansas 75-66 in the second round.

Regular-season highlights included wins over Marquette (86-84), Seton Hall (71-61), and UConn (89-75).

Also Read: “I'm gonna give Richard a good spanking two times”: Rick Pitino makes hilarious remark ahead of facing his son

About the author

Mohammad Asif Ansari is a journalist covering college football and basketball at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology and brings four years of experience as an NFL and EdTech writer.

While acknowledging the dominance of professional leagues like the NBA and NFL, Asif is drawn to the raw energy and unpredictability of college sports, particularly football and basketball.

Jalen Hurts stands out as Asif's all-time favorite college player, celebrated for his remarkable success on the football field and impressive leadership skills.

In his reporting, Asif seeks to capture the essence of college athletics, delving into the human stories behind the game. From the trials and triumphs of student-athletes to the strategic genius of coaches like Nick Saban, he strives to paint a vivid picture of the college sports landscape.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra