Rick Pitino: “You are such a UConn homer b*tch”: Analyst calls out NCAA reporter’s banter after putting Dan Hurley’s team over Rick Pitino’s St. John’s

ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello shared his early picks for this season's basketball top 25, and "The Field of 68" analyst Rob Dauster had some thoughts.

Borzello released the fourth version of his "Way-Too-Early Top 25" on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter). Purdue took the top spot, followed by Dan Hurley's UConn team at No. 2 and Rick Pitino's St. John's squad at No. 3.

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Dauster replied with playful banter, recalling what someone - possibly Borzello - had told him about UConn and St. John's.

"'Rob, you are such a UConn homer b*tch for saying they could be better than St. John's,'" Dauster's reply read.

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A UConn fan, Rob Dauster has high hopes after an inconsistent 2024-25 season. The Huskies - back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024 - entered March Madness as a No. 8 seed but fell in the Round of 32.

Meanwhile, the Red Storm - the Big East regular season and tournament winners - were the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament but bowed out in the second round

The Field of 68 on Dan Hurley & Rick Pitino

Rob Dauster - the founder of "The Field of 68" - sat down with fellow analyst Jeff Goodman on Friday to discuss the Dan Hurley-Rick Pitino rivalry on the podcast.

"Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley do not like one another," Goodman said. "That's what's gonna make this so good, the proximity, the fact that the two fan bases now really dislike one another, and the two teams are both top five-ish teams in the country."

Goodman reflected on the two teams' success this past season. UConn and St. John's faced off twice, with the Red Storm winning both times. Goodman argued that Hurley will seek to prove himself in the Big East, particularly against Pitino's squad.

"Dan Hurley's gonna be even more motivated this year to kinda reclaim their prominence in the Big East," Goodman said. "Those games are gonna be wars. They're gonna be fun."

Between Jeff Borzello, Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman, there are several analysts who believe Dan Hurley and his Huskies can outperform Rick Pitino's Red Storm next season.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by William Paul