With the Red Storms’ inclusion in the CBS Sports Classic, both programs and their fanbases will have December 20th circled for Kentucky vs. St. John’s in Atlanta. It’ll be a highly-rated game as part of the event that’ll have many storylines throughout it between Rick Pitino, Mark Pope, and for those in Big Blue Nation.
In a conversation with Jon Rothstein on ‘Inside College Basketball Now’ on Monday, Pitino looked ahead to the matchup against his former player and former program when St. John’s plays UK. He said that he should have his emotions in check, though, considering, at this point in his career, he has already coached against former assistants of his and even his own son many times over now.
“I think, it’s no different than coaching against your son, who obviously stirs different emotions,” said Pitino.
Pitino had the most successful run of his coaching career in his eight seasons at Kentucky, posting a record of 219-50 (.814) overall while winning seven total conference titles in the SEC and making a trio of trips to the Final Four, one leading to a national title in 1996, in the NCAA Tournament. Among the players he coached over those eight years, Pope spent three of them there with him from 1993 to 1996, including being a team captain on that title-winning team in ’96. Pope has now since gone on to start his own coaching career, which, as of last year, led him back to his Old Kentucky Home in taking over his alma mater in Lexington with Pitino since having been in full support of his hire with the Wildcats.
With that, there’d been discussions of when or if the two sides could schedule a game of Kentucky-St. John’s. So, when UCLA pulled out of the CBS Sports Classic this year, the Red Storm took their place and set up this game not just between two of the top projected teams in the country coming into this season but two schools who are very familiar with one another going back to their roots together.
“I just think that, Kentucky? Any time you play Kentucky, what I’ve always called the Roman Empire of college basketball, you know you’re going to go against great talent,” Pitino said of UK. “Certainly, Mark Pope, I think, is one of the bright young coaches in the game. Really has a great offensive mind.”
“It’ll be a great game,” said Pitino. “I think two teams that’ll be highly-ranked, two teams that have a lot of talent – different types of talent, now. We’re different than them. But, it’ll be exciting to see who comes out on top.”
These two teams will play some big-time games throughout their non-conference schedules before entering league play respectively. However, considering the history, few games, if any, on their slates will be more highly-anticipated than when the Wildcats and Red Storm take the court going into the weekend before Christmas.
“It’ll be great to play against the University of Kentucky,” said Pitino. “I’m really looking forward to the game.”
