Rick Pitino led his No. 7 St. John's team past Butler to clinch a share of the Big East crown. So, what does he think of his once-rival IU?

Mark Pope’s brief Kentucky basketball coaching tenure has been highlighted by marquee wins. This weekend will bring his biggest opportunity yet.

St. John’s is having a dream season under Rick Pitino — and now it’s no question why his guys are playing so hard. In the first episode of Vice TV’s “Pitino: Red Storm Rising,” viewers got an inside look from the St. Johns locker room during a Pitino halftime speech.

It's not an unreasonable concept. Only a week ago, ESPN bracket maven Joe Lunardi had Calipari and Arkansas on track to play Louisville, with the winner advancing to play Kentucky at the Cleveland regional. Only 349 miles to Cleveland, folks.

Following the No. 7-ranked St. John’s' 89-75 victory over UConn Huskies on Sunday, Rick Pitino took the opportunity to praise the Red Storm fans for their passion and dedication.

At age 72, Rick Pitino has gone from being outcast after the disgraced end of his Louisville tenure to positioning St. John's for a potential championship run

“If I lose to Danny Hurley, if I lose to whoever, I’m in a miserable mood. I wanna die,” the St. John’s coach said in a recent episode of Pitino: Red Storm Rising on ViceSports.