Pitino vs Self: High-Stakes NCAA Showdown

0:00On March 22nd, two legendary college basketball coaches Rick Patino and Bill Self finally face off in a high stakes NCAA tournament game. Patino's St. John's Red Storm, the number five seed in the East region with a 29 and six record, take on self's number four seeded Kansas, Jay Hawkes, who stand at 24 and 10. The winner advances to the sweet 16 and could challenge top seed duped next week in Washington DC. Both Hall of Famers are in the later parts of their careers, each with two national titles, though one of Patinos was vacated by the NCAA. At 73, Patino seems healthier than 63 year old self, who has dealt with heart issues recently. Patino has coached at six colleges and two NBA teams, while self has stayed rooted at Kansas for 23 years after earlier stops. The coaches respect each other's styles, with Patino praising Kansas's toughness and self noting St. John's disruptive play. Players describe Patino as joyful after wins,

1:00but intense after losses, pushing his team to excel. Both were touched by the 2017 FBI probe into college basketball corruption, but some different past afterward, with Patino, rebuilding overseas and at smaller schools before St. John's. St. John's is scorching hot, winning seven straight and dominating early in their last four games without trailing for nearly three hours of play time. Kansas struggle lately, blowing a lead against the lower seed, but has tournament experience. Key matchup includes St. John's star, Zubi AGO 4, a former Kansas player who transferred and now leads his team and scoring, rebounds, assists and blocks. This Sunday in San Diego marks their first big clash after over 2,000 combined games coached. As one adds a key march win to their legacy while, the other fights to keep momentum alive.