Pitino vs Self: St. John's vs Kansas

0:00On March 22nd, St. John's faces Kansas tonight in the round of 32 of the men's NCAA tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Legendary coach Rick Patino has transformed the red storm in just three seasons, earning two tournament bids and the big east title after crushing Yukon. As a number five seed, they're one of the hottest teams left, having easily handled Northern Iowa in the first round. On the other side, Kansas coach Bill Self brings his Jayhawks, setting up a rare head to head between two Hall of Fame legends. This March just the second time Patino and Self have squared off as opponents, the first coming back in 2021 when Self's team won at, Iona. Patino, with 50 years of division one coaching under his belt, admitted surprise at how seldom they've met, especially given his stints at Kentucky, and Louisville. The spotlight falls on Kansas star Darren Peterson, the projected number one NBA draft pick whom Patino praised while plotting to unleash defender Dylan Mitchell on them. The six foot eight forward

1:04earned Big East all defensive honors this year, averaging 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Kansas has shown wild swings this season, boasting big wins over Arizona, Houston and Iowa state, but also stumbles against lesser foes like UCF and West Virginia. Patino called them unpredictable, capable looking like national title contenders or off nights on any given day. As tip off nears, St. John's hopes to ride their momentum against whatever version of Kansas shows up, and what promises to be a marquee match up full of coaching fireworks.