PROVIDENCE, R.I. — John Calipari is back in the Sweet 16, reaching the milestone for the 16th time in his career—and this one might be the most rewarding yet.
Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks secured a 75-66 victory over longtime rival Rick Pitino and No. 2 seed St. John’s on Saturday, propelling the 10th-seeded team into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With this win, Calipari has now led four different programs to the Sweet 16.
Billy Richmond III led Arkansas with 16 points, while Karter Knox added 15 as the Razorbacks, fresh off their first-round upset of Kansas and Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, continued their improbable run. The victory was especially significant for Calipari, who, in his first season in Fayetteville, overcame a rocky start—Arkansas began 0-5 in SEC play—to guide his team to a deep tournament run.
“This is one of the most rewarding seasons I’ve had, considering how far we’ve come,” Calipari said.
Arkansas (22-13) will now face No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.
Pitino’s St. John’s Falls Short
Zuby Ejiofor delivered a dominant performance for St. John’s (31-5), finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds. However, Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. struggled, managing just nine points on a rough 3-of-17 shooting night—far below his season average.
“They outplayed us. They deserved to advance, and we didn’t,” Pitino said. “That’s the reality of March Madness. No matter how great your regular season is, if you don’t perform, you go home.”
Pitino, who previously led Providence to the 1987 Final Four, enjoyed a warm reception from the crowd. His St. John’s team, which boasted the nation’s top-ranked defense and entered the tournament with its highest seed in 25 years, seemed primed for a deep run. However, their offensive struggles proved costly.
The Red Storm shot just 28% from the field and connected on only one of their final nine attempts down the stretch. They also became the first team seeded fourth or higher to be eliminated in a tournament that had, until then, largely followed expectations.
“If they had made a few more shots, they probably would have beaten us,” Calipari admitted. “We were fortunate to get through.”
Arkansas Closes Strong
Arkansas controlled much of the game, leading by as many as 13 points in the first half. St. John’s mounted a comeback, cutting the deficit to 62-60 with just over six minutes remaining. But from there, the Red Storm missed six consecutive three-pointers and struggled to generate offense.
With time winding down, Knox knocked down two clutch free throws before Deivon Smith lost control of the ball, dribbling it off his knee and out of bounds. Richmond was then fouled with five seconds left, effectively sealing the win. As the final buzzer sounded, the Razorbacks celebrated on the court, waving to the Arkansas faithful who made the trip.
For Calipari, this Sweet 16 appearance may be among his most satisfying yet—a testament to resilience, perseverance, and the belief that anything is possible in March.
