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Spending two days at Madison Square Garden, it was impossible to miss the sea of red and the unmistakable resurgence of St. John’s basketball under Rick Pitino. In an era where great rivalries are fading, Pitino vs. Dan Hurley has emerged as one of the most explosive and compelling coaching duels in college basketball.
The contrast is what makes this one so irresistible. Pitino, the Hall of Fame mastermind, embodies old-school grit, exhaustive prep, with teams built on relentless physicality. He chooses the veteran profile, tough, and ready to go to war. Meanwhile, Hurley, the modern firebrand, has transformed UConn into a juggernaut of development and cutting-edge offense, steering the Huskies to back-to-back national titles and redefining dominance.
After being part of both of UConn’s scorched-earth championship runs, Pitino punched back with a flawless portal pull, crafting a team with his signature edge, swagger, and discipline. And it’s working. While UConn is navigating a “down year” by their new elite standard, St. John’s has matched their 18 Big East wins and now looks like a legitimate title threat.
This sets the stage for a spectacular next few years, before either a Pitino retirement or Hurley’s leap to the NBA alters the landscape. We are witnessing two Big East maniacs at their peak—full of fire, bravado, and an unrelenting desire to dominate. Pitino’s counterpunch in the portal was swift and devastating—now the question is, how does Hurley respond? And more importantly, how much of his next move will be dictated by the bruising physicality St. John’s just reintroduced to the fight?
The contrast is what makes this one so irresistible. Pitino, the Hall of Fame mastermind, embodies old-school grit, exhaustive prep, with teams built on relentless physicality. He chooses the veteran profile, tough, and ready to go to war. Meanwhile, Hurley, the modern firebrand, has transformed UConn into a juggernaut of development and cutting-edge offense, steering the Huskies to back-to-back national titles and redefining dominance.
After being part of both of UConn’s scorched-earth championship runs, Pitino punched back with a flawless portal pull, crafting a team with his signature edge, swagger, and discipline. And it’s working. While UConn is navigating a “down year” by their new elite standard, St. John’s has matched their 18 Big East wins and now looks like a legitimate title threat.
This sets the stage for a spectacular next few years, before either a Pitino retirement or Hurley’s leap to the NBA alters the landscape. We are witnessing two Big East maniacs at their peak—full of fire, bravado, and an unrelenting desire to dominate. Pitino’s counterpunch in the portal was swift and devastating—now the question is, how does Hurley respond? And more importantly, how much of his next move will be dictated by the bruising physicality St. John’s just reintroduced to the fight?
