Pitino leads St. John's past Omaha and into 2nd-round March Madness matchup with nemesis Calipari

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rick Pitino returned to Providence and picked up a March Madness victory with yet another school, coaching St. John's past Omaha 83-53 and into a second-round matchup with longtime nemesis John Calipari. RJ Luis Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds for the second-seeded Red Storm. St. John's pulled away early in the second half to earn a matchup against No. 10 seed Arkansas on Saturday, with the winner earning a trip to the Sweet 16. But more delectable for basketball fans will be the pairing of Pitino and Calipari. The two strong-willed Hall of Famers developed an unfriendly rivalry in the 2010s when Calipari was at Kentucky and Pitino was an hour away in Louisville.

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