In a highly anticipated March Madness matchup between coaching rivals Rick Pitino and John Calipari, it was Calipari’s No. 10 seed Arkansas team that emerged victorious over Pitino’s No. 2 seed St. John’s. However, the story of the game took a controversial turn when Pitino benched his best player, Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr., in the final minutes of the game. Despite hitting two crucial free throws, Luis was subbed out and never returned, leading to questions about Pitino’s decision.
Pitino defended his choice by citing Luis’ poor shooting performance, but critics like ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe disagreed, arguing that a struggling player should not be benched in a close game. The loss marked another victory for Calipari over Pitino, further emphasizing Calipari’s dominance in their coaching rivalry.
While Pitino’s decision was met with criticism, the overall poor shooting performance of St. John’s as a team was a major factor in their defeat. With only a 28% field goal percentage and 2-of-22 from three-point range, the Red Storm struggled to keep up with Arkansas.
The intense rivalry between Pitino and Calipari continues to add drama to March Madness, with this latest matchup providing plenty of controversy and debate among fans and analysts. Despite the outcome, both coaches remain highly regarded in the basketball world, with their clashes on the court always garnering attention and scrutiny.
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