Rick Pitino was among Mark Pope’s strongest supporters when Kentucky began its coaching search, but the Hall of Fame coach believes his former player is now facing a familiar challenge at one of college basketball’s most demanding jobs.
As Kentucky prepares to face St. John’s in Saturday’s CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta (12:30 p.m. ET, CBS), both programs are still working to blend rosters built heavily through the transfer portal.
“I think Mark’s going to have a great run at Kentucky,” Pitino said Thursday at Carnesecca Arena. “But he’s dealing with what I’m dealing with — a new team, eight new players, figuring out how to put them together while playing great competition.”
Pitino compared today’s roster construction to the professional sports world, where talent evaluation and financial decisions don’t always pan out.
“Sometimes you overrate a guy you bring in. Sometimes you overpay,” Pitino said. “It’s no different than the Mets, Yankees, Giants or Jets. Every now and then you underpay someone like Jalen Brunson, and look what he becomes.”
Pitino owns an 18–4 record against former players turned head coaches, including a 1–0 mark against Pope. He has also been dominant in Atlanta, posting a 9–1 record with nine straight wins.
Pope, the captain of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team under Pitino, said the relationship doesn’t soften the competitive edge.
“I’d love to beat him, just like I’d love to beat the next coach we play,” Pope told reporters.
When Kentucky hired Pope from BYU in April 2024, Pitino publicly praised the decision and even recorded a video supporting his former player.
“That video got about six million views,” Pitino joked. “I usually get six.”
Despite the looming matchup, Pitino said the two coaches will share a meal Friday night along with former Wildcats Jeff Sheppard and Wayne Turner.
“We won’t talk about the game,” Pitino said. “We’ll talk about old times.”
Both teams have had uneven starts to the season. St. John’s (7–3) has slipped to No. 22 in the AP Poll after opening the year at No. 5, while Kentucky (7–4) has fallen out of the rankings after debuting at No. 9.
Still, Saturday’s game carries significant NCAA Tournament implications for both programs.
“We know what’s at stake,” St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor said. “It’s going to feel like a road game, and we have to embrace that.”
Pitino agreed, noting Kentucky’s strong fan presence in Atlanta — often referred to by Wildcats fans as “Catlanta.”
“They’ll have six or seven thousand fans there,” Pitino said. “It’ll feel like a road game.”
St. John’s enters the contest riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by a win over Baylor. Kentucky has won two straight after suffering lopsided losses to North Carolina and Gonzaga and starting 0–4 against ranked opponents.
“They’ve played much better over the last 10 days,” Pitino said.
Kentucky could also get a boost from the possible return of Jayden Quaintance, the Arizona State transfer recovering from ACL surgery. Pope said Quaintance has crossed midcourt during practice but remains day-to-day.
“When he’s confident, healthy and cleared, we’ll go,” Pope said.
Pitino added that St. John’s will prepare as if Quaintance plays.
“We’ll assume he’s playing and adjust if he’s not,” Pitino said.
As St. John’s continues to build chemistry, Cincinnati transfer Dillon Mitchell said the team has grown more comfortable together.
“Early on, it’s tough with so many new faces,” Mitchell said. “Now there’s more communication and openness, and that helps on the court.”
While the game itself carries major implications, the Pitino-versus-Pope storyline looms large.
“I love him,” Pope said. “But we’re going to try to beat him. He’s one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, and we’re going to compete.”
