Long-time rivals Rick Pitino and John Calipari could face each other in the NCAA Tournament again if St. John's and Arkansas each reach the second round.

Pitino, fresh off leading St. John’s to its first trip to the Big Dance since 2019 and its first Big East tournament title since 2000, will return to the city where he first built a college basketball powerhouse — Pitino’s Providence team reached the Final Four in 1987 — when the Red Storm face 15th-seeded Omaha on Thursday in the first round.

Four matchups for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s first round will be taking place at the Amica Mutual Pavilion (AMP) in Providence Thursday. All four games were announced during Selection Sunday.

The Lions, lifted by Maddyn Greenway’s 40 points, became Minnesota’s first girls basketball team to win four titles in a row.

The No. 1 Providence Academy Lions (31-0) play the No. 2 Crosby-Ironton Rangers (32-0) in the 2025 Minnesota (MSHSL) high school girls basketball