PROVIDENCE — John Calipari said Arkansas is the underdog. And he’s right.

Rick Pitino wasn’t sure what his St. John’s team could accomplish at the start of the season. The 72-year-old coach didn’t foresee his program’s 31 wins and St. John’s first NCAA Tournament triumph in two decades.

The Red Storm raced past Omaha on Thursday in a 30-point opening-round win. But Calipari’s group survived Kansas and could hit its stride in the matchup of Hall of Fame coaches. If history tells us anything, Saturday’s game at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence could go to the wire.

Game time is set for 2:40 p.m. between No. 2 St. John’s (31-4) and No. 10 Arkansas (21-13).

The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Kansas Jayhawks at the AMP.

Calipari and Pitino have faced each other 23 times as college coaches and the former leads that series, 13-10. They’ve split their four NCAA Tournament meetings over the years. It’s another chapter in this saga of rivals. It’s one filled with respect and admiration, but a Sweet 16 spot is on the line and both will want to stamp their tickets.

“The second-half numbers are ridiculous,” Calipari said of St. John’s during Friday’s press conference. “They’re wearing you down like you’re in combat, and if you’re not used to it — hopefully we understand that. We talked to the kids about it, but they’re good. He’s done a great job with his team.”

Here’s what Calipari had to say about the matchup:

RJ Luis Jr. checked out of the first-round game against Omaha to MVP chants. The player of the year in the Big East drained a career-high five 3-pointers while finishing with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

The Red Storm set a program NCAA Tournament single-game record with 14 3-pointers against Omaha. It’s a scary proposition for Arkansas if the best defense in the country (87.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) is shooting at a clip like that in March.

“That’s why we’re the underdog this game,” Calipari said. “Their guard play — and people say they don’t shoot it — the last five games, their percentage is better than ours from the 3.

“They offensive rebound like crazy. If they get 18 offensive rebounds and make 10 3s, they beat anybody in the country.”

Mar 20, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; Omaha Mavericks forward Joshua Streit (23) defends against St. John’s Red Storm forward Ruben Prey (17) during the first half at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

So how does Arkansas stay in the game? If it’s close at halftime, the Razorbacks will need to prepare for a battle over the final 20 minutes. Omaha didn’t stand a chance and was outscored, 50-25, in the second half on Thursday.

“They get 70% of [50/50 balls] or more,” Calipari said. “That’s why their defense leads to their offense. … You better not have a whole lot of live ball turnovers or you have no chance of winning the game.”

Here’s what Pitino had to say about the matchup:

Luis, a junior, made just 10 starts for St. John’s last year. Zuby Ejiofor also had a third-year leap for St. John’s. And Aaron Scott jelled quickly after transferring from North Texas. Everything has gone right for the Big East Conference champions this winter.

It’s been a welcomed surprise to Pitino.

“I’m a little surprised at the season,” Pitino said. “You never know what it’s going to be like going into it because these are unchartered waters. Next year’s team going into it, we’ll probably have more players back this year than we’ve had in the prior two years. But I didn’t know what to expect with this basketball team going into it. I was really excited about last year’s team at the end of the year and then suddenly we just kept winning and getting better.”

St. John’s also added Kadary Richmond via the portal from Seton Hall, and that quartet will be put to the test against Arkansas.

“Very long and athletic,” Pitino said of the Razorbacks. “Most of [Calipari’s] teams are extremely athletic. This team is as athletic as I have seen. This team is quite extraordinary.

“[Arkansas] has a great lineup. Their size is what’s imposing. Their size, they can step out and do so many things.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: March Madness showdown between John Calipari and Rick Pitino is set