CRAWFORD | Bloodlines and Battle Lines: Pope, Pitino reunite when Kentucky faces St. John's | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- They’ll hug at half court, without question. Two men who’ve shared March memories, Rick Pitino, the Hall of Famer, and Mark Pope, his former captain turned coaching peer. They'll even go to dinner the night before.

But that’s where the nostalgia ends. At least until the buzzer.

Once the ball goes up Saturday afternoon at 12:30 inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta in the CBS Sports Classic, it’s less about reunion and more about redemption. No. 22 St. John’s is hunting a signature win for a Big East climb. Kentucky is still seeking its first victory over a ranked team this season — and perhaps the full reveal of its identity under Pope.

“I love him,” Pope said of Pitino. “And we’re going to try and beat him.”

Pitino, never one to dodge sentiment or stakes, downplayed both.

“It’s like coaching against my son,” he said. “It means a great deal to get a victory against Kentucky. But I’m coaching against one of the great captains I’ve ever had. Someone I love dearly.”

Both teams need this one.

The Setting: Past and Present Collide

Pitino returns to the city where he won his second national title -- Louisville’s 2013 championship run ended in Atlanta — and where he now brings a surging Red Storm squad (7–3), ranked for the 17th straight week.

Earlier this week, Pitino reminded reporters, “In Lexington, when they go to Atlanta, they call it Cat-lanta.”

Worth noting: Pitino is 9-1 in Atlanta, including an active nine-game winning streak in the city.

Kentucky (7–4) remains unranked for a second straight week, but showed signs of life with a comeback win over Indiana. It was a needed jolt after an 0–4 start against ranked opponents. Saturday is another shot to flip that narrative, against a coach who once made Kentucky matter more than anyone.

Pitino is 18–4 coaching against his former players and 1–0 vs. Pope (a 98–68 win in 2015 with Louisville over Utah Valley).

The Wildcard: Will Jayden Quaintance Debut?

The subplot stealing headlines is Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky’s 6-foot-10 phenom and potential top-10 NBA pick, who hasn’t played since tearing his ACL as a freshman at Arizona State.

“He crossed half court in a drill for the first time two days ago,” Pope said Thursday. “He’s made incredible progress. Every day paints a clearer picture.”

The 18-year-old’s size and mobility would provide an immediate presence against a physical St. John’s frontline, especially senior Zuby Ejiofor, who’s blocked 20 shots in his last three games.

Even 10 minutes of Quaintance could tilt the floor. Kentucky has missed his rim protection (they rank 9th in SEC in blocks per game) and could use his post presence in a matchup that promises to get “vicious and fun,” in Pope’s words.

Smash Mouth Meets Showtime

Forget flowing offense. This may be Pope’s grimiest blueprint yet. Gone is the talk of gravity and free-flowing offense, getting up 30 three-pointers per game. Against Indiana, Kentucky found success driving to the rim, and isn’t likely to go away from that in Atlanta.

“We’re going to play smashmouth basketball,” he said. “It’s going to be fun and ugly and gruesome and brutal. It won’t be forever. Just for now.”

Kentucky’s backcourt remains deep and productive. Otega Oweh has scored in double digits in every game this season, and Mo Dioubate returned with a vengeance against Indiana, notching 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 steals.

But the Red Storm can match that and more. They average 87.9 points per game, have five double-figure scorers, and shoot over 43% from three.

Oziyah Sellers (43.5% from deep) leads in makes, while one-time Wildcat Bryce Hopkins and Ian Jackson bring experience pedigree.

Still, Pitino isn't sold on their toughness just yet: “Our biggest weakness right now is a lack of physicality,” he said. “We need to hit people more.”

Legacy and Leverage

The emotional symmetry is impossible to ignore.

Pitino, back in Atlanta, back against Kentucky, back in national relevance. Pope, still seeking a signature win this season, one that would rewrite some of Kentucky’s struggles and earn the kind of national respect that four previous losses to ranked teams have denied.

Pitino said Kentucky fans shouldn’t worry, knowing full well that they will.

“They've had a lot of injuries, and like us, when you have all these new players, it takes time,” Pitino said. “They're going to be a very good basketball team. They've already improved dramatically in the last 10 days. So, when you play against the teams they played against, and you're not totally locked in it, it can hurt, but they played much better in the last 10 days.”

Pitino and Pope said they’d share a dinner Friday night before the game, after their preparations are complete, alongside other members of the 1996 national title team, Jeff Sheppard, Wayne Turner, Jared Prickett.

“We won't talk about the game,” Pitino said. “We'll talk about old times.”

Pitino on Kentucky

Asked if the game meant any more to him because it was Kentucky, Pitino said no, only that he was grateful for his time in Lexington, and for the reunion he had with the city and fanbase last season after Pope was named coach.

“It hurt when I walked back into Rupp as Louisville coach,” and heard the boos, Pitino said. “But I understand it today. … I'm happy that my name is hanging from the rafters at Rupp Arena. It’s a big part of my life, a big part of eight great years I had there. So, I'm happy to be part of their family.”

And he offered an unqualified endorsement of his former captain and the job her has done as Kentucky coach, while reminding people of how difficult a job it is.

“Mark's going to have a great run in Kentucky,” Pitino said. “He's going to have the problems that I have, new team, eight new players, putting them together the right way, playing against great competition, sometimes overrating somebody you bring in, overpaying somebody you bring, in no different than the Mets or the Yankees or the Giants or Jets.

“Kentucky is different from any job in all of college basketball. You had people when I first got there telling stories about people in Eastern Kentucky sitting on mountaintops with their radios trying to tune in to listen to Adolph Rupp's runts. All these names that they had back then. You've got to represent Kentucky in a way that the people feel very proud. And there's no better guy than a Rhodes Scholar, candidate, captain of one of the greatest teams ever to play there, a young man who is very cerebral, has done it at all levels, and really wears Kentucky on his chest. It's never going to be about money with Mark. It's never going to be about fame with Mark. It's always going be about representing Kentucky the right way.”

As for Pope, right now, the job is much simpler.

“We’ve got one job,” Pope said Thursday. “Win.”

How to Watch Kentucky vs. St. John’s

When: Saturday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena (Atlanta, Ga.)
TV: CBS
Announcers: Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bill Raftery and Bruce Pearl (analysts), Jenny Dell (sideline)
Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jack Givens). Streaming audio: UKathletics.com.