Two of college basketball’s most maligned coaching figures face off on Saturday when Rick Pitino’s second-seeded St. John’s Red Storm (31-4) takes on John Calipari’s 10-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks (21-13).
Pitino has led the Red Storm back to prominence in only his second year with the school. St. John’s was considered for the tournament’s top seed after the program after winning all but one of the team’s 21 contests in the 2025 calendar year.
Calipari is looking to lead his fourth program the NCAA Final Four during his first season with Arkansas. The Razorbacks earned wins in six of their past eight contests to reach the second round of this year’s tournament, including victories over ranked Missouri and Mississippi State teams.
For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, a pair of coaches who won titles at the same institution – Kentucky – will compete with neither coach at that school. Will Calipari or Pitino lead their teams to victory in this historic matchup? We’ll cover that and our three favorite player prop bets below.
Kadary Richmond is the driving force for the St. John’s resurgence this season. The senior guard is averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals to lead the Red Storm in multiple categories this season.
Richmond had recorded at least 28 total points, rebounds, and assists in four straight games before Thursday’s romp over Omaha. Expect him to continue that trend against Arkansas, covering this player prop bet.
Third-generation talent D.J. Wagner is helping Arkansas restore the program’s history. His father Dajuan was a standout on Calipari’s first team at Memphis, and his grandfather Milt also played professional basketball.
It’s easy to see why Wagner could become the third member of his family in the NBA. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists for the Razorbacks as a sophomore on this year’s team.
In seven of his past nine games, Wagner has scored in double figures. His lone hang-ups during that stretch were in losing efforts. This game is expected to be close throughout, meaning bettors should take the under on this player prop bet, especially with St. John’s stingy defense.
Junior guard R.J. Luis has the Red Storm in an enviable position for the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-7 athlete is leading his team with 18.5 points while also contributing 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for St. John’s.
Although he’s better known for his scoring, the junior is the second-best rebounder on the team. He’s pulled down at least seven boards in his previous five outings, and Saturday’s game will be no different. Bettors can confidently expect Luis to record eight rebounds and cover his prop bet.
The biggest storyline maybe who is patrolling the sidelines, but fans are missing one of the greatest teams Pitino has led in recent memory. The Red Storm have won six of their past eight games by double-digit margins, showing that St. John’s is ready for strong competition.
Arkansas may have orchestrated a strong finish to the season, but the Razorbacks are still rebuilding this season. Calipari’s squad is just 4-7 against ranked teams, losing their final three games by less than seven points. That’s the expectation here; Arkansas covers the spread, but the Razorbacks lose to the superior team on Saturday.