CINCINNATI — Four other times they have faced one another, but never like this, not as league rivals, not when Rick Pitino is one win from a milestone, and not when son Richard is looking for a statement win in his first season at his new school, Xavier.
Saturday afternoon will mark the first Big East matchup between Pitinos.
“It’s much different. This counts much more significantly than playing him [when he was] at New Mexico or playing him [when I was] at Iona or playing him at Minnesota,” Rick, who can notch the 900th win of his Hall of Fame career, told The Post. “This is a league game that’s really important.”
After a rousing, come-from-behind win against Seton Hall on Tuesday, Pitino joked that if St. John’s lost this game, he would make his team stay in Cincinnati, where a snowstorm is expected. Star forward Zuby Ejiofor wasn’t sure if he was kidding.
