Pitino Takes Early Shot at Duke Ahead of Sweet 16

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils advanced to their third straight Sweet 16 under head coach Jon Scheyer after taking down 9-seed TCU 81-58 on Saturday. The Blue Devils will face 5-seed St. John's for a spot in the Elite Eight on Friday night.

Once the NCAA Tournament bracket was officially released, the Red Storm became a trendy upset pick to knock out Duke in the Sweet 16. Now, that matchup has come into fruition, and Duke has a chance to shut it all down.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks to a referee March 21, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

St. John's advanced to the second weekend of the Big Dance with a thrilling 67-65 victory over 4-seed Kansas in the Round of 32. Junior guard Dylan Darling found a straight-line-drive to the basket to roll in a layup as time expired to hand the Red Storm the victory.

Despite an utter defensive breakdown by the Jayhawks in the closing seconds of the contest, Rick Pitino's club deserved to win that game. Now, the Johnnies' head coach is taking early shots at the Blue Devils ahead of the marquee matchup.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino talks with forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo (2) in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino Takes Shot at Blue Devils Ahead of Sweet 16

After the contest, Pitino gave Darling his flowers for the guts to want the ball in his hands in that moment. Before the game-winning bucket, Darling was 0-of-4 from the field on the night.

However, to close his praise for the Idaho State transfer, Pitino made sure to let Duke fans know St. John's is ready for the upset.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) celebrates after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

"I'm hoping we can get Duke at the buzzer next to make up for that Christian Laettner shot," Pitino said postgame.

Pitino is referring to one of the greatest shots in the history of college basketball, when Laettner caught a three-quarter-court heave and nailed a turnaround jumper from the free-throw line to take down the Wildcats in the 1992 Elite Eight at the buzzer, when Pitino was the coach.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino talks in a press conference after a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Northern Iowa Panthers at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils would go on to win their second straight national title under Mike Krzyzewski.

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) scores in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Duke and St. John's Lead With Defense

Duke and St. John's are similar in that both clubs like to slow the game down and win in a grind-it-out fashion. The Blue Devils and Red Storm rank first and eighth nationally, respectively, in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

The Blue Devils are one of the most battle-tested clubs in college basketball, and will be ready for the physicality of the Johnnies on Friday night. Duke is seeking a spot in the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year.