Whether they’re willing to acknowledge it or not, John Calipari and Rick Pitino are long-time rivals, maybe the best coaching rivalry that we have left in the sport. The former Kentucky head coaches re-kindled their feud in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with Cal’s Arkansas Razorbacks upsetting Pitino’s second-seeded St. John’s Red Storm, but now they’re going head-to-head on a different battlefield.
The transfer portal certainly wasn’t around when Pitino and Calipari got their starts, but the two elite recruiters have taken to it like a duck to water. Pitino has so radically shifted his team-building philosophy that he’s already admitted that he’s not looking at any high school players this year, instead relying on his returners and the portal.
So far, he’s added Bryce Hopkins from Providence and Joson Sanon from Arizona State but doesn’t appear to be finished, especially with Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr.’s name entered in both the NBA Draft and transfer portal after an unceremonious benching against Arkansas.
Calipari, formerly the king of the one-and-done, still loves his diaper dandies and has not yet made a portal addition this offseason, still, the two coaching legends appear to be locked in a transfer portal recruiting battle over former five-star North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson.
Yes, for those asking, St John’s will be involved with Ian Jackson. #sjubb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) April 7, 2025
Not new news, but Arkansas has contacted North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson.
— JC Hoops (@JacksonCollier) April 8, 2025
The 6'4" freshman averaged 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds on 45.6 fg%, 39.5 3fg%, and 72.3 FT%.
Arkansas and St. John’s both expressing interest in Ian Jackson
As a freshman in Chapel Hill, Jackson averaged 11.9 points and crucially for both Arkansas and St. John’s he shot 39.5 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game. Both head coaches have prioritized toughness and athleticism, but desperately need to add shooting this offseason. In their second-round matchup, the two teams shot a combined 4-41 from beyond the arc.
With Johnell Davis out of eligibility and Boogie Fland heading for the NBA, Calipari could use additional backcourt shot-making to compliment DJ Wagner and an intriguing group of incoming high schoolers: 5-star Darius Acuff, 5-star Meleek Thomas, and 4-star Isaiah Sealy.
However, if Calipari misses on Jackson, he has enough talent in Fayetteville to soften the blow, Pitino doesn’t have that same luxury in New York City. The Johnnies had a historically resurgent season, winning the Big East outright for the first time since 1985, but without Luis and Kadary Richmond in place for 2025-26, Pitino is lacking playmakers.
Center Zuby Ejiofor will be the centerpiece of the roster, dominating on the boards with his high motor and physicality, and if Bryce Hopkins returns to his 2023-24 form before he injured his knee and missed much of the next two seasons, then the Johnnies will have a formidable frontcourt duo. If Hopkins continues to battle injuries, though, Pitino may not be in a position to replicate last season’s success.
Where Jackson lands may not just determine the fate of the SEC or the Big East, it could have a massive impact on both conferences, shaping which programs are able to contend for conference titles next year, and potentially bringing the Hubert Davis era to an end at North Carolina.