The relationship between Mark Pope and Rick Pitino goes back decades but there will be no love lost when St. John’s meets Kentucky in Atlanta in December.
In fact, Mark Pope is already preparing for the matchup, and he challenged Pitino on Tuesday afternoon when meeting the media for his offseason press conference.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m putting this out there so Coach P can hear it,” Pope said. “I am bringing the suit game. I already started planning. Coach, just be ready. Bring it.”
Pitino is widely known as one of the best dressed coaches in college basketball and continues to wear suits on the sidelines as many other head coaches around the country have opted for a more casual look.
Pope, in his first season as the head coach of Kentucky, also preferred to wear suits on the bench instead of a quarter-zip sweater but the first true matchup between St. John’s and Kentucky will be which head coach is better dressed when they shake hands prior to tipoff.
“The game is going to be elite,” Pope added.
The former captain for Pitino on the 1996 National Championship squad said he will not be wearing a white suit, as Pitino has since his days at Louisville.
“I’m bringing the thunder. I don’t know what coach has prepared, but he better get with his tailor because it’s on right now.”
St. John’s is replacing UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, getting its highly anticipated matchup against Kentucky which Mark Pope had been clamoring for since he was named as the Wildcat head coach last spring.
“Man, I’ve been working hard on this game…it’s awesome. I’m so hyped.”
It’ll be the first meeting between the Red Storm and the Wildcats since 2011 and just the third matchup between the programs since 2000.
The showdown will take place on Saturday, December 20 in Atlanta.