Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, Dan Hurley, and Jon Scheyer.
Duke vs St. John’s
UConn vs Michigan StateDC is going to be cinematic on Friday night. I cannot wait pic.twitter.com/soheWOewXc
— Ryan Hammer🔨 (@ryanhammer09) March 23, 2026
Friday night’s college basketball slate is blessing us with both Duke vs. St. John’s and UConn vs. Michigan State.
Four of the top basketball minds in the sport will face off against each other in a blue blood bath for a spot in the Elite 8 in one of the craziest college basketball seasons in recent memory.
There is no shortage of storylines:
The last time St. John’s made the Sweet 16:
– USB flash drives did not exist
– SpongeBob hadn’t aired a single episode
– “Believe” by Cher was the #1 Song
– Rick Pitino was the Celtics head coach pic.twitter.com/QzrCsZdRmk— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) March 23, 2026
Crazy but true:
Duke has never won a national championship without beating St. John’s
1990-91: W 78-61
1991-92: W 91-81
2000-01: W 91-59
2009-10: W 80-71
2014-15: W 77-68
2025-26: TBD (Sweet 16) pic.twitter.com/vbxZz1rCAy— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) March 23, 2026
Dan Hurley hopes both UConn & St. John’s makes it past the Sweet 16 so that they can have a “bloodbath” in the Elite 8 👀 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/cgkWjRouKe
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 23, 2026
Rick Pitino got fired from Louisville, coached in Greece, coached at Iona, got hired at St. John’s, totally revived the program and made the Sweet 16 before Louisville did pic.twitter.com/FVpujdPnvE
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) March 22, 2026
The gauntlet that is the East Region is not only going to bless us with incredible basketball, but with so many incredible storylines that any outcome will be the right outcome.
