St. John's is preparing for their Sweet 16 matchup on Friday night. It was their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1999, and they are looking to make their first run to the Final Four since 1985.
As they prepare for their game, head coach Rick Pitino is giving a controversial take about the state of modern college basketball, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.
“There are no longer blue bloods in college basketball, and I think that’s great,” Pitino said, according to Goodman.
This is interesting timing for Pitino to say that there are no longer bluebloods. St. John's is facing the number one overall seed, Duke, in the Sweet 16, a team that is a blue blood. Pitino has also once coached at one ofthe major blue blood programs, being the head coach of Kentucky from 1989 through 1998.
He is correct that many of the major bluebloods are out. St. John's knocked off Kansas, while Kentucky fell in the second round, and North Carolina lost a first-round game. Still, there are plenty of successful programs left in the tournament. UConn is still around and has won the title six times. Meanwhile, Michigan State is facing UConn and has become a national power, winning two titles.
Further, Michigan, Arizona, Houston, and Iowa State all have recent success. While there are no bluebloods, there are also not cinderella stories this year. The lowest-seeded team left in the tournament is an 11-seed, but that is Texas, which plays in the SEC. Every team left in the tournament comes from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC, leaving many of the mid-majors still at home.
