The Hall of Fame coach has the Red Storm looking strong. Plus, new-look Wisconsin, Utah Valley is in the mid-major spotlight, and this weekend’s games to watch.

Rick Pitino hopes Kentucky’s fans take it easy on John Calipari in his return to Lexington on Saturday night. Pitino posted a video on X on Thursday on the matter and explained his reasoning behind it Friday as St. John’s prepared to host Providence Saturday afternoon at the Garden.

Mike Francesa said he saw this red storm coming during long conversations with Rick Pitino at Saratoga Race Course last summer. But on Tuesday night, he saw it arrive in full force, when the 15th-ranked St. John’s men’s basketball team routed Georgetown, 66-41, to complete a perfect (7-0) January.

With Tuesday’s 66-41 win at Georgetown, the Johnnies improved to 7-0 since the calendar flipped to 2025. They completed their first undefeated January since 1985, a year in which the late Lou Carnesecca led St. John’s to the Final Four.

Rick Pitino knows a thing or two about leaving Kentucky -- and returning. And now with John Calipari set to return to Rupp Arena with Arkansas on Saturday night (9 p.m., ESPN), the St. John’s coach has some advice on how Big Blue Nation should treat their former coach.

The Red Storm get a major chance to pad their thin resume. Plus, Cooper Flagg gets his first dose of the Duke-UNC rivalry against the reeling Tar Heels.

St. John’s is 7-0 in 2025, making this the program’s first unbeaten January in 40 years dating to its last Final Four season in 1985.

As Pitino himself says often, “This is a team Lou Carnesecca would be very proud of,” and the fact is you could add Joe Lapchick and Frank McGuire to that list of former St. John’s coaches enjoying this season from celestial courtside seats.