Rick Pitino was wildly cheered in a surprise return to Rupp Arena, with the Hall of Fame coach saying “I am so happy to be back” in a show of support for first-year Kentucky coach and former captain Mark Pope on Friday night at the Big Blue Madness public practice.

Louisville has reached an agreement with College of Charleston coach Pat Kelsey to become the Cardinals’ next men’s basketball coach, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

Tristen Newton had 25 points and nine assists as No. 2 UConn advanced to the Big East championship game with a rollicking 95-90 victory over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.

Daniss Jenkins scored a season-high 27 points and St. John’s shredded No. 15 Creighton 80-66 for its best win under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

With legal disputes escalating over the use of name, image and likeness compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino believes it’s time for the NCAA to stand down when it comes to policing member schools.

Cam Spencer had 23 points, freshman Stephon Castle scored a season-best 21 and top-ranked UConn pulled away from St. John’s for a 77-64 victory at Madison Square Garden.

St. John’s introduced 70-year-old Rick Pitino as its new men's basketball coach with a news conference at Madison Square Garden.

Tobin Anderson is leaving NCAA Cinderella Fairleigh Dickinson after one fairy-tale season and replacing Rick Pitino at Iona.

Rick Pitino is back in the Big East Conference.

Rick Pitino insists he doesn’t know his next move.

Adama Sanogo scored 10 of his 28 points in the first five minutes of the second half as fourth-seeded UConn took control and beat Rick Pitino’s Iona Gaels 87-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Rick Pitino is once again a hot commodity in college coaching.

Purdue had cleared every hurdle in its way, holding the top spot in the AP Top 25 for four straight weeks.

University of New Mexico coach Richard Pitino says the upcoming matchup against Iona is business as usual for the unbeaten Lobos.

An independent panel has placed the Louisville basketball program on two years of probation and fined it $5,000, but spared the school major penalties from NCAA allegations leveled in the aftermath of a federal investigation of corruption in college basketball.

The Sweet 16 at the East region features one game between UCLA and North Carolina and another between Purdue and underdog Saint Peter’s.

Rick Pitino says he loves coaching at Iona and is committed to his players amid speculation he could be a candidate for the Maryland coaching job.

Nelly Joseph and Walter Clayton Jr. made key free throws in the final seconds to lift Iona over No. 10 Alabama 72-68 in an opening-round game at the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday night.

Rick Pitino is coaching the Greek men's national basketball team, which begins play Tuesday in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Canada.

The Indiana Farmers Coliseum scoreboard goes dark after a first round NCAA college basketball tournament game between Iowa and Grand Canyon Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)If you didn’t pay attention to college basketball until the NCAA Tournament, the good news is you didn’t miss much. The loss marked the second time in the Cavaliers’ last three NCAA Tournament appearances — this time as a No. “He kind of got his legs under him and he was really, really good in the second half,” Self said afterward. “I mean really, really good.”___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and updated bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket

This time, Pitino had his worst seed ever and second-seeded Alabama (25-6) was too much. Ad“I thought their kids came ready to play,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. Iona forced 14 turnovers, and Alabama had trouble getting an open look for most of the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough weapons to beat Alabama.”Iona also got dominated 42-26 in rebounds, a stat Pitino said surprised him. Alabama is in the tournament with its best seeding in history, on the strength of its first SEC Tournament title in 30 years.

The coliseum is one of six venues hosting NCAA Tournament games later this week. One referee tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him and five others who went out to dinner with him, out of the tournament. Though the NCAA brought plenty of backup referees, the mass departure served up yet another illustration of how things can go wrong. “It's not ever going to be perfect in a pandemic,” NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt said. Iona took its two tests in the same day, and Gavitt said the change had been OK'd by the NCAA medical advisory group and the local health department.

"Testing, practice, getting on the bus in Philadelphia, waiting for that reply, that response time to say, ‘We’re all negative here. More about that bracket: A few bubble teams are coming from unexpected places, namely UCLA and Michigan State. Teams like Louisville, Saint Louis, Colorado State and Mississippi would gladly trade places with them. In one of many first-of-its-kind moves made to accommodate a one-of-a-kind tournament, the NCAA put team Nos. 3 seed in the West and Virginia, the defending champion (from 2019), is the fourth seed in the same region.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)The biggest unknown leading into a March Madness bracket reveal more than a year in the making had nothing to do with bubble teams or top seeds. It was a signal that both teams believe they’ll have enough healthy players to be ready for their tip-offs next weekend. “The one thing I’ve found out through this, probably as much as anybody, is expect the unexpected,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. Like Virginia and Kansas, Duke pulled out of its conference tournament last week because of COVID-19., marking the end of a 13-11 season that never got on track. All par for the course and part of the plan for March Madness during a pandemic.

Virginia was forced to withdraw from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday because of a single COVID-19 case. They were already missing David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna, who both tested positive before the conference tournament. Pitino is the fifth coach to lead five teams to the NCAA Tournament, joining Lon Kruger and Tuby Smith. The Cougars routed Cincinnati in the AAC final, ending the Bearcats hope of slipping into the NCAA Tournament field of 68 as an automatic qualifier. 7 Houston and Cincinnati, which needs to win to get in the NCAA field.

Asante Gist scored 18 points and Pitino took his record-tying fifth school to the NCAA Tournament with Iona’s 60-51 victory over Fairfield on Saturday in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship. Next stop, the all-Indiana NCAA Tournament. Gist’s absence was short-lived and he hit a 3 in his return to send the Gaels on their way to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament. Iona had completed a good run under Tim Cluess, who made six NCAA Tournament appearances and won five MAAC Tournament titles in nine seasons before stepping down for health reasons, when it hired Pitino. BIG PICTUREIona: Pitino joined Lon Kruger and Tubby Smith as the only coaches to take five programs to the NCAA Tournament.

Forced to pause four times this season because of the virus, once for nearly two months, the Gaels need to win their conference tournament this week to make the NCAA Tournament. When Iona hired the Hall of Fame coach last March 14, there was no celebration for the new biggest man on campus. We’re trying to make the best of it in very difficult times,” Pitino said. Perhaps things could’ve been different if the NCAA went with Pitino’s May Madness concept. Basketball-wise we’ll get through it and hopefully have a normal basketball season next year.”___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Iona coach Rick Pitino is calling for a delayed start to the college basketball season as COVID-19 cases rise across the country. Many schools are still trying to fill out schedules with the season set to start on Nov. 25. Saturday's game in Leipzig had been in doubt after four Ukraine players and one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. ___AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has tested positive for the coronavirus. ___The Croatian soccer federation says midfielder Marcelo Brozovic has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Rick Pitino the new coach of the Greek national basketball team answers to a question during a press conference in Athens, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. The 67-year-old American has agreed to coach the Greek national basketball team and lead its effort to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)ATHENS Greece coach Rick Pitino says he is planning on trying to qualify for the 2020 Olympics without Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pitino officially took over as coach of the Greek national basketball team on Monday. The 67-year-old Pitino has returned to Greece after coaching Athens club Panathinaikos last season.