basketball

Rick Pitino calls Duke 'unique' ahead of Sweet 16 matchup

Yahoo Sports

St. John's head coach had high praise for Duke basketball and Jon Scheyer ahead of their highly anticipated clash in the Sweet 16.

The Duke Blue Devils square off against St. John's in the Sweet 16 Friday, as both teams battle for a spot in the Elite Eight. Ahead of the matchup, St.

John's head coach Rick Pitino has dominated headlines due to his storied history against the Blue Devils that dates back over 34 years . However, leading up to the game, Pitino spoke about Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, praising the young head coach despite fewer years of experience. "Duke's unique in the way they play," said Pitino.

"We're really looking forward to it. I've got great admiration for the Coach K years as well as Jon Scheyer now doing a tremendous job. They epitomize the greatness about college basketball in so many different ways because they've sustained success for so many years.

It's been an amazing thing to watch. " Pitino also holds an impressive resume himself, having racked up 792 career victories as a college coach and national titles with two different universities (Kentucky and Louisville). That said, Scheyer will need to get the better of his Hall of Fame counterpart in order for the Blue Devils to advance to the Elite Eight.