Maybe O’Brien Is Due for a Victory Over Calhoun

It didn’t take Ohio State Coach Jim O’Brien long to start worrying about Connecticut, next week’s opponent in the NCAA national title semifinals.

O’Brien has good reason.

“You need to understand the history between me and Connecticut,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien has a 3-21 lifetime record against Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun, most of those losses coming in O’Brien’s 11 seasons as coach at Boston College.

“We lost the last 17,” O’Brien said.

“Eighteen,” a writer shouted to O’Brien at the podium.

“Who’s the wise guy?” O’Brien retorted.

Calhoun may have had O’Brien’s number when both were coaching in the Big East, but the Ohio State coach hopes his luck is about to change.

“That was then, this is now,” O’Brien said.

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St. John’s is the fifth-winningest program in college basketball history with a record of 1,582-715, yet still seeks its first NCAA championship. The Red Storm has won five National Invitation Tournaments.

St. John’s fell short of making its third Final Four appearance, and first since 1985.

With four of five starters returning next season, St. John’s is poised to make another tournament run.

“I told the kids I wanted them to look at the journey we took, which was fantastic, “ first-year Coach Mike Jarvis said. “There are people in New York they probably never met that shed a tear, that fell in love with this team. I can’t wait to take the next journey.”