“His money guy and best friend”: College hoops fans react as Rick Pitino shakes hands with St. John’s $1.6 billion worth alum

Rick Pitino is the man of the moment at St. John's. He led the 10th-ranked Red Storm to their third straight win on Sunday, beating the UConn Huskies 89-75 at Madison Square Garden. They improved their Big East record to 15-2 with the victory as Pitino's men moved ever closer to clinching their first outright conference title since 1985.

Before that statement win, Pitino found some time to greet one of St. John's richest alums. He shook hands with Mike Repole, who has a net worth of $1.6 billion, according to Forbes. Hoop Herald shared on its social media account on Monday a video from basketball insider Adam Zagoria of Pitino's interaction with the billionaire founder of Bodyarmor SuperDrink.

College hoops fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the post.

"His money guy and best friend," one fan replied.

"They're buddies. Repole was the one that wanted him to coach there and pretty much pays his salary," one fan wrote.

"Mike should consider himself lucky to be so close to greatness," one fan chimed in.

Here are some other reactions to Rick Pitino's courtside moment.

"Yep, NCAA is officially NBA junior," one fan posted.

"Just an employee saying hi to their boss," one fan shared.

"They’ve been buddies. Both horse owners," one fan commented.

St. John's starters step up for Rick Pitino in win over UConn

The St. John's Red Storm cruised to victory over the UConn Huskies thanks to the stellar play of their starting lineup. All five of their starters scored in double figures, accounting for 75 of the Red Storm's 89 points.

Zuby Ejiofor came close to recording his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds against Dan Hurley's men. He shot 5-for-6 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. He also contributed in other departments, racking up six assists, three blocks and two steals in 34 minutes of action.

St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino signals in the second half against the UConn Huskies in their NCAA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Photo: Imagn

RJ Luis Jr. scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Red Storm, who improved their overall record to 24-4. Aaron Scott stepped up for Rick Pitino on both ends of the floor, amassing 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists. Deivon Smith also delivered in the Big East clash, recording 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.