Standing in the middle of a sold-out Madison Square Garden, confetti sticking to his suit, Rick Pitino was asked about his remarkable basketball odyssey and latest Big East championship.

Pitino maintained his innocence throughout that scandal, which included allegations that Adidas representatives funneled $100,000 to the family of a Louisville recruit. In November of 2022, Pitino was exonerated by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP).

Except now, paying players is completely legal under NIL rules, and Pitino even says some of the stars of his current St. John’s team -- Zuby Ejiofor and Big East Tournament MOP RJ Luis -- are “under-paid” in today’s NIL market.

Pitino's replacement at Iona didn't fare so well. The program announced on March 17 that head coach Tobin Anderson was fired after two seasons. Anderson made a name for himself as the head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson, leading the No. 16 seed to an upset of No. 1 Purdue in 2023.

The Gaels made the announcement after losing in the MAAC championship game and missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid.

Anderson coached Fairleigh Dickinson to a win over Purdue in one of the most iconic upsets in NCAA Tournament history in 2023.