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If St. John's cuts down the nets in San Antonio next month, call Rick Pitino the GOAT ... 'cause Dan Dakich says a title win for the Red Storm this year would make their head coach the best ever.

Dakich didn't mince words during his sitdown with TMZ Sports this week ... proclaiming if Pitino becomes a three-time champion with three separate programs, he would immediately vault to the top of the all-time greats list.

"Three different schools, three banners?" Dakich said. "Greatest coach in the history of college basketball."

No need to play out the NCAA women's tournament ... 'cause UConn great Jen Rizzotti tells TMZ Sports she's confident her Huskies are going all the way -- thanks to Geno Auriemma's ability to always get it done!!

Rizzotti -- currently the Connecticut Sun president -- is well aware of the legendary coach's ways ... as she played under Auriemma in the mid-'90s, winning an NCAA championship in 1995.

She sees the same fierce determination in the current Huskies, with Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong leading the team to the women's 36th consecutive NCAA tournament.

Bill Chisholm's yet to take his seat at the top of the Celtics' organization, but Boston's soon-to-be new owner has already earned some big praise from at least one Cs great -- Cedric Maxwell!!

TMZ Sports chopped it up with the two-time NBA champ this week just after Chisholm agreed to buy the storied franchise from Wyc Grousbeck for $6.1 billion ... and he told us he was thrilled over the purchase.

First of all, Maxwell said he was happy Grousbeck was able to make some serious coin in the deal. Then, he explained he was pumped to learn Chisholm's a diehard supporter -- 'cause he had always hoped for continuity if a sale occurred.

"Naked and Afraid" contestant Jarrell Banks had to go all the way to a remote wilderness in the Philippines to find his G-spot ... getting more than a dozen stitches removed from his rear in the middle of filming.

TMZ obtained this exclusive clip from Sunday's upcoming episode of "Naked and Afraid" and you see Jarrell getting his sutures plucked out his butt ... including a couple stitches that were extremely close to his anus.

Ya gotta see the video ... Jarrell looks into the camera and explains the feeling is like nothing he's ever experienced before ... joking about finally locating his G-spot.

The infamous $19 strawberry from Erewhon is completely out of stock ... and it's unclear when the strawberry will return ... TMZ has learned.

An Erewhon representative tells us unseasonal snow in Japan has led to a slowdown in production on getting the strawberries to the high-end stores.

While the company hopes to have the strawberries back in stock soon, it's unclear when that will be ... so influencers are going to have to find something else to spend their money on in the meantime.

CeeLo Green wants no part of the Donald Trump 2028 chatter -- telling us he prays it doesn’t happen for everyone’s sake, and dropping some serious wisdom about the whole thing.

We caught up with CeeLo at LAX Friday, and he made it crystal clear -- if you leave too much room for assumption, people will naturally jump to the worst conclusions. His advice? Pour your energy into focusing on the here and now.

Catch the video, because CeeLo delivers more gems, preaching that if we want change, we have to be the example.

Anna Wintour's Met Gala guest list just took a hit -- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds won’t be gracing the red carpet this year, TMZ has learned.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ ... Blake and Ryan are skipping the gala this year -- but before you jump to conclusions, it’s got nothing to do with their legal war against Justin Baldoni, 'cause the decision to pass on the May event was made way before that drama unfolded.

Blake has become iconic over the years when it comes to the Met Gala, with her themed red carpet looks always making a huge impact -- but she and Ryan don’t always show up, and they actually skipped last year, too!

Rick Ross and Dr. Mario Montoya are giving Atlanta residents a valid reason to say "cheese" with the unveiling of their brand-new dental clinic featuring services you previously needed a plane ticket to get!!!

On Thursday evening, Ross and Dr. Montoya cut the ribbon off their practice, surrounded by celebs ... Nicki Minaj, Tiny Harris, Ari Fletcher, Moneybagg Yo, French Montana, Erica Mena, Rich The Kid, and many more have all taken the 5-hour flight between L.A. and Atlanta for years.

The new clinic is located at Glenlake Pkwy NE in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and they threw a party worth billion-dollar smiles.

Trina's husband and "Love & Hip Hop: Miami " costar Benjamin Leon Kearse Jr., AKA Swurv, was recently arrested for battery -- over a punch cops say happened nearly 2 years ago!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the police report detailing Kearse's March 20 arrest in Miami ... according to the docs, a man claimed he was crossing the street back in July 2023 when Kearse's black Dodge Charger stopped abruptly in front of a stop sign, causing his hand to strike Kearse's trunk.

The man told cops Kearse called out to him over it, but when the guy approached the vehicle to explain the situation, he says Kearse grew irate and aggressive and eventually trailed him to a nearby residence.

Owen Hayes, the college baseball player who cops say beat the crap out of an 84-year-old man at a California bar, is no longer enrolled at his university.

Hayes was playing baseball at The Master's University in Santa Clarita, CA up until this week, when he surrendered to authorities at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station and was booked on a charge of felony assault.

In a statement to TMZ, the school says ... "The individual in question no longer attends The Master's University. The University takes all violations of its standards and biblical convictions seriously."

The husband of the Indiana teacher charged with sexually abusing children by allegedly asking them to gangbang her while wearing "Scream" masks is taking a stab at a new life ... because he filed for divorce.

Brittany Fortinberry is the 31-year-old former high school teacher who is facing a slew of child sex abuse charges ... and legal docs obtained by TMZ reveal her husband, Nicholas Fortinberry, filed for divorce back in February when a police investigation was just getting started.

As we reported ... Brittany is accused of sexually abusing multiple junior high students she met at two different schools. Cops say she would ply the kids with alcohol and magic mushrooms before having sex with them, including one alleged instance where she orchestrated an orgy that had the boys wearing masks from the "Scream" movie franchise.

A rapper with former ties to Big U is happy the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips leader has been locked up on murder and conspiracy charges, and wants him put UNDER the jail ... claiming she's one of his victims.

TMZ Hip Hop recently ran into SKG, a former Death Row artist -- whose name stands for "Suge Knight Girl" -- and she's packing a lot of opinions regarding the Big U RICO charges.

SKG claims Big U was a literal monster to her and the Crenshaw community for years, by allegedly using brute force to extort local businesses.

Add Dirty Boxing Championship boss to Jon Jones' impeccable combat sports resume ... the MMA G.O.A.T. just signed a deal making him co-owner of the DBX promotion, TMZ Sports has learned!

"I was hooked from the first show. I believe this is going to be a powerhouse of combat sports. I'm proud to sign my name next to it," Jones, 37, said of the partnership.

Dirty Boxing was founded last year by a group that included "Platinum" Mike Perry and Abe and Malki Kawa, Jon's longtime managers, so the move makes sense for Jones.

Rapper Mellow Rackz is in police crosshairs after cops say she got into a fight with her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend and swiped the woman's cell phone.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Mellow Rackz is a named suspect on a robbery report after getting into a fight in the lobby of a West Hollywood hotel early Monday morning and allegedly walking away with someone else's cell phone.

We're told Mellow was in town for Rolling Loud, and her boyfriend booked them a hotel room ... and also, unbeknownst to her, booked a room in the same hotel for his ex.

Sean Lowe found himself in a tough spot -- literally -- pinning down his dog after it bit him for the third time, just to keep it under control while cops worked to free him from danger.

In the tense body cam footage obtained by TMZ, the "Bachelor" alum was on the ground for a few minutes holding down his snarling rescue dog, Moose -- telling cops that if he let go, the animal would lunge at him again.

It’s a nail-biting standoff -- Moose thrashes in resistance for a while before the scrambling officers finally get control ... after dodging a few close calls themselves, tasing the animal as Sean manages to escape the chaos.

Lakers fans hoping for a Dwight Howard reunion can uncross their fingers and let out their breath ... the former NBA superstar tells TMZ Sports there's simply no chance he re-signs with Los Angeles.

Many purple and gold backers, of course, have been urging L.A. to go after the big man following its Anthony Davis-for-Luka Doncic swap ... but when we got Howard out in the City of Angels this week, he said it just isn't going to happen.

Despite appearing to express some interest in re-joining the squad on X after the big trade went down, he told us at LAX he's now four years removed from an NBA roster ... and is currently content spending his time at home with his children.