CINCINNATI — Four other times they have faced one another, but never like this, not as league rivals, not when Rick Pitino is one win from a milestone, and not when son Richard is looking for a statement win in his first season at his new school, Xavier.

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Saturday afternoon will mark the first Big East matchup between Pitinos.

“It’s much different. This counts much more significantly than playing him [when he was] at New Mexico or playing him [when I was] at Iona or playing him at Minnesota,” Rick, who can notch the 900th win of his Hall of Fame career, told The Post. “This is a league game that’s really important.”

After a rousing, come-from-behind win against Seton Hall on Tuesday, Pitino joked that if St. John’s lost this game, he would make his team stay in Cincinnati, where a snowstorm is expected. Star forward Zuby Ejiofor wasn’t sure if he was kidding.