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Pitino hypes L’ville team amid continuing scandal
- Updated: June 1, 2016
5:05 PM ET
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rick Pitino raved about Louisville’s potential next season, suggesting Tuesday that the Cardinals’ length and speed mirror the strengths of the 1996 NCAA championship squad he coached at archrival Kentucky.
That’s high praise for a team that must replace its top three scorers, but it’s a way for the coach to try to move past a tumultuous season of scandal that engulfed his program.
Several investigations are ongoing into escort Katina Powell’s book allegations that former Louisville basketball staffer Andre McGee paid her and other strippers to perform for recruits and players from 2010 to 2014. The school has self-imposed several penalties, including a postseason ban from last year’s NCAA tournament and reductions in scholarships and recruiting visits.
Pitino has been mum about whether the NCAA has interviewed him as part of its investigation. But he talked about the scandal in the past tense Tuesday as he discussed next season’s bright prospects.
“It still bothers me, I’m not going to lie to you,” Pitino said. “It bothers me when a trust is broken, and I still have sleepless nights thinking [why] you did something like this. …
“You put it behind you by getting encouraged and excited about this schedule, the team we have and …
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