Pitino: Louisville unranked because of scandal

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Louisville has a top-25 basketball team with a high ceiling, but the Cardinals aren't ranked yet this season because of ongoing investigations into a book making major allegations against the program, coach Rick Pitino said.

"I think people are looking at that and they're not really studying the team," Pitino said Saturday after his team's 77-57 win over Saint Louis at the Barclays Center here in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"We had the best recruiting class, I think, in college basketball, as far as I'm concerned. If you include Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, plus Deng Adel, Ray Spalding and Donovan Mitchell – Kentucky taught me how to get into the one-and-dones, and I'm doing it now, except I'm waiting for fifth-year guys instead of high school kids."

Pitino said the Cards (5-0) are "just ignored" because of all the attention surrounding self-described escort Katina Powell and her claims that a former U of L basketball staffer paid her and other escorts, including her own teenage daughters, thousands of dollars and gave them game tickets in exchange for them dancing for and having sex with recruits and players.

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Powell's allegations have prompted investigations by the NCAA and Louisville authorities. U of L hired compliance expert and former NCAA enforcement staffer Chuck Smrt to look into Powell's claims. UMKC, the school that most recently employed the former U of L staffer in question, Andre McGee, is also conducting its own inquiry.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's office in Louisville is currently collecting documents and other materials related to the case to provide to a grand jury, which will decide if it wishes to indict Powell or anyone else involved.

McGee resigned from his job as an assistant coach at UMKC. Through his lawyer, Scott C. Cox, McGee acknowledges that he knows Powell, but Cox said McGee denies paying Powell for any of the illicit activities she describes in her book, "Breaking Cardinal Rules."

Six women whose photos or "stage names" appear in Powell's book have sued her and the book's publishing company, IBJ Book Publishing, saying they were never paid to have sex with any athletes and did not grant Powell permission to use their photos in the book.

"The thing I'm disappointed in – because I like a lot of people in the media (and) I'm someone who's been media friendly for a long, long time – is that you bought into it," Pitino said, adding that he'll never read the book and has been advised not to comment on the allegations.

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"You believe it. That's the startling thing. Now we've got 11 women coming forward and saying that didn't happen, signing affidavits. Everybody just bought it. I wouldn't buy it for a second. Now, is there some truth in the allegations? I'm sure there are. But nobody called them to task. I don't know. I'm a doubting Thomas.

"So, what I'll do is let the NCAA do their job. There's a criminal investigation – let them do their job. But I do know this basketball team had absolutely nothing to do with it. They're gone. And they can't comment."

His current team, Pitino said, can use the lack of attention or ranking.

"It makes you hungry," he said.