At some point this summer, Rick Pitino would like some clarification from John Calipari.
On June 14, Calipari appeared on Mike Lupica’s podcast, and the subject turned to NCAA violations and whether coaches should be held accountable for what happens under their watch. Calipari’s comments were perceived to be digs at Louisville’s Rick Pitino, and North Carolina’s Roy Williams, both of whom are dealing with NCAA investigations. This, after Calipari took a perceived shot at Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski in late-May.
On Monday, Pitino responded to Calipari.
“Whether it’s Duke last month or us this month, these type of comments – we’re here to build up the image of college basketball, not tear people down,” Pitino told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I don’t live in a glass house, and I don’t throw stones.”
“I don’t have time to figure out what he did or didn’t mean. If our paths cross this summer, I’ll ask him.”
(The two were actually together at Howard Garfinkel’s funeral last month but did not interact.)
At Louisville, allegations that assistant coaches, specifically Andre McGee, bribed recruits with hookers marred last season. Pitino has maintained plausible deniability throughout the investigation, which he addressed late last month.
Calipari’s appearance with Lupica included his mentioning of bad things happening in a player’s hometown. The two biggest black marks on his coaching career happened away from campus.
Chicago native and former Memphis star Derrick Rose was ruled ineligible over an SAT taken in Detroit, and Hartford native Marcus Camby took cash, clothes and jewelry while at UMass.
The Rose and Camby incidents led to Calipari’s 1996 Final Four appearance with the Minutemen being vacated, as well as the entire 2007-08 season with the Tigers, which culminated with a trip to the national championship game.
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