During a press conference Wednesday, Kentucky coach John Calipari was asked if he had reached out to Louisville counterpart Rick Pitino since allegations of players being provided escorts by a former basketball staffer from 2010-14.
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“I haven’t, but I would say I hope it’s not true,” Calipari said. “If any of it is, it’s not good for college basketball.”
Katina Powell wrote in her recently released book “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen” that she provided the paid escorts for the program over a four-year period and sneaked them into the basketball program’s dorm to dance, and often have sex with the players for an agreed-upon sum of money. Powell said she coordinated the visits with former Louisville employee Andre McGee.
The Kentucky coach said he was “disheartened” and “disappointed” to learn of the allegations, but also said he doesn’t believe any of what Powell alleges to have happened.
“It’s not the norm,” Calipari said. “And I would say this: If any of it is (true), I can’t believe (Pitino) would know anything about it just knowing him as I do. But no, I haven’t reached out, I just didn’t think it was appropriate.”
Pitino said Louisville urged him not to conduct his own investigation into the allegations while the university and the NCAA performs its own investigation led by Chuck Smrt, a private investigator.
