Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has guided his team to a 19-4 record this season, but the university banned itself from the 2016 NCAA tournament Friday.
Pitino spoke about athletic director Tom Jurich's decision to enact the ban, its impact on the team's two fifth-year seniors and the alleged escort scandal that led to the Cardinals coming under scrutiny in an interview Sunday with Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis.
Jurich's decision to prohibit Louisville from suiting up for March Madness surprised Pitino and left him in a tough spot as he tried to reassess goals for his 2015-16 squad:
I was shocked because while [the ban] was always something that was hovering, I've been gearing our team up for the NCAA tournament, talking about what we have to do to get a high seed.