U of L basketball head coach David Padgett talks about the upcoming game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Jeff Faughender/CJ
There is a good amount of intrigue around who won't be at Friday's Kentucky-Louisville rivalry game at Rupp Arena, but interim Cards coach David Padgett isn't all that interested in being a part of those conversations.
Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, Padgett's mentor and predecessor, was involved in 26 of the last 30 meetings between the rivals — eight as Kentucky's coach and 18 with Louisville. Pitino, who had a separate, long-standing rivalry with Kentucky coach John Calipari that went beyond the two schools, was one of the primary causes of friction between the fan bases in more recent years.