Fans Don’t Worry Pitino

Rick Pitino almost turned down the Louisville job in March because he was worried about the backlash from Kentucky fans.

Now that the long-awaited matchup between his current and former teams has arrived, Pitino is dismissing the hostile reception he’s expecting when he leads his Cardinals into Rupp Arena today to face No. 6 Kentucky (7-2).

“Does it matter? That’s what you really have to ask yourself,” Pitino said. “The way I look at it, Kentucky was great to me for eight years every time I walked onto that floor.

“As a Louisville coach, it really shouldn’t matter how you’re received. I’m not the Kentucky coach anymore, I’m the Louisville coach.”

Pitino took over the Kentucky program in June 1989, less than a month after it was hit with NCAA probation.

Four years later, the Wildcats reached the first of three Final Fours under Pitino, winning a national title in 1996.

Louisville is 9-1, its best start since 1996-97, but today’s game is its first against a ranked opponent and second away from home.

Tickets are reportedly going for as much as $1,700.

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Bob Knight has reached a settlement with a man who accused the Texas Tech coach of pressuring him to lie about a 1999 hunting accident.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that the lawsuit was dismissed Thursday. Details of the settlement were not included in court documents.

Thomas Mikunda filed suit Aug. 6, claiming Knight pressured him to falsify details about the Oct. 12, 1999, hunting accident in northwestern Wisconsin. He claimed Knight negligently shot at a grouse, even though Mikunda was in the line of fire. Mikunda was hit in the back and shoulder. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.

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Duquesne University freshman center Simplice Njoya must miss the next 15 games for violating an NCAA rule against receiving preferential treatment or benefits, school officials said.

Njoya started five games this year before the school pulled him from the lineup Dec. 8 after learning of the NCAA investigation.