Gary Parrish

There is still no indication that Louisville's Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings will be disciplined in a public and meaningful way for getting arrested this weekend, which is further evidence that the whole Karen Sypher Saga has put Rick Pitino in a tough spot.

Seriously, what can he do?

If he doesn't suspend Smith and Jennings, Pitino is open to criticism for not disciplining players.

But if he does suspend Smith and Jennings, Pitino is open to criticism for being, well, a hypocrite.

It's the classic no-win situation, and that's why acting as though the admitted affair with Sypher (and the abortion that followed it) wouldn't affect Pitino's ability to coach was short-sighted. My thought was always that, going forward, Pitino would have a hard time telling players how to act away from the gym because they'd unquestionably think of how he acted away from the gym, and if Pitino wasn't disciplined for conduct unbecoming of a Louisville Cardinal then how could he discipline players for conduct unbecoming of a Louisville Cardinal?

It's a tricky situation, obviously.

And that's why I expect Smith and Jennings to start the season as planned, because to suspend them would almost certainly cause a rift Louisville doesn't need. By handling this internally, Pitino can express his disappointment with Smith and Jennings while simultaneously playing the but-I've-got-your-back/we're-all-in-this-circus-together card. And at this point that's probably Pitino's best move, the lesser of two bads, sad as that might seem.

The following headlines can be found on our college basketball page right now:

• Pitino talks 'positive vibes' during tip-off luncheon

• Two Louisville players charged with resisting arrest

The first headline was on a story about Rick Pitino asking Louisvllle fans to forget the bad, focus on the good and get ready for another great basketball season. It moved Thursday. Then came Sunday and the second headline, and now Louisville fans have even more bad to forget than before thanks to two projected starters (Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings) getting arrested this weekend.

Unreal.

And this really has been a wild offseason for the Louisville program, hasn't it?

Rick Pitino said the drama surrounding his personal life wouldn't affect recruiting.

He took a step toward proving it Tuesday by gaining a commitment from Zach Price -- a 6-foot-9 center Scout.com ranks as the 38th-best prospect in the Class of 2011. Price is the first recruit to commit to Louisville since Pitino publicly apologized for an affair that led to him giving money Karen Cunagin Sypher said she used to fund an abortion.

Price visited Louisville this past weekend.

He called Pitino and committed Tuesday night.

"I basically had a great feel about their school in June when I first visited and my second visit sealed the deal," Price told Scout.com. "What sealed the deal was we were taking pictures and Coach Pitino said, 'Come stand next to me because I'm going to be your coach.' ... I knew he was the coach for me."

Louisville now has three Class of 2011 prospects committed.

The others are Michael Chandler and Ryan Taylor.

Chandler is rated 13th in the Class of 2011.

Taylor is not ranked in the Top 100.

Tom Jurich is behind Rick Pitino. As is Dr. James Ramsey. So it appears Rick Pitino will survive this mess that would make more sense if it was a story lifted from "Days of our Lives," and I suppose the Hall of Fame coach simply had more equity built up over his distinguished career than Larry Eustachy and Mike Price, both of whom were removed from good jobs for less.

"Rick Pitino is the University of Louisville's basketball coach," Ramsey said via a statement released shortly after Pitino publicly apologized to his family, the university and its fans. "He has been a role model for countless young people and a positive influence on this community. Regardless of the truth or falsehood of specific actions that have been attributed to the coach, he's clearly made errors in judgment that have come under intense public scrutiny. We can't ignore these errors in judgment, and they have saddened and disappointed me. As we try to teach our students, when you make a mistake, you admit it and right it as best you can. Coach has done that today."

Translation: I'm pissed off, but I'm keeping my coach.

(Or at least that's the way I read it.)

Still, this is going to affect Pitino going forward.

There's no denying that.

I'd like to tell you his personal life won't come up in recruiting, but that would be a lie, because it will. Even if a prospect doesn't care, a prospect's family might. And even if a prospect's family doesn't care, opposing coaches will almost certainly try to make them care by floating theories about how Pitino's life is spiraling out of control, about how it'll lead to an early retirement, about how signing with Louisville isn't as likely to have you playing for Pitino as it is to have you playing for new assistant Ralph Willard.

In the business, it's called negative recruiting .

And it works.

So while Pitino spoke about the incident Wednesday and explained how telling the truth will help make it a part of his past, the reality is that this is very much going to be a part of his future, too. How much so remains to be determined. But when John Calipari moved down the street in April, Pitino's job immediately became more difficult, and I'm inclined to believe this latest episode is only going to make things worse.

So I was on a radio station in Iowa talking about the Rick Pitino situation, basically stating how there's no defense for the Louisville coach's behavior while also explaining that I didn't believe his job was at risk. But then the hosts mentioned Larry Eustachy, and I started talking about the parallels between the cases, and it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps this is more serious than I initially thought.

Why?

Because coaches have been removed for less, that's why.

Eustachy is the most obvious example.

Remember, Eustachy was pushed out of Iowa State after photographs of him partying with young women and drinking cheap beer surfaced. It was a bad deal, no question. But was it worse than a married man nailing a stranger on a table in a restaurant, and then paying for a subsequent abortion?

It doesn't sound worse, does it?

And that's really my point.

When you take a step back -- and consider Louisville president James Ramsey has been less than supportive in his public comments -- it doesn't seem like a given that Pitino's career will continue uninterrupted, which is not to say I would suspend or fire him. Just so we're clear, I would not. If I was in charge at Louisville, I'd keep Rick Pitino as my head coach, and all indications are that he will indeed continue as Louisville's head coach. But it took a couple of radio guys in Iowa to remind me that coaches (specifically Eustachy) have been removed for much less, and now I'm not so sure Pitino will coast through this soap opera the way I initially anticipated.

Could this really be the beginning of the end for Rick Pitino?

No, I don't think so.

But it's at least a reasonable question to ponder, and I wouldn't have said that last night.

To recap ...

Rick Pitino had sex with a woman at a restaurant.

Then she got pregnant.

Then he paid for her to have an abortion.

Then she married one of his friends.

Then she tried to extort money from Pitino.

Then she accused him of rape.

And, man, is this a bizarre story or what?

I'm not sure whether the lesson is to be faithful to your wife or fearful of crazy women, but there's a lesson in there somewhere, I'm certain. And what's up with this Tim Sypher character? How can you marry a woman six months after she had an abortion due to your boss getting her pregnant? Isn't that a bit weird? Unless, of course, he was under orders from Pitino, who might've figured the best way to keep this woman quiet was to have his friend marry her.

You know, keep your friends close and affairs closer.

(Or something like that.)

I guess I could be serious about all this, but, really, what's the point? It's such a strange situation on a lot of different levels, and the only people I can muster any sympathy for are Pitino's wife, Joanne, and his children -- particularly Richard Pitino, who was on the Louisville staff until this offseason and thus in the middle of a circus where he almost certainly found himself torn between being loyal to his boss and angry at his father.

Karen Sypher?

She's obviously loony .

Tim Sypher?

I don't get him at all.

Rick Pitino?

He's a helluva basketball coach, but he got himself into a mess that's impossible to defend.

Me?

I'm just sitting here shaking my head, mezmerized by the soap opera.

(PS: I wrote a column when this all started, and my central point was that no matter how the story ended, it wouldn't end well for anybody. Considering Pitino has been forced to admit to an affair and an abortion, and that Sypher is facing criminal charges, I think I was right in my assumption. Either way, you can read that column at this link , if you want.)

Holy Cross head coach Ralph Willard is leaving his current job to become an assistant at Louisville.

"This is obviously one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in my career, but after much thought and examination I think it is best for the program going forward and for me personally," Willard said in a released statement. "I'm tremendously proud of the student-athletes I have had the privilege to coach here, all they have accomplished and the way they have represented themselves and the school."

Willard will fill the opening at Louisville left by Richard Pitino.

He is now an assistant at Florida.

This development leaves Holy Cross and USC both looking for new head coaches.

There have been statements from both Louisville and Sacramento that suggest Rick Pitino is not a candidate for the Kings job, as reported late Thursday by Yahoo! Sports. But it's worth noting that Adrian Wojnarowski authored that story, and he's well connected with a solid track record, meaning you can trust this Pitino-to-the-Kings possibility is something he was told on authority (even if it's untrue) as opposed to something he just invented (as some Louisville fans have angrily suggested) to hurt the Cardinals' program.

In a related note, there was a strong rumor in basketball circles early Thursday indicating Pitino might resign from Louisville by the weekend. But two sources close to Pitino shot that rumor down instantly, with one going as far as to tell CBSSports.com by text message that "there's no way" that would happen. On Friday morning, another source discounted the idea that Pitino would leave for the Kings, at which point I was reminded of a story I was told last month, not long after John Calipari was hired at Kentucky. At the time, there was speculation that Pitino might listen to a ridiculous offer from Memphis or that he could accept the Arizona job. But a source close to Pitino explained in the simplest terms possible that Pitino wouldn't make either move given the circumstances because he'd "never follow Calipari" at Memphis and hesitate to leave for any other job right now because he wouldn't want it to look like he was "running from Calipari."

(Rest assured, that's the way Calipari would interpret it. And he'd love it.)

So if you believe that theory, that's at least one reason why Pitino will likely remain at Louisville for the time being.

A move would be perceived by some (particularly in the state of Kentucky) as a surrender to Calipari.

And Pitino might rather rebuild at Louisville than deal with that perception.

The person doing the alleged extorting in the Rick Pitino case is Karen Sypher, multiple sources have confirmed.

She is the wife of Louisville equipment manager Tim Sypher.

They have five children.

Tim has worked for Pitino at Louisville for seven years, according to an official bio. He was also a personal assistant to Pitino for more than three years with the Boston Celtics, meaning he's worked with Pitino in some form for a decade. By pure coincidence, Daniel Acker of Bloomberg News took a picture of a Karen Sypher sources have said is the Karen Sypher last year at The Kentucky Derby.

Click this link to see it.

(She really does look like she's up to something, doesn't she?)

Records show Tim and Karen Sypher are in the process of getting a divorce.

Tim Sypher issued a statement Sunday morning.

"I am devastated by the bizarre allegations that my estranged wife is making against both Coach Pitino and myself," he said. "At this point, my primary concern is for my young daughter and four stepsons, both to the impact of their mother's actions on them, as well as the impact on Coach's family and the University. I love my children, and want to protect them. At the same time, I intend to defend the allegations vigorously and will have no additional comment at this time."

DETROIT -- Bruce Pearl is a realistic candidate at Memphis.

Rick Pitino, not so much.

CBSSports.com was the first to report Pearl as a legitimate candidate to replace John Calipari, and multiple sources have since added that if the Memphis boosters approach Pearl with a lucrative deal he would be open to considering a move to the western side of the state. Meantime, The Commercial Appeal has reported that, in addition to Pearl, the Memphis boosters have expressed an interest in trying to lure Pitino from Louisville with a deal that would give him more money than Calipari just took from Kentucky. But an industry source told CBSSports.com that there's "no way in hell" Pitino would move to Memphis, even if the school promised to make Richard Pitino, Rick's son, the designate coach in waiting.

So the bottom line is this ...

Pitino: No.

Pearl: Show me the money.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Rick Pitino is taking part in the "White Out" here at Freedom Hall.

In other words, he's rocking the white suit again.

Meanwhile, Marquette coach Buzz Williams appears to be wearing black. But we're not even four minutes in to Sunday's Big East showdown, and he's already lost his coat, meaning Williams' white shirt is now prominent, making him blend in with the crowd, just a little.

 

Here's Tuesday's Dear Gary ...

Dear Gary: For you to say that Edgar Sosa can't shoot (in the Monday Look Back) is not to know him. I admit he's not comfortable in Rick Pitino's system, but this kid was born to knock down big shots. If you don't believe me ask Acie Law. I've been watching this kid since he was 12 and shooting the basketball is what he does. Maybe he doesn't fit with the Cards but if you really want to see him, come to Dyckman Park one summer and watch him ball-out.

-- Sherman

Oh, if I had a dollar for everybody who could "ball-out" and Dyckman Park.

Got another Sosa email, if you're interested.

Dear Gary:  First you diss Louisville in the rankings and verbally at every opportunity. Now Sosa can't shoot? Would you prefer a 40-pecent shooter without pressure or a 23-percent shooter who shoots 60-percent under pressure?

-- Rick

First, I have no idea where you're getting the "60-percent under pressure" stat. But either way, I'd just prefer somebody who didn't miss roughly four out of every five 3-pointers he takes, and I'm not even sure what the hell we're arguing about. Are you really upset that I dropped Louisville from the rankings when it was sitting at 7-2 with no good wins and losses to Western Kentucky and Minnesota? And do you really think the Cards should be ranked now even though they are 9-3 with the additional loss coming at home to a UNLV team that didn't even use its best player?

Really?

Remember, I'm the guy who had Louisville ranked second in the preseason.

And I'm the guy who called Rick Pitino the best coach in the Big East.

I like the team and its coach.

But the games are the games, and the losses are the losses, and I'm not sure how anybody can look at what's happened through 12 games and conclude that Louisville belongs in the Top 25. As for Sosa, I mean, the guy just doesn't make shots, and that's the best way to separate good shooters from bad shooters, to figure out who makes shots and who doesn't.

Kyle McAlarney, for instance, is a good shooter.

Why?

Because he makes 45.3 percent of his 3-point attempts.

But Sosa is literally shooting 23.1 percent from beyond the arc this season, 32.9 percent from the field overall. Furthermore, he made 34.5 percent of his 3-pointers as a freshman and 37.3 percent of 3-pointers as a sophomore, so he's never really approached even 40 percent, which is a pretty achievable number for good shooters, or at least the ones who don't hurt their average by taking too many questionable shots (like Stephen Curry sometimes does).

So again, Edgar Sosa isn't a good shooter.

I stand by my statement.

And if you want to argue, that's fine.

But you must first explain why he's shooting 33.9 percent from 3-point range the past two seasons.

Good luck with that.

It'd be like me trying to tell you I'm a good speller even though I misspell seven out of every 10 words.

Would that make much sense?

Here's Friday's Dear Gary ...

Dear Gary: We all know the Big East is full of great programs and players. In your opinion, who is the best coach?

-- Lorne

A nice, simple question.

I like it, Lorne.

Anyway, by my count there are three coaches with national titles in the Big East, namely Jim Calhoun (UConn), Rick Pitino (Louisville) and Jim Boeheim (Syracuse). So while I think Bob Huggins (West Virginia) is a Hall of Famer and Jay Wright (Villanova), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), John Thompson III (Georgetown) and Mike Brey (Notre Dame) are all established winners, it's probably right to stick to the group of men with rings when trying to establish the best of the Big East.

That means I'm down to Calhoun, Pitino and Boeheim.

All three are Hall of Famers.

But with a gun to my head I'd probably go with Pitino, because he's won at a high-level at three very different schools and there's no telling how many national titles the guy might have if he had never done two stints in the NBA. As it is, he's still got one national title (at Kentucky), and he's been to five Final Fours with three different schools (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville). That's pretty remarkable. And when you consider he's got another team this season that could challenge for a sixth Final Four and second national title, well, I don't think you can go wrong putting Pitino at the top of the list.

Agree or disagree?

The war on terror.

Amy Winehouse's life.

Those are two things I think might end worse than Derrick Caracter's 5,348th chance at Louisville, but those are the only two things I can come up with off the top of my head. I mean, I don't want to be a skeptic because I love a good comeback story as much as the next guy (did you see Josh Hamilton hit all those home runs!?!). But it's difficult to imagine any scenario under which this actually works out regardless of what Caracter has claimed he's willing to do while begging Rick Pitino to let him return to the program.

So what is it that Caracter has claimed he's willing to do, you ask?

According to Rick Pitino (per the Louisville Courier-Journal), Caracter has agreed to:

• Pay his own way to school while missing the 2008-09 season (both practices and games).
• Get a job approved by Pitino.
• Secure his own living arrangements.
• Get into shape.
• Become academically eligible.
• Stay out of trouble.

Pitino said Caracter will be allowed to rejoin the Cardinals for the 2009-2010 season if he does all those things.

My initial reaction: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
ahahahaha!

Seriously, is there any way this is possible?

Caracter has been a problem at every level -- never been a good student, good teammate or good dude in general. The stories I could tell you about this guy are classic, and if you ever see me in a bar buy me a pint of Stella Artois and I'll be sure to share one of them. We'll have a good laugh. I'm looking forward to it. But in the meantime, just trust me when I tell you the odds of Caracter meeting the above-stated requirements and not doing something stupid over the 16 months between now and the time he'll supposedly play his next college game are about as good as Brett Favre ever permanently retiring.

Simply put, I just don't see it happening.

But I'll sure have fun watching it develop or unravel, whichever the case may be.