FanHouse RickPitino

In an effort to talk about something college basketball-related other than scandals in the summer, let's talk best current coaches. We'll attempt to order the top 25 current coaches in the nation. This is about the present and the future, not the distant past. What a guy did in the mid-90s doesn't matter near as much as the direction his program is currently headed. Past pedigree also matters, to an extent. For the perfect mix of past accomplishments with present achievement and a paved road for future success, look no further than the man atop the list.

Pardon the leap of logic present in that headline, but there's little room to see the latest round of Rick Pitino rumors any other way if you've paid attention to the situation. To catch up, earlier this week, Sacramento Bee Kings beat writer Sam Amick mentioned Pitino's name in a story on rumored candidates for the coaching vacancy in Sacramento. Thursday night, Yahoo! yeoman Adrian Wojnarowski followed up with a full story, placing the interest squarely on Pitino's side.

Kings owner Gavin Maloof has denied talking to Pitino, and mentions only that Pitino is a "great coach." Ultimately, there's an overwhelming sense that these Pitino-to-the-NBA rumors are being pushed by The Rick -- not the Kings. That Louisville is now jumping out to publicly declare Pitino will stay is all the more suspicious.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The estranged wife of a longtime aide to Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino faces charges that she tried to extort the coach, at first demanding cars and tuition for her children, then later asking for $10 million, according to a federal complaint filed Friday.

We now know the identity of the person who allegedly tried to extort millions of dollars from Louisville's head basketball coach Rick Pitino. Her name is Karen Sypher, and she is the estranged soon-to-be ex-wife of Tim Sypher, the equipment manager for Pitino's Cardinals.

The allegations levied by Sypher against Pitino are still being kept under wraps, and her divorce documents have been sealed by the courts, but it's not too tough to see the underlying concern here. We have a young woman who is going through a divorce and allegedly threatening to go public with something that could potentially harm Pitino's public image. Hmmmm ... I wonder what she is threatening to say?

Louisville's head basketball coach, Rick Pitino, alleges he and his family are currently the victims of an extortion scheme. FOX Sports reports Pitino has apparently been in contact with the FBI in an attempt to get the matter resolved for the past month.

Unfortunately, with his being a highly paid public figure, Pitino faces much greater risks than the average extortion victim. It turns out, the extortion was being kept under wraps by Pitino and Louisville administration until, as Pitino says, his hand was forced.

Third Update: ESPN is reporting that USC coach Tim Floyd will be Arizona's next coach. ESPN's radio affiliate in Phoenix reports that the Trojan coach and Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood are finalizing a deal and an announcement is expected Thursday. Floyd coached USC for four seasons, including three NCAA tournaments and proved to be a highly effective recruiter. The Tuscon Citizen is reporting that Floyd flew in to discuss the job, but citing an unnamed source, says it is unclear if the coach was offered the job or even visited the campus. The paper reports that no press conference is yet scheduled for Thursday.

Everyone knew Russ Pennell had no chance to stay in Tucson as the head coach once Louisville finished off the Wildcats. It was an incredible run to the Sweet 16, seeing as though nobody even wanted the name "Arizona" in the tournament to begin with.

As the buzzer sounded on that 39-point rout, the coaching search became official. The Wildcats needed a high-profile coach to fill the shoes, and the legacy, of Lute Olson. That was easy in theory, but couldn't have gone worse thus far in the recruiting game.

UPDATE: USA Today reports Calipari contacted former Wildcat coach Joe B. Hall to inform him he has taken the job. It appears as though Calipari intends to embrace the UK tradition from the get-go.

Earlier: According to Fox13 Memphis and Memphis' News Channel 3, John Calipari has officially accepted a very lucrative offer to become the head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. More details to come on the amount and length of the contract, not to mention the expected roster turnover at both Memphis and Kentucky.

For now, though, the anticipation appears to be over. John Calipari seems to be the Kentucky Wildcats' basketball coach. He'll join up with one of the most hallowed basketball programs in the nation, as Kentucky has won more national championships than anyone but UCLA. "Coach Cal" sports a resume that fits the bill, though.

I'm still struggling to figure out which is the most disturbing image from Sunday's NCAA basketball. Bobby Knight flopping around in his underwear. Or Lars Ulrich and Coach K joining forces in a Guitar Hero video.

Sorry Coach Knight, that's THE Guitar Hero.

Knight, Coach K, Roy Williams and Rick Pitino dance around in their underwear. And the rest? That's up for you to decide after the jump.

Well, that was authoritative.

Not surprising, though, that the top-seeded Big East regular-season and tournament champion would have no problem whatsoever with a 12-seed from the Pac-10. This was pretty close to a bye into the Elite Eight for Louisville. For the Wildcats to have had a chance, everything would have had to go perfectly for them. And the Cardinals' entire game is based on making sure things don't go perfectly for their opponent.