HoopsHype.com Rumors

Scott Agness: Rick Pitino, Louisville's head coach and a close mentor of Frank Vogel's, was in the Pacers' locker room postgame. Twitter @ScottAgness

Indiana Pacers, Rick Pitino, Frank Vogel 

Louisville fans have been waiting to hear whether third-team All-American Russ Smith will stay and finish his college career or head to the NBA. The University of Louisville announced that Rick Pitino and perhaps Russ Smith will have a press conference Wednesday at 1pm, Smith will be there if he has made his decision. kentuckysports.co

Draft, Rick Pitino, Russ Smith 

On Monday night, the Louisville star's father initially told reporters that his son had planned to enter the NBA draft following his team's run to the national title in Atlanta. Smith confirmed his father's statement when he told SiriusXM "College Sports Nation" radio hosts Mark Packer and Bruce Pearl that "this is the right time" the following day. But Rick Pitino, who had also confirmed Smith's departure at the team's pep rally earlier this week, said Thursday morning that the junior guard is still on the fence about going pro. "Russ, I think, is 50-50," he told Sports Radio 790 in Louisville. "He's a very confused young man in terms of his decision right now. He didn't want his dad to say that about him coming out. He wanted time to think of it." ESPN.com

Draft, Rick Pitino, Russ Smith 

Jeff Goodman: Rick Pitino told @cbssports that Louisville junior big man Gorgui Dieng is definitely headed to the NBA. Previously had said "98 percent." Twitter

Draft, Rick Pitino, Gorgui Dieng 

Pitino, who was preparing to lead Louisville in the NCAA championship game against Michigan Monday night at the Georgia Dome, became eligible two years ago. For King and Guerin, the recognition was regarded by many as long overdue. "This was not on my radar, so it came as a little bit of a surprise," said King, 56, a Knick from 1982-87. "I'm just deeply honored to know I'm going to be included in the Hall among the all-time greats. I'm delighted and moved." Guerin, 80, said he is glad it happened "before I go to the other side of the grass." Guerin, a Knick from 1956-63 before going to the Hawks as a player-coach, was chosen by the Veterans Committee. "It's very special," he said. "You always dream that someday it might happen. As it got further and further along, you started to doubt it that much more." Newsday

Coaching, Hall of Fame, Rick Pitino 

Mark Jackson: Congrats to Coach Pitino on getting into the Hall of Fame! Best Coach I ever had! All the Best 2night! Twitter @JacksonMark13

Coaching, Mark Jackson, Hall of Fame, Rick Pitino 

Kurt Rambis: I can't believe Pitino ducked when the confetti cannon went off. #NCAAChamps. Twitter @KRambis

Coaching, NCAA, Kurt Rambis, Rick Pitino 

Andre Iguodala: Pitino ain't been to the hood!!! He duckin shots!! Twitter @andre

Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala, Coaching, NCAA, Rick Pitino 

DeJuan Blair: Rick was scared! Twitter @DeJuan45

San Antonio Spurs, Coaching, DeJuan Blair, NCAA, Rick Pitino 

Earl Barron: Think Rick Pitino just pissed his pants when those fireworks went off. LMAO Twitter @earldee

Coaching, Earl Barron, NCAA, Rick Pitino 

Greg Stiemsma: Wow great championship game! Congrats to Louisville and Coach Pitino. Twitter @gregstiemsma

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, NCAA, Greg Stiemsma, Rick Pitino 

Shawn Marion: What a game congrats to #Louisville well deserved !!! Twitter @matrix31

Dallas Mavericks, Coaching, Shawn Marion, NCAA, Rick Pitino 

Nazr Mohammed: Coach P won another Championship!!!! #ncaachampionshipgame instagram.com/p/X3qFJuN0Cr/ Twitter @NazrMohammed

Chicago Bulls, Coaching, Nazr Mohammed, NCAA, Rick Pitino 

Win or lose at the Final Four, Louisville coach Rick Pitino will leave Atlanta with a greater legacy than the one he arrived with -- he has won induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a source told ESPNNewYork.com on Friday. Pitino, 60, will be introduced with the rest of the 2013 Hall of Fame class Monday before a national championship game he hopes to be coaching in. His Cardinals will face Wichita State in Saturday's semifinals, and the winner will face the survivor of the Syracuse-Michigan game that follows. ESPN.com

Coaching, Hall of Fame, Rick Pitino 

"Pitino has squeezed the hell out of those guys," said one NBA player personnel director, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because league rules prohibit discussing underclassmen. "I don't see any of them being consistently in a (NBA) rotation. I'm not even sold on Dieng." Two other league executives - one in both the Eastern and Western Conferences - shared that view of the Louisville roster, projecting Dieng as a late first-round pick and junior guard Russ Smith as a possibility in the second round. And though several other Cardinals will be on the NBA's radar including senior point guard Peyton Siva, sophomore forward Chane Behanan and freshman forward Montrezl Harrell (who might be the best long-term prospect of the group), it is atypical for such a powerful college basketball team to draw so little excitement from NBA scouts. Detroit Free Press

Draft, Rick Pitino, Gorgui Dieng 

Rick Pitino said the best thing for Gorgui Dieng would be to go to the NBA after this season. He didn't say that because he wants the junior for Senegal out the door. He likes Dieng so much he named a horse after him. But Pitino is looking at the realities. Dieng turned 23 in January, and professionally speaking, if he could get into the first round of the NBA Draft, now is the time for Dieng to try to strike. WDRB

Draft, Rick Pitino, Gorgui Dieng 

Dieng, of course, has his own way of looking at things. I asked him what he thought when Pitino made those comments. (And Pitino, for the record, noted that if Dieng isn't a sure first-round pick, he definitely should return). Dieng's response, as always, was thoughtful. "I'm not worried about the NBA right now," Dieng said. ". . . I'm worried about the next game. When the season is over I'll sit down with coach and talk. But I consider myself that I still have a four-year scholarship, and I feel I am a student-athlete, so I'm not just trying to jump ahead of anything." WDRB

Draft, Rick Pitino, Gorgui Dieng 

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston, an elite list of players and coaches, as the 12 finalists from the North American and Women's committees to be considered for election in 2013. The recognition of being honored as a Hall of Fame finalist is a career highlight in the sport of basketball. This year's list includes six first-time finalists: five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, three-time National Coach of the Year Sylvia Hatchell, two-time NBA Championship coach Tom Heinsohn, nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton, five-time WNBA All-Star Dawn Staley and six-time NBA All-Star Mitch Richmond. Previous finalists included again this year for consideration are four-time NBA All-Star Maurice Cheeks, four-time NBA All-Star Spencer Haywood, four-time NBA All-Star Bernard King, five- time NCAA Final Four coach Guy Lewis, six-time NCAA Final Four coach Rick Pitino and four-time NCAA Final Four coach Jerry Tarkanian. The Class of 2013 will be unveiled at the NCAA Final Four in April. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Maurice Cheeks, Gary Payton, Hall of Fame, Rick Pitino, Tim Hardaway, Bernard King, Tom Heinsohn, Mitch Richmond 

Dave McMenamin: Earl Clark on Rick Pitino's all-white suits (assets.sbnation.com/assets/77626/p…): "It was like he'd be all swagged out w/ The Godfather theme music on" Twitter @mcten

Los Angeles Lakers, Earl Clark, Rick Pitino 

Rick Pitino has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him pacing the Louisville sideline through the 2022 season, the university announced Tuesday. Pitino is in his 11th season at Louisville and has compiled a 274-106 record at the school. The Cardinals, coming off a surprise Final Four run, are ranked second in the AP preseason poll. ESPN.com

Coaching, NCAA, Rick Pitino