Pitino ‘hurt’ by Big East schedule, should be 100 percent by season

University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino said this week he’s “hurt” by a tough draw this year in the Big East conference, which features a handful of national heavyweights. A spokesman for the team said Pitino is expected to be 100 percent by the first of 2008, when conference play begins.

Pitino, the coach credited with breathing new life into what had become a mediocre program at U of L, has been known to use the media to nag his players and create a hyped atmosphere around his teams.

However, that has not really happened here.