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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rick Pitino praised the NCAA for its professional approach in the governing bodys investigation of a sex scandal involving Louisville mens basketball and the coach pledged his program will be accountable for things that went wrong on his watch.Pitino spoke Wednesday at the Atlantic Coast Conference mens basketball media gathering, a week after the NCAA said Louisville committed four serious violations and criticized Pitino for failing to monitor a former Cardinals basketball staffer who hired escorts and strippers for sex parties with recruits and players.Pitino skipped media day last year on advice of counsel as the sex scandal broke. Though the case may not be completely resolved for several months, on Wednesday, a smiling, hopeful Pitino was ready to move the conversation back to basketball and his teams chances to compete for a league title.Were disappointed in what happened. Nobodys more disappointed than me of what happened and where it happened, he said. I keep saying over and over, Ill never understand why it happened. Thats the most difficult thing when I go to bed at night.Pitino said the NCAAs investigation was very thorough and said the governing body acted in a very professional manner.Weve got to be accountable and we will, Pitino continued.The NCAAs report last week didnt mention a lack of institutional control -- considered the most serious violation in some cases -- which Pitino said means his program is doing some things right.The sordid Louisville mess had some questioning if the 64-year-old Pitino, who has led the Cardinals and Kentucky to national championships, should keep his job.His players never doubted their coachs leadership.Hes such a Hall of Famer, such a first-class guy on and off the court, Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell said.Pitino said the penalties Louisville imposed on its programs were significant. The team, which went 23-8 and finished fourth in the ACC, was kept out of both the league and NCAA tournaments. The school also reduced its scholarships by two, one each for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons; limited the basketball staffs days on the road recruiting and cut official visits by prospects by two -- in all a 24 percent reduction in recruiting opportunities, according to the school.Mitchell acknowledged how much it hurt to miss the postseason. He recalled last March watching friends take part in NCAA Tournament games and knowing the Cardinals deserved to be there, too.I was in the gym listening to Notre Dame play whoever, watching my friends play on TV and sometimes Id sit there with my mom and think, `Thats just crazy, he said.Mitchell insisted the bad times are done.Were past it and were using it as motivation to get to where we need to get to this year and were really focused on being a really good basketball team, he said.Things, though, are not over for Louisville or Pitino.The school has 90 days from the NCAAs Oct. 17 letter to respond and process might last until spring. Pitino could also face additional NCAA penalties similar to the nine-game suspension Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim received this past season as part of his programs punishment.Pitinos not worried about that now. He said hes rarely enjoyed coaching a group as much as this one in part because of their resiliency in the face of the NCAA investigations and the outside noise about the program.And it sounds like the 64-year-old Pitino plans to stick around for a while. He said hes assured prospects families that they wont ever have to worry about such problems again. This will be my strongest recruiting class yet, he said.Pitino also does not fret what the NCAAs accusations might do to his Hall-of-Fame legacy. I think when you start thinking about your legacy, its time to get out of the game, he said. Your ego is out of whack. The only good thing about turning 50, and then turning 60 is your humility grows in who you are and what you are.---Online:AP College Basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.orgCheap Custom NFL Jerseys . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Cheap Jerseys From China . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. http://www.cheapjerseysfinish.com/ . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead.LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Dorian Pickens had 21 points and Reid Travis added 16 as Stanford beat Seton Hall 66-52 Sunday in the fifth-place game at the AdvoCare Invitational.Pickens picked up nine points in a 15-1 surge as Stanford (6-1) grabbed a 43-31 advantage with 12:30 to play.Dorian is so smooth, so confident, so fluid, Stanford coach Jerod Haase said.Pickens averaged 18.3 points in his three invitational games.Our whole thing was how good Pickens is, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. Hes really picked it up from last year. Hes just a consistent, solid player.Khadeen Carrington scored 20 points for Seton Hall (4-2). His layup cut the Pirates deficit to 48-42 with eight minutes remaining, but Seton Hall would get no closer down the stretch.Seton Hall shot just 28 percent (7 for 25) in the second half, and 38 percent overall (19 for 50).Stanford made 24 of 57 shots (42.1 percent), and went 16 for 17 from the free-throw line.Travis and Pickens had four points each during an 8-0 run that pulled Stanford even at 26 at halftime.They punched us in the mouth the first 10 minutes and we kind of stumbled back, Haase said. I challenged them. Im so proud of how they bounced back and contained it for the last 30 minutes..ddddddddddddBIG PICTURESeton Hall continues to get strong offense from Carrington, who entered averaging 18.9 points in his previous 11 games, dating to last season. He averaged 21 over the three invitational games, including a 28-point performance in Thursdays 81-76 loss to Florida.Travis had seven rebounds for Stanford and missed out on his third double-double of the invitational due in part to getting his third foul early in the second half. After missing the final 22 games last season with a leg injury, the juniors performance thus far bolds well for the rest of the season.SECOND SESSIONSSeton Hall went 1-2 in the invitational, getting outscored in the second half by an average of 10 points in losses to Florida and Stanford. The Pirates lead Florida by one after the first half and was tied in Sundays game.BETTER TIMESStanford closed out the invitational with two wins after losing 67-53 to Miami in the opening round. The Cardinal beat Indiana State 65-62 for their other win.UP NEXTSeton Hall: Hosts Columbia Thursday night.Stanford: Goes against No. 15 St. Marys at home Wednesday night. ' ' '