Louisville president James R. Ramsey announced a one-year self-imposed postseason ban on the UofL men’s basketball team in a press conference Friday afternoon. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio first reported the news Friday afternoon.

The decision comes almost a year to the day that Syracuse self-imposed a one-year postseason ban on its men’s basketball program on Feb. 4, 2015.There will now be one less team in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and seniors Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, similar to Syracuse’s Rakeem Christmas, will end their careers missing out on the postseason for something they had no involvement in.

 

It also opens up a spot in the NCAA Tournament, which the Cardinals would’ve likely made, potentially for a Syracuse team that could be on the bubble.

The Cardinals held a news conference at 1:30 p.m. with Ramsey, Director of Athletics Tom Jurich and men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino. The announcement comes in the wake of an investigation into allegations that strippers were paid thousands of dollars to have sex with Louisville players and recruits.

Louisville is currently ranked No. 19 in the country and the Cardinals just became the first ACC team to beat No. 2 North Carolina. The Orange will travel to Louisville on Wednesday, Feb. 17, for a 7 p.m. tipoff with the Cardinals.

 

 

Published on February 5, 2016 at 1:30 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman