Rick Pitino engaging in high level trolling of Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

So after the game and 1,237 mentions by Dick Vitale lamenting that Kentucky and Indiana should play, Rick Pitino took the mic for his post game remarks. And he set the Big Blue Nation and Twitter on fire.

"“What I suggested to [Indiana coach Tom Crean] was we go to Lucas Oil Stadium [in Indianapolis] for two years and we try to break the attendance record, you know, we try to get 80,000,” Pitino said. “Each team gets 40,000 [tickets] and whoever can’t sell the 40 returns them. I’m pretty sure we can bring 40; I’m pretty sure they can bring 40.”"

What? Louisville and Indiana meeting in an annual series. In a neutral court game at Lucas Oil Stadium? In an attempt to break the college basketball attendance record? Isn’t that what John Calipari had been pushing for all along?

Precisely. And Rick Pitino knew what he was doing. The guy is too media savvy and he knows the Kentucky Wildcats fanbase far to well to not think that his comments would create an uprising in the midst of the fanbase of Kentucky, which he still refers to as Camelot. And while Pitino’s comments infuriated some, I appreciate the attempt at trolling Kentucky. It’s what makes the UK/UL rivalry the best in college basketball.

And we all know Calipari wants that attendance record. He would have had it last year with the Baylor game if not for a freak snowstorm in Texas.

And in reality, we all know that this Indiana/Louisville series is not going to happen.

"And that would be pretty great. But the reality is that probably is not going to happen anytime soon. Schedules fill up quickly, and IU has been reluctant to play these games at neutral sites, and beyond Pitino’s line, there was been no indication that this idea will turn into something more."

And Twitter pretty much saw this for what it was … a high level trolling of the Kentucky fanbase by Pitino and probably Crean.

And the whole absurdity of the two enemies (Pitino/Crean) conspiring to rattle Calipari brought abut visions of Godfather movies and a serious contender for best tweet of 2014:

While this story will be taken seriously by the national media, you can tell by the reaction of the local media that cover UK, UL, and IU that this is nothing but a high level troll.  And of course, by that brief statement, Pitino has opened up the “Why don’t UK and IU play” can of worms for the national media to pore and obsess over, providing another distraction for Calipari to deal with before the Cats face the Cardinals soon.

Well played, Pitino. See you at the Yum! on December 27.