BOZICH | The Ville chases TBT's $1 million prize -- with Rick Pitino in their U of L corner | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Rick Pitino’s once-fractured relationship with the University of Kentucky has flowered into a full détente.

Pitino sits in the front row of the Mark Pope Fan Club. He said he has donated NIL money to the Kentucky football program. I expect to see Pitino bring one of his St. John’s teams to Rupp Arena.

The Pitino-University of Louisville relationship?

That one needs work — and more time for conflicting emotions to recede.

Except when it comes to the coach’s relationship with the guys who played for him — especially the ones who are the foundation of The Ville, the group of mostly former U of L players competing in The Basketball Tournament.

As they prepare for their quarterfinal game Monday at 9 p.m. in Freedom Hall against La Familia, the TBT team representing UK, players Peyton Siva and Russ Smith, coach Reece Gaines and general manager Jordan Sucher have received a flurry of texts and phone calls from Pitino about their performance — good and questionable.

“He actually texts me and Russ quite a bit,” Siva said. “He told Russ not to take any crazy shots or he’s going to have to fire some more people.

“He’s been on Jordan all the time. Tells him for this person not to take that shot. Why is that person taking that shot? He’s always invested.”

Siva laughed. So did Smith. It’s all fun.

“We’ve been talking,” Smith said. “It’s mostly clowning, about the bourbon (Smith has his own brand — Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon, a TBT sponsor) or shot selection or me getting more rest.”

If The Ville defeats La Familia, they will advance to the TBT semifinals, leaving them two victories from the $1 million winner-take-all prize in the 64-team, single elimination event.

Smith believes it will also ensure one other delightful development: An in-person appearance by Pitino.

“I’m pretty sure we can get him to Philadelphia (site of the semifinals and finals Aug. 2 & 4),” Smith said. “He’s an East Coast guy. Philly is just a hop, skip and a jump away.”

Last season Pitino had a pre-game zoom chat with The Ville players before the tournament began. They won a pair of games and then came from ahead to exit the tournament in Round Three.

The 2024 squad added three more former Pitino/Louisville players — guards Chris Jones and David Johnson as well as forward Montrezl Harrell.

They delivered their sharpest overall performance of the TBT Wednesday night while defeating Team DRC, 83-68.

Pitino has not watched every minute of every game. But he’s aware of The Ville’s tournament path — and how they have played. There are text messages to prove it.

“I sent him Reece’s phone number,” Sucher said.

“He’s told me a few things,” Gaines said, with a laugh. “I’ll keep that private. But it’s only been positive.”

The game against La Familia will be historic for many reasons. More than 11,000 tickets have been sold, guaranteeing a TBT record. Over the TBT’s 11-season run, the record turnout was 7,202 in Wichita last season.

Sucher believes the final count Monday night will be between 13,000-to-15,000. The game will air nationally on FS1, with David Padgett, another former Cardinal, working as an analyst.

And it will be the first Dream Game with a summer postmark. Siva, Smith and Gaines all remember epic battles with Kentucky over their collegiate careers.

Gaines lost three times to the Wildcats before he was one of five U of L players to score at least 10 points as the Cards upset No. 14 UK, 81-63, in front of 20,061 fans in Freedom Hall on Dec. 28, 2002, Pitino’s second season at U of L.

Siva lost to the Wildcats four consecutive times before he and Smith combined to score 40 points in an 80-77 win over UK at the KFC Yum! Center on Dec. 29, 2012.

Smith got six cracks at Kentucky (two in the NCAA Tournament) and went loss, loss, loss, win, loss, loss.

His final collegiate game was a 74-69 loss to the Wildcats in a Sweet Sixteen matchup in Indianapolis. That UK team featured four guys — Aaron and Andrew Harrison, James Young and Willie Cauley-Stein — who play for La Familia.

Pitino did not coach any players with La Familia. His connection with Siva, Smith, Gaines, Harrell, Johnson, Jones, Chinanu Onuaku, Dillon Avare, Chane Behanan, assistant coach Luke Hancock and Sucher is strong.

“These are his guys,” Sucher said. “He wants them to do well. He told me he’ll be tuning in Monday night.”

And if The Ville can win one more …

“I think we can get him to Philly,” Sucher said. “I think so.”

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