Katina Powell said Tuesday that she regrets that her allegations that a former Louisville Cardinals staffer hired her and other dancers for sex parties at the team's dormitory have resulted in the school self-imposing a postseason ban that will deny leading scorers Damion Lee and Trey Lewis a chance to play in the NCAA tournament.
Lee and Lewis, both graduate transfers, came to Louisville this season with hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament. Powell was interviewed Tuesday by Kentucky Sports Radio, her first comments since Louisville issued its self-imposed punishment last week.
Powell, a former escort, who made her allegations in her book "Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen," said Tuesday that she feels "a lot of people were punished that were innocent."
Asked why that bothers her, she said, specifically of Lee and Lewis, that "they did nothing."
"I didn't know of those guys. They had nothing to do with this. They had nothing to do with it whatsoever. And it seems like it comes down on me because they can't play in the tournament," she said.
"You know all of this, but I do feel bad for them. But again, they had nothing to do with it. I never, I never sanctioned those boys."
Powell said she thought Louisville's self-inflicted discipline "was a bunch of bull."
"I thought they did that just to soften the blow from the NCAA," she said.
Also Tuesday, coach Rick Pitino told ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike that he still waiting to be interviewed by the NCAA about the allegations made in Powell's book.
Pitino has said repeatedly that he did not know about the incidents, and Tuesday took that a step further, saying that athletic director Tom Jurich does not believe he was aware of the activities. The coach said that if Jurich "thought for one second I had 1 percent knowledge of hearsay in this case, I would have been gone a long time ago.''
Powell alleged in her book that Andre McGee paid her $10,000 for 22 shows from 2010 to '14, with many taking place in the Cardinals' Billy Minardi Hall dormitory. The allegations led to several investigations: one by the athletic department; the University of Louisville Foundation; the NCAA; and university and Louisville Metro Police in cooperation with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
The No. 13 Cardinals (19-5, 8-3 ACC) are 1-1 since the ban but would have been a lock for the NCAA tournament without winning the conference title.
Asked if she felt vindicated by Louisville's action, Powell said Tuesday, "I knew all along I was telling the truth.''
Powell was interviewed by the NCAA last fall. A Jefferson County grand jury is looking into her allegations.
A message left with the NCAA was not immediately returned.
Powell's attorney, Larry Wilder of Jeffersonville, Indiana, said Louisville's decision vindicates his client's allegations and added, "a 19-5 team wouldn't self-ban itself if any part she had mentioned was just a broken fingernail.''
Pitino said Tuesday that he talked to McGee after being made aware of the allegations and was told only that parties took place. The coach said McGee misled him about what went on.
"He said it was just women coming over and listening to music,'' Pitino said. "Then, he got a lawyer and that was the last I spoke to Andre McGee.''
The coach added that since that exchange, he has sent McGee a text asking that he "just tell the truth.''
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.