So, Rick Pitino.

Louisville’s coach did not attend ACC media days because he would be a distraction.

I wonder, “how ya gonna not talk about elephant-in-the-room from here to three months into next year?”

Pitino is handcuffed to the most gossip-rich words in America today this side of Hillary and Benghazi, Sex and scandal.

Since Katina Powell’s 104-page sleaze surfaced, this spider web has encircled high school kids, so-called guardians, ex-players running for cover, one of whom called himself “The Elvis of Louisville.”

Meanwhile, the Gotcha crowd at University of Kentucky, many of whom remember Cardinal fan fun fests on Wildcat basketball’s Shame in the 1980s, are having a ball.

Words to describe it all? Frantic and frenzy fit media story lines for this provocative and electric topic in college sports today.

Frantic to pontificate first and with teevee preacher fervor reasons why Pitino is not the villain. And, a frenzy to sermonize on why he is.

Frantic to illuminate most cleverly reasons why Da Coach is Richard Nixon redux and must go.

Frantic to be first to find the rat, Andre McGee, and, after a knuckle sandwich, make him talk.

Frenzy to discover who bank-rolled McGee’s nefarious doings. A process remarkably like Dwane Casey’s alleged air-mail package to Claud Mills at Kentucky that fell open in 1988.

Frantic to get ex-player Terrence Williams to expand on “I was the Elvis of Louisville.”

Frantic to limit Minardi Hall Sugar Momma Katina Powell to 15 minutes of fame instead of 15 with Steve Kroft at 60 Minutes.

Frenzy to damage control at UofL athletics.

• President Jim Ramsey endorsed director of athletics. Period.

• Tom Jurich nodded support for his ball coach. How does Jurich feel about that AD job at Texas today?

• Associate AD Ken Klein and pecking order on down, everybody “just shut the hell up!”

Beyond the frantic and frenzy, permit me a bit of take-a-deep-breath context.

Alleged doings at Louisville are shameful, but merely the latest in line of recent sex scandals in college sports. Syracuse basketball and Penn State football (2011) resulted in NCAA sanctions, firings, prison and iconic Joe Paterno died of a broken heart. In 2013, Vanderbilt football players were charged with rape then cleared. Worst of the worst this side of sex scandal, is academic fraud at North Carolina (over 18 years).

So, Rick Pitino.

The ball coach brains behind two national championships … successful and pricey how-to motivational speaker and book writer assistant … owner of thoroughbred horses … member of Hall of Fame Club. Now linked to the tawdry again. McGee, Powell and self-appointed media supreme court.

I wonder ….

√ A 63-year-old whose paycheck is more than $200,000 a month, and net worth is $25 million, and lives in a princely world behind gates, is not going to stop his life to check in on a college dormitory.

√ Is a street-wise fast talker from New York going to remember his bouncing-hormone days and do diligence when hiring assistants to do the low-end work?

Apparently not, and so, opening to nightmare for Louisville.

Irony, some time ago, when fame was assured, championships were expected more than celebrated, and hate levels from University of Kentucky fans had not cooled, and a sex scandal of his own had tattooed his legacy, Pitino began to change his address. Moved to town called Complacency.

A community where John Wooden lived across town from Sam Gilbert, Eddie Sutton and Billy Clyde Gillespie had gone to have another drink, and Bob Knight moved too after losing it when silly student said “what’s up, Knight?”

So, Rick Pitino moved in.

Da Coach, as I fondly called him during his pied-piper days with Richie Farmer at Kentucky, is a prince fallen from the throne, crown cock-eyed on his head, reduced to imploring the rat Andre McGee to “just tell the truth.”

To say what? What could McGee say that would make anything go away?

Says here higher truths are already at hand.

• Success, riches, and fame do not change real life: “ya still have to put your britches on one leg at a time no matter your name or fame.” In this instance, Lord of the Manor must trust watch over his castle only as far as he is willing to see … all way down to the bloke working third shift at the draw bridge.

• Pitino, arguably the most poised and eloquent in his profession, declined the ACC meetings on advice of a $%#@! lawyer looks like ducking out to fan base.

• And, versus-NCAA, Pitino has embraced the pathetic defense used by Jim Boeheim, Paterno, Roy Williams and John Calipari, “I didn’t know what was going on therefore I am not responsible.”

In the end, Pitino compromised at Louisville is reality not going away.

While President Ramsey squirms and tries to change the subject and Jurich bobs and weaves with votes of confidence, NCAA drums are beating and sanctions loom.

Central question to show on the marquee is almost rhetorical: Will parents of 5-star Johnny Jumpshot be sending their kid to Louisville?

Rick Pitino should resign with dignity and with dispatch.

And so it goes.

You can reach me at bob.Watkins24@aol.com