Preston Knowles suspended 2 games by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino

Preston Knowles suspended 2 games by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino

LAS VEGAS — After a short suspension, perhaps University of Louisville senior guard Preston Knowles will find his way out of coach Rick Pitino’s doghouse.

Pitino said he would make Knowles sit out U?of?L’s two exhibition games and perhaps the season opener against Butler and that after a two-week stint of community service he’ll be allowed to rejoin the team.

Pitino said last month that Knowles’ status with the program was “in limbo” and that the player needed to do a few things to get back on the team. The coach declined to elaborate but said that it didn’t have anything to do with ?Knowles’ altercation with his girlfriend’s stepfather in May.

Now Pitino said Knowles? is on the right path.

“He’s just about completed his penalties,” Pitino said. “He had two main things he had to do to get back on the team, and so far he’s on schedule.

“He’s working a job now, and he’ll have two weeks of volunteer work at the Daniel Pitino Shelter in Owensboro. After two weeks, if he gets a good report then he’ll be able to rejoin the team.”

“He will miss the exhibition games and possibly the game against Butler but he will be back on the team.”

A former All-State player from Clark County High School, Knowles will be one of two seniors on the U?of?L roster next season along with Roburt Sallie, who recently joined? the program after graduating from Memphis.

The 6-foot-1 Knowles has started just 12 of 99 games in his career but has been a spark off the bench. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds a game as a junior and was second on the team with 72 assists.

Knowles was involved in a May?23 altercation with his girlfriend’s stepfather in Bullitt County, but he was never ?charged.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100724/SPORTS02/307240082/1002/sports/Preston+Knowles+suspended+2+games+by+Louisville+basketball+coach+Rick+Pitino