Harrell removed as U of L captain

Louisville coach Rick Pitino on Tuesday confirmed a report that All-American forward Montrezl Harrell is no longer a U of L team captain, but he also sought to play down the significance of the change.

"Absolutely no big deal," he said in a message to The Courier-Journal. "Totally nothing. He is still the leader of our team."

ESPN 680, the local Louisville affiliate for ESPN Radio, broke the news on Sunday afternoon after Harrell reportedly told radio host Jason Anderson of the decision. No reason was given for the change.

Harrell, a 6-foot-8 junior from North Carolina, was made a team captain when he decided to skip the 2014 NBA draft and return to school for his junior year.

Senior wing Wayne Blackshear is now the team's only official captain.

Follow U of L beat writer Jeff Greer on Twitter ( @jeffgreer_cj ) for up-to-the-minute Cards updates.