LEXINGTON, Ky. -- There goes Kentucky's Plan A. Billy Donovan's decision to remain at Florida -- rather than take the head coaching job at Kentucky -- left the field wide open today in the search for Tubby Smith's replacement.
Within hours, names from all over the college basketball
landscape were bandied about: Texas coach Rick Barnes, Texas
A-and-M's Billy Gillispie, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Memphis coach
John Calipari.
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart asked for patience.
Donovan, a former Kentucky assistant under Rick Pitino, was
considered the school's first choice to take over college
basketball's all-time winningest program.
The Wildcats will need to act quickly to have a new coach in
place before the spring signing period begins on April eleventh.
Bellaire (Texas) guard Jai Lucas was heavily recruited by Smith
before his departure.