It's nice to see that the majority of board members don't believe everything they read. For Coach Donovan to accept an offer to coach at another school while his current squad is in the NCAA Final Four is just assinine.
Found this today:
Donovan Says He's Ignoring Rumors
March 29, 2007
Combined Wire Services
As talk in print, on the air and across the Internet continues to center about his professional future, Florida coach Billy Donovan hasn't shifted his focus from the Final Four.
"He has not seen one report or read one word of what's been written about him," Florida sports information director Fred Demarest said. "He's pretty much locked himself away, and he's looking at a lot of UCLA."
In other words, Donovan, a former Kentucky assistant under Rick Pitino, has no plans of letting talk of him taking the Kentucky job distract him from leading the Gators against the Bruins Saturday night in a national semifinal at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Still, the talk continues.
The Cat's Pause, a Kentucky fan magazine and website, reported that Kentucky officials and representatives of Donovan had agreed to a seven-year contract that Donovan would sign after the Final Four. The report included details of a $3.5 million annual salary and a $3.5 million longevity bonus if Donovan stayed for the entire contract.
Cats' Pause general manager Darrell Bird had intended the report be taken only as a rumor - only to have it picked up and repeated as fact by some media outlets.
WLEX, an NBC affiliate in Lexington, Ky., reported the same information, crediting the website. That validation set off a storm of message-board posting and talk-radio conversation regarding Donovan's future with Kentucky.
"I had a graduate student come in and tell me she heard on the radio that Billy Donovan was coming, and I got excited," said Monica Harris Kern, associate professor of psychology at UK.
Some Coaches Staying Put
Arkansas was waiting to hear from Texas A&M's Billy Gillispie about the Razorbacks' opening, though media reports in Texas had the Aggies coach set to stay put.
The position opened when Stan Heath was fired after five years at Arkansas.
The Houston Chronicle, citing three unidentified officials close to the Texas A&M system, reported that Gillispie has reached an agreement on a new contract with A&M. ... Tony Bennett is staying with Washington State. Bennett, 37, led the Cougars to their best season in 60 years (26-8). Washington State lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Vanderbilt. Athletic director Jim Sterk has been discussing a new contract for Bennett, who was making about $350,000 a year. ... Georgia gave coach Dennis Felton a two-year contract extension and a $50,000 raise to $760,000. Georgia finished 19-14 (8-8 in the Southeastern Conference). ... Iona has agreed to buy out the final two years of coach Jeff Ruland's contract. Ruland, a former NBA All-Star, led the Gaels to three MAAC titles and three NCAA berths in nine years, but stumbled to only three wins this season.
The Big Show
With Ohio State's 7-foot Greg Oden, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert (7-2) and Florida's Joakim Noah (6-10) and Al Horford (6-10) in the Final Four, their could be the most low-post action at the event since Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon shared the stage in 1984.
"I think it's going to get the game back to where it used to be in having that low-post threat," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "The size of the guys [in this Final Four] is truly amazing."
Florida has made the most of its size advantage the last two seasons. Noah and Horford helped the defending national champions win 16 consecutive postseason games and advance to Saturday's rematch of the title game last year, won by the Gators.
UCLA is considered undersized in this group.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is UCLA's top post player, but at 6-8, 230 pounds, he's petite compared to Oden, Hibbert, Noah and Horford.
"We are by far the smallest team in this Final Four," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "But I think it's great to see the big man in college basketball." ... Oden and fellow freshman Kevin Durant of Texas are among the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, to be presented April 7. Other finalists are North Carolina sophomore Tyler Hansbrough, Texas A&M senior Acie Law, and Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker. Also honored as Wooden All-Americans were Florida's Noah, UCLA junior Arron Afflalo, Oregon senior Aaron Brooks, Nevada senior Nick Fazekas, and Kansas sophomore Brandon Rush.
Tough negotiating.
