Smith leaving UK for Minnesota

By Associated Press     Mar 23, 2007

? With Kentucky fans dogging him after another disappointing finish, Tubby Smith is bolting the bluegrass for Minnesota.

Smith will be introduced as the Golden Gophers’ 16th coach at a news conference today, ending a 10-year tenure in Lexington that seemed to be in its final days even before Minnesota contacted him.

“You always want to be wanted,” Smith told the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader in a story posted on its Web site Thursday night. “You know they have a need.”

The Wildcats went 22-12 this season and made it to the NCAA Tournament, but lost to top-seeded Kansas University in the second round, turning up the heat on the coach of college basketball’s winningest program.

Smith led Kentucky to the national championship in his first season in 1998, but the Wildcats haven’t been back to the Final Four since, their longest drought since the NCAA Tournament began. The team has lost 10 or more games in a season five times under his watch, prompting the demanding fan base to nickname him “10-loss Tubby.”

“On behalf of the University of Kentucky, I’d like to express sincere appreciation to Tubby Smith, his family and his staff,” Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement. “We wish him the very best at the University of Minnesota. They are getting a solid coach and a great person.”

Minnesota was 9-22 this season, the most losses in the 111-year history of the program, and averaged just 60.6 points a game, its lowest in 56 years. Former coach Dan Monson was forced to resign seven games into this season.

Thursday morning, Minnesota asked for Barnhart’s permission to talk to Smith, said Kentucky basketball spokesman Scott Stricklin. Smith arrived in the Twin Cities on Thursday evening to take the job.

“Ever since my senior year of high school, there was always speculation that he’d be gone,” said Houston Rocket Chuck Hayes, who played for Smith at Kentucky from 2001-05. “After every season, there were always rumors. I thought it was just rumors again this year, people talking.”

Smith never was able live up to the standard set by the man he replaced at Kentucky. Rick Pitino became a legend in Lexington, leading the Wildcats to three Final Fours, including the 1996 national title and the 1997 championship game, before leaving to coach the Boston Celtics.

New Mexico taps Alford

Des Moines, Iowa – Instead of rebuilding Iowa, coach Steve Alford will try to transform New Mexico.

“Things came up, and this is the decision he had to make,” senior guard Mike Henderson said after Alford told players of his decision during a team meeting Thursday.

New Mexico athletic department spokesman Greg Remington said there would be a news conference today in Albuquerque, N.M.

Alford, a former standout at Indiana, had a 152-106 record in eight seasons at Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA Tournament appearances, but Iowa won just one NCAA Tournament game under his leadership. Last season, the Hawkeyes were defeated by 14th-seeded Northwestern State in the opening round.

Iowa finished 17-14 this season. Athletic director Gary Barta has said he didn’t want to go through another year of rebuilding, stressing the team “just needed to be better than we were this year.”

Duke’s McRoberts declares

Durham, N.C. – Duke forward Josh McRoberts declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft on Thursday. Several online draft projections have McRoberts, one of two sophomore team captains for Duke, as an early- to mid-first-round pick. The draft is June 28 in New York. McRoberts averaged 13 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds for the Blue Devils (22-11).

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