Tubby

How bad does it have to be in Lexington for Tubby Smith to take the job at Minnesota? Believe what you want -- Smith was given an ultimatum by UK's AD to fire his entire staff, Smith was worn out by the outside demands of the job, Smith knew he'd never please folks down there, the pressure finally cooked him -- it seems obvious that he'd had enough. Again: It's an incredibly difficult job, made harder by unrealistic expectations. That Smith averaged 25 wins a year, won a national title and went to four Final 8s, I think, wasnt good enough. That's sad. Sadder is, Smith's a decent man, in a profession where decency is tough to maintain.

And yet...

All you could think of while watching Kansas thrash the 'Cats last week was the silly disparity in talent. UK fans don't stand for that.

It's hard to see Tubby excelling at Minnesota, no matter how good a coach he is. It's hard to see anyone excelling at Minnesota.

Good luck to UK in hiring its next coach. Of course, they'll love the guy down there. Until he loses a few.