SEC Basketball

The search for John Calipari's replacement as Kentucky's head basketball coach is officially underway, with Scott Drew set to meet with school officials.

Per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, Drew is expected to meet with the Wildcats "in the near future."

Calipari was officially announced as the new head coach at Arkansas on Wednesday. Even though his departure from Kentucky seemed to come out of nowhere, the school was aware of his interest in the Razorbacks.

Dick Gabriel of UK Sports Network (h/t Austin Curtright of the USA Today Network) reported Calipari gave Kentucky officials an opportunity to match his offer from Arkansas, but they decided to let him leave after 15 seasons.

Drew is one of several candidates who have been linked to Kentucky since news of Calipari's departure broke.

Matt Jones of Ky Sports Radio cited Drew, Dan Hurley and Billy Donovan as people Kentucky will contact to gauge their interest.

Hurley, who is fresh off winning a second straight national title at Connecticut, has said he's not interested in leaving his current job.

Basketball insider Jeff Goodman noted he would be "surprised" if Donovan, who is currently head coach of the Chicago Bulls, has any interest in returning to the college game.

Per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, Donovan's job with the Bulls is considered safe as they have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament.

Alabama's Nate Oats was also expected to receive interest, but he issued a statement announcing he intends to remain where he is.

The Athletic reported on Monday that Drew would be the top choice of Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart.

Drew has spent 21 of his 22 seasons as a head coach at Baylor. He took over the program in August 2003 after Dave Bliss resigned amid the scandal that was uncovered following the disappearance and death of former player Patrick Dennehy.

The Bears have made the NCAA tournament in 12 of the past 17 seasons, including winning the national title during the 2020-21 campaign.

Drew is Baylor's all-time leader in games coached (690), wins (446) and NCAA tournament appearances (12).

John Calipari is officially the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas.

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek announced Calipari's hiring Wednesday. The school's website added he signed a five-year contract with a starting salary of $7 million per season:

"The contract runs through April 30, 2029 with a maximum of two automatic rollover years for NCAA Tournament appearances that would extend the contract to 2031. The deal includes a $1 million signing bonus and features retention bonuses of $500,000 each year of the contract along with one-time bonuses for making the NCAA Tournament, reaching the second round, Sweet 16, Final Four and winning a national championship."

When it was first reported Calipari was going to Arkansas, ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello noted his base salary was expected to be "slightly less" than the $8.5 million he was making at Kentucky.

The official terms of the contract released Wednesday confirmed that. Calipari is essentially set to make at least $7.5 million per season between his starting base salary and the $500,000 retention bonus he gets each year.

Calipari's most recent contract with Kentucky was a 10-year, $86 million deal signed in June 2019.

It shouldn't be too hard for Calipari to earn the bonus for making the NCAA tournament. Even though the Razorbacks didn't make the field this season after finishing 16-17, they were a very good tournament team the previous three years.

Arkansas advanced to the Elite Eight in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and had a Sweet 16 appearance last season.

Calipari hasn't come anywhere close to having that much success in the tournament during his final three seasons with the Wildcats. They lost in the first round as a No. 2 seed in 2020-21 and a No. 3 seed this season.

Kentucky's only tournament win since the 2019-20 season was in the first round against Providence last year.

Despite the disappointing record this season, Arkansas didn't seem like it was going to be in the market for a new head coach. Eric Musselman won at least 20 games in each of his first four seasons and had a 111-59 record overall with the Razorbacks.

Musselman pulled off a surprise when he decided to leave Arkansas for USC after Andy Enfield was hired by SMU.

Calipari is staying in the SEC where he has coached for the past 15 seasons with Kentucky. He went 410-123 with 11 combined regular-season and conference titles, four Final Four appearances and a national title in 2011-12 with the Wildcats.

John Calipari officially announced his exit from Kentucky on Tuesday, and the support has been pouring in from his former players.

Karl-Anthony Towns and John Wall were among the players who praised Calipari on Instagram:

Towns also took to X to express his gratitude for Calipari:

Calipari is expected to be the next coach at Arkansas, exiting Lexington after 15 seasons. While the news had been out for days, Calipari officially announced his departure in a video posted to social media.

"It's been a beautiful time for us. This is a dream job. It was my dream job," Calipari said. "Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball and said, that is the bluest of blue. The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice.

"And the fans need to hear another voice. We've loved it here but we think it's time for us to step away. And step away completely from the program."

Calipari went 410-122 during his tenure and is the second-winningest coach in Kentucky history behind Adolph Rupp. The Wildcats made four Final Fours and won the 2012 national championship. His teams produced 35 first-round picks, with Wall, Towns and Anthony Davis being taken No. 1 overall.

Following the departure of head coach John Calipari, Kentucky lost arguably its best player to the NBA draft.

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Kentucky freshman guard Rob Dillingham told Malika Andrews on Tuesday's episode of NBA Today that he is hiring an agent and declaring for the 2024 draft. Givony described Dillingham as "a projected top-five pick," and B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted he would be the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Wizards in his latest mock draft.

"This was a decision I made with my family," Dillingham said. "I felt prepared. Coach Calipari taught me a lot about how to be a better teammate and that it was not all about me."

Dillingham made an immediate impact with the Wildcats, averaging 15.2 points and 3.9 assists in 23 minutes per game while shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc this season. He was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year and earned second-team All-SEC honors.

Kentucky is coming off a 23-10 finish to this season. The Wildcats earned a No. 3 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in the first round with a loss to No. 14 Oakland, which was one of the biggest upsets of March Madness. Calipari reportedly accepted a head coaching position with Arkansas this week, ending his 15-year tenure in Lexington.

"It was an up-and-down season with a lot of great moments," Dillingham said. "We won a lot of games with a young team. It was a great learning experience, and it was amazing to share it with my teammates. I learned how to be for everyone; that's what wins games. Coach Cal has done a lot for Kentucky. I feel like he's a great coach. Wherever he goes, he'll be a great coach."

After establishing himself as one of the best freshmen in college basketball, Dillingham is confident in his chances to be successful at the next level.

"It doesn't matter what pick I am, if I get picked 60th. I want to go to a team that trusts me and can help me build, and I can build with them, and make me better," Dillingham said. "I just want to help my team win, and they can develop me and teach me things. Anyone can be special if they put their mind toward it. Just have confidence. It's about what you put your mind into."

John Calipari's time as the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's basketball team is officially over.

Calipari, who has been connected to Arkansas, released a video statement Tuesday in which he confirmed his exit from the Wildcats:

"This program probably needs to hear another voice," he said. "… We've loved it here, but we think it's time for us to step away. And step away completely from the program. There have been opportunities that have been presented to us, and we're discussing them as a family."

He also thanked his players, staff members and the Kentucky fans for helping him find success with the Wildcats before he ended the video by saying, "you know I'm always going to be a fan. Thank you."

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed the exit as well while thanking Calipari for his 15 years as the head coach:

There was a time when Calipari leaving Kentucky for any college basketball job would have been completely shocking. After all, the Wildcats were the gold standard of the sport for extended stretches of his tenure, which included the 2012 national championship, four Final four appearances, six SEC regular-season titles and six SEC tournament championships.

However, things have grown somewhat stale of late.

Kentucky's last SEC title came during the 2019-20 campaign, and its last conference tournament championship came during the 2017-18 season. What's more, the program hasn't been to the Sweet 16 since 2019 and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament in shocking fashion to 15th-seeded Saint Peter's in 2022 and 14th-seeded Oakland this past season.

His job status was a topic of conversation after the loss to the Golden Grizzlies, and it seems like he is now headed to Arkansas.

The Razorbacks have an opening because Eric Musselman departed for USC, which was only open because Andy Enfield left for SMU.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported Sunday that Calipari was "finalizing a five-year deal" with Arkansas that would pay him "an overall base salary of slightly less than the $8.5 million he's making at Kentucky."

Yet the contract could ultimately be worth more than his previous one with the Wildcats if he hits various incentives.

Wildcats fans likely won't welcome Calipari back with open arms the first time his Arkansas team visits Rupp Arena, but he was still appreciative of them in the video he released.

John Calipari's decision to move to the University of Arkansas didn't seem to be a significant issue for decision-makers at Kentucky.

Per Dick Gabriel of NewsRadio 630 WLAP in Lexington (h/t Tyler Thompson of On3.com), Kentucky turned down an offer from Calipari to match the offer he received from Arkansas:

"Calipari, going into that meeting with Mitch Barnhart, didn't have much leverage. Mitch had the leverage. But now, when you've got somebody else in your corner who is a viable candidate for your services. I mean, if it was a junior college that came to hire him, no, but this is Arkansas. Powerful school with deep, deep pockets and all kinds of booster money out there. Tyson chicken and Wal-Mart. They come in and say, we want you and we'll do what it takes to get you. That's leverage.

"Calipari, as I'm told, said, here's what it's going to take to keep me and UK said, I don't think so. As I understand it, now if the deal isn't done, it's going to be done. You have a fanbase that is unhappy, an institution that is not satisfied with what's been happening. You've got another school that would be happy to have him. When you factor in the fans, this might be a win-win-win if such a thing is possible. That all depends, of course, on who Kentucky hires if and when Calipari does leave."

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported the meeting between Calipari and two Kentucky administrators took place on Monday, with the "clear" messaging from Kentucky's side being there was "no salvaging" things between the two sides.

Calipari stunned the college basketball world on Sunday night by agreeing to a five-year deal to leave Kentucky and become the head coach at Arkansas.

In a video posted on X, Calipari confirmed his departure from Kentucky:

ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello noted Calipari's $8.5 million base salary will be slightly less than what he was making at Kentucky, but he can surpass that amount with a number of incentives built into his new contract.

The Wildcats gave Calipari a 10-year extension in June 2019 through the 2028-29 season that included $86 million in total compensation. It was regarded as a "lifetime contract" for the now-65-year-old.

According to Thamel and Borzello, Kentucky isn't on the hook for any money still owed to Calipari if he were to be hired by another program.

Calipari's initial flirtation with Arkansas wasn't a surprise to Kentucky because his contract required him to inform the school if he engaged with another program about a job interview.

Eric Musselman left Arkansas last week to become the new head coach at USC. He went 111-59 with three tournament appearances in five seasons with the Razorbacks.

Calipari's tenure with the Wildcats has been marred by a lot of recent disappointment. They haven't advanced beyond the first weekend of the NCAA tournament since reaching the Elite Eight in the 2018-19 season.

Kentucky has lost in the first round as a top-three seed twice in the past three seasons, including an 80-76 defeat to Oakland on March 21.

Calipari went 410-123 with six SEC conference tournament titles, four Final Four appearances and a national title in 2011-12 in 15 seasons at Kentucky.

Auburn freshman Aden Holloway is entering the NCAA transfer portal, per Travis Branham of 247Sports.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, Holloway was a five-star prospect ranked top-20 in the nation by 247Sports.

He finished his freshman season having averaged 7.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 35 games, earning him a bid to the SEC All-Freshman team despite his struggles from behind the arc.

Holloway was a member of Auburn's starting five in all three conference tournament victories on the Tigers' way to the SEC Championship title.

His departure is another blow for the Auburn backcourt after guards K.D. Johnson and Tre Donaldson entered the portal.

Other schools including Miami, Tennessee and Wake Forest were recruiting Holloway before his commitment to Auburn, per 247Sports.

Now Holloway could potentially reconsider Wake Forest, which is located closer to his hometown of Matthews, North Carolina.

Holloway was a reliable ball-handler during his first college season, ranking fourth in the conference with a 3.03 assist-to-turnover ratio, per College Basketball Analytics (h/t Richard Silva of the Montgomery Advertiser.)

He was far less consistent, however, when shooting from behind the arc. The point guard went 11 games over the season without a single 3-pointer, despite regular opportunities in Auburn's starting five.

Holloway started spending pre-game warmups working specifically on shooting 3-pointers, per AL.com's Matt Cohen.

The effort paid off. After returning to Auburn's starting lineup with nine games remaining in the season, Holloway shot 33.3 percent from behind the arc.

"It was definitely a good feeling, just being able to see the ball go in the basket, especially after going through something like that," Holloway said after recording 15 points in a regular-season win over Georgia during this final stretch, per Henry Patton of AuburnSports. "I've never experienced that ever in my basketball career. Just a little adversity this year."

Holloway ended his first college season with an 0-for-5 effort from deep in Auburn's first-round NCAA tournament upset by Yale.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl had expressed confidence in Holloway's ability to develop his shot, praising the freshman's shot selection and defensive responsibility during his shooting slumps, Cohen reported.

With Holloway having departed for the transfer portal, Pearl will have to turn his attention to developing another young guard instead. Tahaad Pettiford, ranked as the top point guard of the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports, signed with Auburn in November.

The University of Kentucky's coaching search after John Calipari's departure will be one of the biggest storylines in all of men's college basketball until the Wildcats find their hire, and DeMarcus Cousins made an outside the box suggestion.

"I think the perfect hire for UK at this point would be Rajon Rondo," he said during an appearance on Bully Ball.

Cousins' comments came after Rondo said he is focused on his daughter but eventually would like to join the coaching ranks.

"I honestly think Rajon would be the perfect guy for this situation," Cousins continued. "Obviously, he's a Kentucky kid. He played at Kentucky. … He understands both sides probably better than anybody else ever will. And I think putting Rajon in that position, he's going to be a great energy moving forward. He's great at creating the standard, he's great at leading the ship. I don't think there's a better leader to lead Kentucky out of this spot than Rajon Rondo."

Rondo played for the Wildcats for two seasons from 2004-06. He won an SEC regular-season title and advanced as far as the Elite Eight during that time before he was a first-round pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

Cousins also played at Kentucky in 2009-10 and helped lead the team to an SEC regular-season crown, SEC tournament title and Elite Eight appearance.

While Rondo doesn't have any coaching experience, he was seen as a leader on the floor at times during his NBA career. The point guard was a four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion who consistently looked to facilitate for teammates and played excellent defense.

Kentucky is looking for a new head coach after Calipari decided to leave for Arkansas. Rondo would be an unusual hire given his lack of experience, but he would also be a recognizable name on the recruiting trail and someone quite familiar with the program.

After John Calipari reportedly departed Kentucky to accept a head coaching position at Arkansas, one of the most popular names floated as his potential replacement was Alabama's Nate Oats.

However, Oats quickly put an end to that chatter by announcing on social media that he is "fully committed" to the Crimson Tide:

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne released a statement echoing Oats' sentiments:

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, Seth Davis of CBS Sports named Oats as a candidate he thinks would "crush it" at Kentucky if he pursued the job. However, Davis noted that Oats' $18 million buyout would make it "a non-starter" for him to leave Alabama.

Oats has been one of the fastest-rising coaches in college basketball for the impressive job he's done with the Crimson Tide. In five seasons, he's led the team to a 117-54 record, a 62-28 record in SEC games, two SEC titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. Alabama reached the Final Four this year for the first time in program history.

In addition to Oats turning down Kentucky, former Villanova head coach Jay Wright also removed his name from the list of candidates. Before Monday's national championship game between UConn and Purdue, Wright, who is now an analyst for CBS, gave a definitive "no" when asked if he would be interested in the vacancy.

Kentucky is still one of the most high-profile programs in college basketball, and the team is hoping to find the right person to lead it back to prominence after its recent struggles under Calipari. The Wildcats haven't made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament since 2019.

After John Calipari's reported departure from Kentucky to Arkansas, 5-star small forward prospect Karter Knox has reopened his recruitment after previously committing to the Wildcats, per the Tampa Bay Times' Joey Knight.

Knox's father told Travis Branham of 247Sports that the plan is to see how things unfold with Kentucky and Arkansas:

Knox is considered to be the No. 19 overall prospect and the No. 6 small forward in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports Composite.

Knox holds offers from Auburn, Louisville, Arizona State and others. He also holds an offer from Calipari's new team, Arkansas.

Kentucky has the No. 2 recruiting class for the Class of 2024 with players like 5-star center Jayden Quiantance, but Calipari's departure could lead to some of those recruits decommitting. Knox reopening his recruitment could be the first of many losses for the Wildcats.

Calipari's 15-year tenure at Kentucky ends after the Wildcats' first-round upset to No. 14 Oakland in the NCAA tournament. He will take over at Arkansas after Eric Musselman, who was at the helm for five seasons, departed for USC. Calipari will reportedly make "slightly less" than the $8.5 million per year he received at Kentucky.

Kentucky will now begin its first coaching search since 2009 when it hired Calipari. The Wildcats will most likely be aiming for a big-name hire, and it could result in a coaching carousel around college basketball this offseason.

If Kentucky can make a splash with its next hire, perhaps it would help keep some important recruits around.