Cat fight: Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie showed little emotion Wednesday night after the Wildcats’ season ended with a 77-67 loss to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader columnist John Clay says Gillispie’s nervous habits were nearly absent. He didn’t lean forward. He didn’t rock back and forth. He didn’t wring his hands. But in less than 48 hours, Gillispie could be out after just two years on the job. “The nearly foregone conclusion is that he hasn’t passed UK’s judgment with flying colors,” Clay wrote, “that President Lee T. Todd Jr. and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart will announce soon that a change is being made.” To read Clay’s column, click here.
Full-court press: Virginia Commonwealth basketball coach Anthony Grant spent more than nine hours touring Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the University of Alabama. The former Florida assistant is considered the leading candidate to replace Mark Gottfried, who resigned under pressure on Jan. 26. The Birmingham (Ala.) News reported Grant had an impressive visit, and the intention was to extend him a job offer before he returned to Richmond, Va. The newspaper reported Grant needed to answer Alabama within the next four or so days, rather than ask for more time to gauge interest from other jobs. If Grant decides to wait, Alabama would re-open the search to other candidates, including Missouri’s Mike Anderson, whose team plays Memphis in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament tonight.
