Sprints // 04.02.09

Calipari already disappointing Kentucky fans. Didn't take long for new UK head coach John Calipari to underperform expectations.

"I do not walk on water," he told the audience in the Craft Center. "I do not have a magic wand. I'm day to day."

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart also swatted down rumors of rules violations and Calipari, though in an odd way.

A check with the NCAA not only showed no problems, Barnhart said, but NCAA compliance staffers spoke of how they "enjoyed" working with Calipari.

Enjoyed working with him? That usually indicates some sort of familiarity, right?

And that whole, "Don't speak ill of the dead" thing? Yeah, well Barnhart obviously doesn't extend it to include the fired, at least if his comments about choosing Billy Gillispie instead of Calipari two years ago are any indication.

"I had a guy that was the hot coach. I watched him play. I watched his team. I liked the way they did it. He had built a couple programs. I felt we had the right guy, and I missed. My fault."

So I'm guessing Billy isn't on your Christmas card list?

Meanwhile, Florida welcomes you, Cal. Even if Billy Donovan can still kick your butt.

Somehow, this just ends up messing up Georgia even more ... Let's see, other than one of their smartest bloggers advising the administration to shoot lower, what could make the basketball search an even drearier task for the University of Georgia?

How about yet another SEC program with better tradition looking for a coach?

Bet Tennessee fans feel even worse than Georgia fans, though, as word spreads that one of Memphis' targets to replace Calipari is the Vols' own Bruce Pearl. As for Pearl's interest? In the immortal words of a character in White Christmas: "Mutual, I'm sure."

And what might lure Pearl to Memphis, beyond talent? How about his own continent?

Calipari was offered a more lucrative deal to stay at Memphis than the 8-year, $31.65 million contract he accepted at Kentucky, so the resources are in place to at least get the interest of high-level coaches.

Rocky Top Talk: "The fear is real."

But don't worry, Tennessee fans. It looks like some Memphis types are more interested in Billy Donovan. Yeah, that'll happen.

You couldn't do any worse than Croom. Coach at Mississippi State for a day? Why not? You might be the only Bulldogs coach to serve out a contract for a long, long time.

Moving Florida-Georgia makes no sense economically speaking. Numbers and math. Aargh! This argument, I understand.

As I said the other day, you think it's tough losing to the Gators in Jax? Try dropping one to them in Athens or Atlanta. Then you'll see what miserable really is.

I might actually move back to Atlanta to watch that.

Um, Ron ... The Zooker is Twitter-tweet-boppin' with the cool kids. Holding his own with the technologies. (HT: The Rivalry, Esq.) Even if he doesn't appear to grasp that people might read his tweets.

This year's Fresno State game is officially moved to Dec. 5. I think the SID office is planning on releasing that info this afternoon.

Coach, I think you just took care of that for him.