Calipari targeted by Kentucky

The University of Memphis gave Kentucky permission yesterday to speak to John Calipari about the Wildcats' head coaching position, then made a final push to try to keep the coach.

Some of Memphis's key boosters met with Calipari yesterday. But one booster expects Calipari to go to Kentucky, though the person, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing negotiations, acknowledged the coach was torn between the two great opportunities.

The Wildcats had a short meeting at their practice gym yesterday afternoon. Asked afterward if they had a new coach, senior Jared Carter said, "I think so." Asked if it were Calipari, Carter shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know."

Calipari met with Memphis players yesterday morning.

"He told us he's going to keep us posted," Memphis freshman forward Wesley Witherspoon told WHBQ-TV in Memphis after Calipari met with the team.

Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie Friday, ready to move on after two frustrating seasons. They went right to work yesterday, with two university staffers carrying large cardboard photos of Gillispie out of the practice center while media crews watched.

Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy would not confirm or deny an ESPN report that Wildcats officials had already met with Calipari and were prepared to offer him the job. Citing unidentified sources, ESPN.com reported the offer was believed to be for eight years and around $35 million.

In its coaching search, Kentucky quickly targeted Calipari, who just finished his ninth season at Memphis and has a 137-14 record over the past four seasons.

Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough spent a lot of time together on the court last weekend and were back together as the top vote-getters on the Associated Press's All-America team. Griffin, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selection for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the year last season as a junior, repeated as a first-teamer the day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners, 72-60, to advance to the Final Four.

Joining them on the team were players from schools with little All-America history, sophomores DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State, and junior Stephen Curry of Davidson.

Boston College's Tyrese Rice, UConn's A.J. Price, Dartmouth's Alex Barnett, and Vermont's Marqus Blakely were all named honorable mention.

Washington State coach Tony Bennett, who led the Cougars into the postseason in each of his three years at the school, has been hired to revive a Virginia basketball program that is coming off a 10-18 season, its worst record in more than 40 years . . . Florida guard Nick Calathes has decided to enter the NBA draft, but will keep open the possibility of returning to school next season. The 6-foot-6-inch sophomore was the only player in the nation to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists . . . Georgetown junior DaJuan Summers is skipping his senior year and making himself eligible for the NBA draft. Summers averaged 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds this season for the Hoyas.