LEXINGTON, Ky. -- First place is out of reach. Second place
looks doubtful. With two tough games left, it'll even take some
work for Kentucky to finish as high as fourth in the Southeastern
Conference East.
The Wildcats (19-9, 8-6), the winningest college basketball
program in history, have lost four of their last five games, and
some fans are placing the blame squarely on coach Tubby Smith.
But Tuesday, the two-time national coach of the year brushed
aside speculation his job is in jeopardy if the team doesn't finish
strong. When his players host Georgia (17-10, 8-6) Wednesday in
their home finale, they should have no fears about preserving his
10-year tenure as Kentucky's coach, Smith said.
"They don't have to worry about my job being on the line,"
Smith said. "They need to be concentrating on playing to the best
of their abilities."
Speculation about Smith's future was amplified Monday when
athletic director Mitch Barnhart released a statement acknowledging
fans' dissatisfaction with the season, but urging them not to make
any evaluations until March.
Smith, who led the Wildcats to the 1998 national championship in
his first season at the helm, said he spoke with Barnhart before
the statement was released. He said he perceived it as a sign of
support, not a threat about improving the program's record by
tournament time.
"Certainly sitting here at 19-9 ... I'm not going to defend my
record or anything else," Smith said. "But I guess Mitch felt
like he needed to make a comment, from what I understand. I'm sure
he gets calls just like everybody else."
Kentucky's leading scorer, junior center Randolph Morris, said
pressure is just part of the job description for any coach of the
Wildcats because of the sky-high expectations. The players don't
expect his job to be on the line, regardless of how the team
finishes, Morris said.
"I feel it," Morris said. "He lets us have a little fraction
... of the heat he's facing. He's under extreme scrutiny. There's
no place in the country like the heat he's taking personally."
If Smith is the biggest rumored departure in Lexington, Morris
probably ranks second. On Tuesday, he said he hadn't yet made up
his mind whether to return to Kentucky for his senior season or
turn pro. Without Morris, next year's Wildcats could lack a major
inside scoring presence.
Seniors Bobby Perry and Lukasz Obrzut, who are preparing to make
their final appearance at Rupp Arena, said the criticism of Smith
is the result of impatient fans who don't recognize the growth the
program has made.
"Coach is a really strong individual," Obrzut said. "He's
been coaching basketball for 35 years. I'm not even that old. I
know he cares a lot about us as players. He cares a lot about this
program."
All the same, barring an undefeated run ending with a national
championship, the Wildcats are guaranteed a second straight
double-digit loss season and fifth overall under Smith. They also
are in line to miss a first-round bye in the SEC tournament in
back-to-back years.
While Kentucky has made the NCAA tournament every year under
Smith and is expected to qualify again this season, the team hasn't
advanced to the Final Four since the 1998 championship run.
Many fans point out that while Smith coached that team, the
players were recruited by his predecessor, Rick Pitino, now the
coach at rival Louisville. The recent success of the surging
Cardinals likely hasn't helped matters for Kentucky fans.
"I know it's a tough job, probably the toughest job in college
basketball as far as coaching," Perry said. "We know the
pressures that come with that job. He's very qualified for what he
does. He wouldn't be in this position if he wasn't."
Smith said he thinks the team has had a relatively good season
and needs to work on finishing games and cutting down on turnovers.
As for the recent slump, including a heartbreaker Sunday at
Vanderbilt in which the Wildcats led until the final seconds, Smith
is confident there will be a swift turnaround.
"Certainly I'm not happy with four out of five losses, but I'm
not going to jump off a building," Smith said. "I don't think
anybody else should either."