UNC not in men’s Final Four but still looms large

It’s been more than a week since North Carolina fired basketball coach Hubert Davis. Since then, there have been few updates on the Tar Heels’ coaching search.

The silence is deafening, so deafening that despite a dynamic men’s Final Four in Indianapolis this weekend – Yukon versus Illinois, Arizona versus michigan – From downtown bars filled with power brokers to news conferences at Lucas Oil Stadium, UNC will be the primary topic of discussion, featuring three potential targets among the four head coaches.

“People are speculating all they want,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Tuesday. “I have my full focus on this team. Nothing, nothing, I promise you – nothing – is distracting me from that path.”

There is no doubt that Lloyd looks forward to leading the Wildcats to a national title. What he said was not a denial of interest in the job.

And this is just the beginning, not only for Lloyd, but also for Michigan’s Dusty May and even, perhaps, Connecticut’s Dan Hurley. (Illinois’ Brad Underwood is not considered to be on the radar).

The belief is that UNC is willing to go “outside the family” – that is, a non-alumnus or former assistant – for the first time since 1952 when it hired St. John’s coach Frank McGuire.

If he had wanted anyone else outside of the Final Four teams, it probably would have ended. Still, sources close to the game say Carolina has made little to no outreach to alleged second-tier candidates, which suggests that barring a surprise, they are waiting to talk to their top choice(s).

Meanwhile, there is the transfer portal, through which rosters are created rapidly. It opens on Tuesday. If there isn’t one in place by then – indeed most of the work is already being done – then the prospects for next season are already troubling. So what other explanation could there be for the delay?

One of Lloyd, May, and/or Hurley should be the target.

Chicago Bulls Coach Billy Donovan’s name has come up, but even if he wants to leave the NBA, there is little chance he will do so before the end of the season on April 12. This makes his timing even worse, at least from the portal’s point of view.

No fan wants to hear their coach linked to an inauguration. However, in an era where rosters are making year-to-year deals, the impact of such negotiations is less likely to cause a stir in the locker room.

Perhaps the better question is, will any of them actually go, rather than using one-sided interest to gain a pay raise?

UNC remains a special place, and may be a great program again, but it’s not what it was 10 years ago, let alone 25.

The parts that made it unique – Tradition, ACC, ruler Rivalries, television appearances, fan attention, shoe company alignments, etc. – matter less. Money, style of play and personality of the coach matter more to the players.

That certainly doesn’t make every job equal – it’s still Carolina – but the gap isn’t that wide.

At the extreme, consider Hurley, who could win his third title in four years, which would be two more than Smith won in 36 seasons in Chapel Hill. This would be UConn’s seventh national championship since 1999, or more than UNC has ever won.

How is UConn not the best program in the country, especially for Hurley, whose general demeanor could be described as an angry New York City taxi driver?

He works in the North East. Maybe not elsewhere.

As far as Lloyd and May are concerned, why leave out places that have already proven capable of providing the resources and support to build powerhouse teams? These are not upstart clubs with unpredictable, weak Final Four runs. He has been dominant throughout the season.

What resources can UNC provide that they do not currently enjoy? How much better can they get? And on the other hand, what hidden obstacles, political or otherwise, await in Chapel Hill?

It is a matter of money. Lloyd (about $5.2 million annually) and May ($5.1 million) have room to climb before reaching the levels of Hurley ($7.7 million) or industry leader Bill Self. kansas ($8.8 million).

However, Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois and Michigan AD Warde Manuel have gone public about their desire to rework contracts.

Manuel, whose department is in the midst of an independent review of its practices following a series of mostly football scandals, would especially not like to see a bright, popular young coach leave under his watch.

The portal is in danger of opening just minutes after the conclusion of Monday’s national title game. Not only does Carolina need a coach ASAP, but if one of the mentioned coaches were to leave, there would be a fight for their old spot. The calendar is disorganized.

So here come the whispers and speculation and news conference questions – a Carolina blue backdrop for the Final Four.