The news that Tubby Smith said goodbye and good riddance to unrealistic expectations at Kentucky sent shock waves through the college basketball world.

They’ll reverberate around the country until a successor surfaces.

Certainly one of the NCAA Midwest Region coaches could be thrown against the wall. Florida’s Billy Donovan is a former UK assistant and would be one of the names at the top of any major program’s list.

Pick a prominent coach with a track record of big-time success and he could be considered a candidate.

You’ve seen the names. How could so-and-so leave such-and-such?

Hey, it’s Kentucky.

Closer to home, Smith’s departure already had been feared by insiders at both Texas and Texas A&M.

It’s no news that A&M’s Billy Gillispie is legitimately the hottest name among up-and-comers.

That Gillispie has a relatively short head-coaching resume wouldn’t bother me. But this is Kentucky. AD Mitch Barnhart can pick up the phone and get an answer from any coach in the country, but I’d guess some will demand a coach with longer tenure on a higher plateau.

Which brings up the subject of Rick Barnes.

Do I believe that he will leave Texas for Kentucky? No. But I’m not taking that belief to the bank and offering it as collateral for a long-term personal loan.

Here’s what I do believe.

Barnes is intrigued by the job. He’s human.

And this is one of those jobs that everybody who dreams of coaching at this level fantasizes about.

The question is – what price glory?

Minnesota? Obviously, Tubby Smith was so miserable at UK that he wasn’t going to hang around for the hangman.

Barnes is a good friend of Smith’s. He knows what comes with that job – for better or worse more baggage than he will ever carry at Texas.

More rabid fans? Without question, though that’s good and bad.

Can Kentucky open the door of any top recruit in the country? Sure. But when he walks in, the Wildcats’ new coach may find Barnes in the kitchen shelling peas with the kid’s mom.

Barnes has it good and knows it.

From my perspective, he has the best job in the country.

Sure, he wants things like raises for assistants and continued behind-the-scenes moves that will put season tickets into the hands of those who want to come every night.

But Barnes loves both his job and the relative anonymity of Austin, an unmatched climate where celebrities can live lives as human beings.

Barnes’ family remains behind the scenes, but from what I have gathered, his wife, Candy, would not be overly enthused about pulling up roots.

Barnes is out of town through the weekend.

His spokesman says, no, he’s not in Kentucky.

AD DeLoss Dodds’ spokesman says no one from UK has called asking for the courtesy permission-to-talk.

Will Rick flirt with this? I don’t know.

But I know this, if he has any hope of keeping Kevin Durant around – and trust me, that hope is reality – he won’t.

And if he values the rest of his life, he will say thanks but no thanks when Kentucky calls. And they will.