'Crazy talk'

Indiana's Davis ends speculation that he might leave

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana coach Mike Davis says he's only interested in one basketball coaching job -- his own.

Davis told The Indianapolis Star on Friday he hasn't spoken with any other schools, shooting down speculation he was interested in the coaching job at Georgia.

A newspaper report out of Georgia on Thursday quoted sources close to that program as saying University of Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley was hoping to speak to Davis in New Orleans this weekend regarding the Bulldogs' vacant head basketball position.

"I want to say once and for all that I have no interest in any other job except the one that I have," Davis said. "I have a great job, one of the top five college basketball jobs in the country, and all of this talk about me wanting to go here or there is crazy."

Davis, 42, signed a six-year contract extension last season that ties him up through the 2007-08 season. He just completed his third season and led the Hoosiers to the national championship game a year ago.

"The only thing I want to do is to continue to build the basketball program at Indiana to the point where we can win another national championship."

Davis said he hasn't spoken with anyone from Georgia or any other school.

"I think it's safe to say that any time a job comes open in the South, somebody is going to put my name with it," Davis said. "But I'm not looking for another job. I'm actually very happy where I'm at."

IU interim athletic director Terry Clapacs said again Friday that no school has contacted Indiana for permission to speak with Davis. Davis has also been rumored to be a job candidate at Clemson, as well as Auburn and Alabama, two schools that don't even have coaching vacancies.

"I spoke to Mike [Thursday] night and he was very concerned about the effect all of the rumors were having on his ability to recruit," Clapacs said. "He told me he has no interest in coaching anywhere but Indiana."

Clapacs confirmed that the mother of Patrick Ewing Jr. had called Davis, concerned about rumors that he might be headed to Georgia. Ewing gave IU a verbal commitment in late February to attend Indiana in the fall.

"That's where things like this can get out of hand," Clapacs said. "Recruits start hearing all of the rumors and then everyone wants to know what is up."