Coaches on the hot seat

DePaul's Kennedy heads list of those in jeopardy

Sports Illustrated college basketball writer Seth Davis chatted with CNNSI.com about the goings-on in the national hoops scene:

CNNSI.com: Five years ago, DePaul hired Pat Kennedy to turn around the Blue Demons program. He immediately had some success, especially recruiting in Chicago, but now the Blue Demons aren't anywhere near the Top 25. Does Kennedy have to worry about his job?

Seth Davis: I think he does. I'm getting some indications that the school is losing patience with Kennedy. DePaul was projected to be a Top 25 team last year and ended up having a terrible season in Conference USA, going 4-12 in league play. Kennedy has lost a lot of underclassmen to the NBA, but his recruiting has been a little strange. Kennedy signed Eddy Curry last fall when everybody knew Curry was going to the NBA. Now he's talking about going after junior college players. He's in his fifth year at the school, the program is having problems selling tickets, and if the Blue Demons don't have a good season -- which I don't think they will -- I'm just sensing that the school is really losing patience with Pat Kennedy and that he is in trouble.

CNNSI.com: What other coaches should be concerned about their jobs?

Davis: I don't think we're going to have as much turnover as we had last spring, when it seemed as if everybody was getting hired and fired. Everyone talks about Herb Sendek at N.C. State, but I think he has a very good chance to survive. The administration there really wants him to succeed. I can't say the same for Larry Shyatt at Clemson. He's in his fourth year at the school. I think the Tigers are in for a very long year in the ACC, and Shyatt certainly is in a very precarious situation, as is Steve Robinson down at Florida State. Jerry Dunn at Penn State also is an interesting case. He was on his way to losing his job last season before the Nittany Lions played their way into the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. The school rewarded him with a five-year contract, but Penn State is off to a disastrous 2-5 start, including a loss to Yale. I'd be curious to see if he can hang on.

CNNSI.com: As we approach the new year, some teams are getting players back who might help them, guys who were ineligible or injured. Who do you think will make a difference come the final few months?

Davis: The first guy who comes to mind is Temple's David Hawkins, who's been academically ineligible. The Owls hope to get him into the lineup by the end of this month, and he will really improve their standing. If Hawkins is with the club, I think Temple will make another strong showing in the NCAA tournament. Blake Stepp out at Gonzaga, a sophomore guard, has been playing for the Zags, but because of an injury he hasn't been practicing. The Zags hope to get him practicing next week, which should put him at full strength and make a good team even better. And finally, Missouri has a big man named Uche Okafor who's a junior college transfer. He's been ineligible because the NCAA has been looking into his background as a foreign player. It looks as if the NCAA is ready to rule on Okafor's case. If Missouri gets him into the lineup by the end of this month, that will really give the Tigers the big man, the shot-blocker they need. Missouri will be a very dangerous team in the tournament if Okafor is in the lineup.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

Related information
Stories
Seth Davis' Insider Archive
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.