So, Mike Boynton is out of the running for a position on Underwood's staff. We have the largest salary pool for assistants in the B1G and one of the largest total staff budgets in the country. Here are some names that have come up in the rumor mill:
Lamont Evans
Orlando Antigua
Shane Heirman
Dennis Gates
Geoff Alexander (Evansville assistant - played for WIU when Underwood was there and has apparently remained close with him)
Other names that could theoretically make sense on some level:
Deon Thomas
Roger Powell
Robert Smith
Sean Harrington?
Lamont Evans seems like a sure bet, but there's a rumor he's staying on at Oklahoma State (which would seem weird, since they hired Mike Boynton even though Evans was the lead assistant under BU and is several years older/more experienced).
Gates and Antigua would both be big-time hires that would send ripples through the college basketball world. Neither seems likely to me, but with our budget you never know.
Heirman could make a lot of sense from a recruiting perspective. Tilmon left La Lumiere - does anyone know how his relationship with Heirman is? I know that Heirman is close personal friends with Groce...wonder how that factors into the equation. Would Brian Bowen give us a look if we hired his coach? How about Tyger Campbell?
I don't think that any of the names on the second list are likely. I don't think Deon would take the assistant job if offered (and I don't think he'd be offered); I think Powell is sticking with Bryce Drew for a few more years at least; Robert Smith probably wouldn't be considered. Harrington is interesting, but he'd have to leave a sweet gig with ESPN and I think he has business interests in the recruiting industry that would have to be purged.
Honestly, I think the most likely staff may be Lamont Evans and either Heirman or Geoff Alexander. Not bad. Thoughts?