Gary Parrish

Wooden Award Chairman Duke Llewellyn announced Wednesday that Florida's Billy Donovan will be honored with the 2010 Legends of Coaching Award. He'll be recognized at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in April 2010.

Donovan is one of just four active coaches to win two national titles. The others are Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, UConn's Jim Calhoun and UNC's Roy Williams, all of whom are previous Legends of Coaching honorees. Donovan is the youngest to ever win this award. He's recorded 11 consecutive 20-win seasons.

Casey Prather, a consensus Top 100 recruit, will pick between Florida and Michigan on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5 wing from Tennessee has visited both campuses.

MaxPreps.com ranks him No. 85 in the Class of 2010.

Cameron Clark committing to Oklahoma wasn't the only recruiting development from this weekend.

Here are some others:

Rivers visits Duke: Class of 2011 star Austin Rivers visited Duke despite supposedly being committed to Florida. As Bruce Weber can attest -- you haven't forgotten the Eric Gordon recruitment, have you? -- there is no way to interpret this as a good thing for the Gators. Rivers taking that visit makes him by definition no longer genuinely committed to Florida, and it's only a matter of time before he acknowledges as much publicly. Scout.com ranks Rivers as the No. 4 prospect in the Class of 2011. He is the son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers

Wroten tears ACL: While Rivers was touring Cameron Indoor Stadium, fellow Class of 2011 star Tony Wroten Jr. was tearing his ACL in a football game, according to the Seattle Times . The paper reported that Wroten will have surgery this week and need seven-to-nine months of rehab, meaning he's done with football and basketball for the year. Scout.com ranks Wroten as the No. 8 prospect in the Class of 2011.

Quick hitters: Stacey Poole, a 6-foot-5 wing from Florida, told Scout.com that he'll likely pick between Kentucky and South Carolina by the end of the week. Poole is ranked 58th in the Class of 2010. ... Kyrie Irving, ranked fifth in the Class of 2010, eliminated Indiana from his list of possible destinations. The New Jersey point guard is still considering Duke, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M. ... One of the nation's top junior college prospects, J.P. Olukemi, committed to Oklahoma state. He's the fourth OSU commitment for the Class of 2010.

I spent a lot of time on the summer circuit observing Michael Gilchrist because I think he's great and I enjoy watching him perform. No question, he's the best prospect in the Class of 2011, and you could make the argument that he's the best high school player in the country regardless of age, which is wild considering he's only 15 years old.

Anyway, one of Gilchrist's teammates this summer was Rakeem Christmas.

Thus, I saw him a bunch, too.

And I exited July convinced he's one of the top three prospects in the Class of 2011 -- behind only Gilchrist and perhaps Austin Rivers -- and a future star in this sport to the point where I told one college coach at the Nike Peach Jam that I would bet a week's paycheck right now that Christmas someday earns at least $50 million as a professional basketball player (barring injuries, of course). That's how much I like the 6-foot-8 (and growing) shotblocker. And I'm only telling you all this because Christmas announced Monday that he's trimmed his list of possible schools to eight, which means eight schools are still in the running for the elite talent.

The list (according to Scout.com):

• Baylor
• Florida
• Georgetown
• Indiana
• Ohio State
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Villanova

It's impossible, at this point, to project (or even guess) where Christmas might end up. But it's interesting that Christmas listed Florida as a contender, because it's an indication that the Gators remain in contention for what could be the nation's best class that year. Already, Florida has a commitment from Rivers. So if the Gators could also land Christmas and Brad Beal (UF is among the finalists for Beal), they'd have the top-rated point guard (Rivers), shooting guard (Beal) and center (Christmas) in the Class of 2011, at which point Billy Donovan would be in a position to win a third national title.

Again, it's unlikely that type of class will actually materialize.

But given that Christmas is still considering Florida, it's at least worth considering.

I ranked Kentucky No. 2 in the CBSSports.com preseason Top 25 (and one) .

Florida freshman Kenny Boynton has taken issue with this decision.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve thought about it and on paper they look good, but I think we match up with them," Boynton is quoted at SlamOnline.com . "I think we have a better team. It’s going to be a real good game when we play, but I don’t think they’re as good as everyone says they are.”

Naturally, that quote has led to a poll question on the Kentucky message board .

The question: Is Kenny Boynton now (the) most hated Gator ever?

Additionally, there is a thread that began late last night that is (as I type) already approaching 100 responses.

Meantime, Florida fans are focused on football.

I can't imagine they care at all.

I touched on Lance Stephenson in my column about Tim Floyd , pointed out that it's widely believed that the school that ultimately takes the New York star will be at risk of a similar NCAA investigation. Among the schools I initially listed as still involved with Stephenson were Maryland, Arizona, Memphis and Florida. But a source close to the Florida program told me this morning that the Gators are no longer pursuing Stephenson.
"[There's a) zero (percent) chance we take him," the source said.

And when you consider that Arizona's Sean Miller also seems skeptical, that leaves Maryland and Memphis as the lone schools still believed to be genuinely open to taking Stephenson, although sources close to the Memphis progam have long insisted Josh Pastner and his staff do not have a good feeling for where they stand, don't really know what's happening with Stephenson or what he's thinking.

My guess?

Stephenson never plays in college.

Just like I'm assuming Renardo Sidney never plays in college, either.

And truth be told, that'll probably be what's best for everybody involved.

My column on Billy Donovan didn't really touch on it too much, but it's always important to remember that in addition to losing Marreese Speights and Nick Calathes early the past two years (and Jai Lucas to a transfer), Florida is still trying to recover from losing its top six scorers following the 2006-07 season.

And it's been difficult.

Only one player with a ring is still a Gator.

That's Dan Werner.

And though the 2007-08 team was always going to be about what it was because of the simultaneous departures, how much better would the 2008-09 team have been if Speights -- a project coming out of high school -- had lasted at least until his junior year? And though the 2009-2010 team will have an obvious void in the backcourt, how good could it be with Calathes -- who never projected as an obvious two-and-done prospect -- playing beside Kenny Boynton while Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus handle things up front?

These are the frustrating questions for Donovan.

"Marreese Speights was a project big guy, and I thought without question [when I signed him] that I'd get at least three years out of him," Donovan said. "And then I don't know if anybody looked at Nick -- a guy who can't dunk, who isn't the best athlete, who isn't a prototypical NBA point guard -- and said he's going to be a first-round draft pick after two years.

"Some guys have really improved [as prospects once they got to Florida]," Donovan added. "I don't know that you're able to prepare for that."

Or for defections on staff.

That's another issue that has undoubtedly hindered Florida's climb back to the top of the SEC, the fact that Larry Shyatt is the only assistant who was around for those national titles. Donovan lost Anthony Grant (to VCU) after the first championship and replaced him with Lewis Preston, who has since moved to Penn State. Meantime, Donnie Jones left (to be the head coach at Marshall) after the second title. He was replaced by Rob Lanier. And then Preston's replacement -- Shaka Smart -- left after this past season to replace Grant at VCU, meaning Donovan has lost and replaced four assistants the past four offseasons.

It breaks down like this:

2006: Lose Anthony Grant and replace him with Lewis Preston .
2007: Lose Donnie Jones and replace him with Rob Lanier .
2008: Lose Lewis Preston and replace him with Shaka Smart .
2009: Lose Shaka Smart and replace him with Richard Pitino .

"Players are always going to come and go, but I've really lost good quality [assistants], too," Donovan said.  I've had really good quality people, and I've lost four assistant coaches in four years. The turnover on staff is tough."

Still, there's a good chance Donovan will be OK.

In fact, at least one former assistant expects him to capitalize in this role.

"Billy is a different kind of guy," Smart said. "More than anyone I've ever been around, he thrives in an underdog situation, in a back-against-the-wall situation. There's a big part of him that enjoys it. It goes all the way back to when he was a player [at Providence]; he just thrives in situations where people say, 'You're the underdog' or 'Your back is against the wall' or whatever. He's unbelievable at coming up big in those sorts of situations. And you'll see. He'll do it with this team. That's why he's the best."

There were strong rumors last offseason that Nick Calathes was on the verge of leaving Florida to play professionally in Greece, so much so that I asked the point guard about them last October. Calathes acknowledged he had offers and described them as "good money." But in the end, he claimed to "not think about it too much."

Obviously, he has now put more thought into it.

Because Calathes has opted to play professionally for Panathinaikos -- the reigning Euroleague champion -- rather than remain in the NBA Draft, the Orlando Sentinel reported this weekend. According to the newspaper, the contract will pay Calathes "around $1.1 million per year, in addition to providing him with a home, car and tax credits, making for a total package commensurate to what the NBA rookie salary scale provides a late-lottery selection."

Is it a smart move?

Perhaps, if Calathes wasn't going to be in the NBA next season anyway (he was a borderline first-round pick).

Otherwise, it might be a mistake.

But either way, the bottom line is the same -- that Nick Calathes will be a professional next season, which was never truly in doubt. Officially, Calathes spent the past month as an underclassman who could still return to Florida if he wanted. But nobody connected to the Florida program believed he'd ever play a junior season, proof being how the Gators tried late in the process to get involved with John Wall.

In other words, Florida was always in Calathes' past.

Now Greece is in his future.

And the NBA is anybody's guess.

John Wall, the nation's top-rated point guard who remains uncommitted, was been cited for breaking an entering by the Raleigh Police Department, WRAL out of Raleigh reported Monday morning.

The station reported that Wall was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering in connection with an April 27 break-in at a home at 3924 Laurel Glen Drive in Raleigh. According to WRAL, an officer saw Wall leaving from the rear of the residence and was able to detain him. Two others were also charged -- one while walking along a nearby street, another when he returned to the residence.

How or if this will affect Wall's recruitment is unclear.

He is still publicly considering a number of schools -- among them Kentucky, Duke and Florida.

After announcing his intention to leave Florida less than two weeks ago, Alex Tyus has decided to remain with the Gators, a source close to the program told CBSSports.com early Tuesday.

An official announcement is expected later Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tyus hinted at the development on -- where else? -- his Facebook page. He wrote: "All over ST. LOUIS right now!!! but yeaaa man whats all the negativity about? I'll be back in Gainesville at the end of June. Relaxxxx i am going nowhere!!!"

Tyus averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds this past season.

The Gators won 25 games but did not make the NCAA tournament.

Florida sophomore Alex Tyus is transferring, an SEC source told CBSSports.com on Friday morning.

An official announcement is expected later Friday.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Tyus averaged 12.5 points (second on the team) and 6.7 rebounds (first on the team) for the Gators this season. His departure likely means Billy Donovan will have to avoid a third consecutive NIT without the luxury of his top two scorers considering Nick Calathes has declared for early entry into the NBA Draft.

Calathes hasn't hired an agent and could return to school, if he chooses.

However, industry sources believe the point guard has more than likely played his final game in college.

VCU is set to announce Florida assistant Shaka Smart as its next basketball coach, a source told CBSSports.com early Tuesday.

A news conference will be held in the next 48 hours.

Smart comes to VCU after one season on Billy Donovan's staff at Florida.

Before that, he was with Oliver Purnell at Clemson.

Smart replaces Anthony Grant, who left last week to take over at Alabama.

Like Smart, Grant was also a Florida assistant.

Florida sophomore Nick Calathes will enter the NBA Draft, a source told CBSSports.com.

An official announcement is expected soon.

The source said Calathes spoke with coach Billy Donovan on Sunday night, and that Donovan supported the decision. Still, Calathes will not immediately sign with an agent, which will make returning to school an option if it's necessary.

Calathes averaged 17.2 points per game this past season.

Florida finished 25-11.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Billy Donovan is staying at Florida.

A source close to Florida told CBSSports.com that Donovan will not be a candidate for any college job that is open or might open later this offseason, Kentucky included. An official statement is expected later Friday.

Anthony Grant is in a real-life game of Deal or No Deal .

Does he take Alabama (Deal! )?

Or stall and/or pass in hopes that something better presents itself, specifically Florida (No Deal! )?

That's the dilemma facing the VCU coach, who is on the Alabama campus today with his wife, meeting school officials for at least the second time in four days. Naturally, Alabama would like to move quickly, have an answer as soon as Thursday. But there'd be nothing worse for Grant to do than take the Alabama job only to watch Kentucky fire Billy Gillispie after this season (which multiple sources believe is more likely than not). Why would this be bad for Grant? Because if Kentucky were to fire Gillispie, it appears Mitch Barnhart would make another run at Florida coach Billy Donovan, and if Donovan jumped this time -- which is more possible than you probably think, for a variety of reasons -- then Florida would suddenly be open, and Grant would almost certainly be Jeremy Foley's choice to replace Donovan considering he was set to replace Donovan two years ago when Donovan eft for the Orlando Magic, if only for a couple of days.

So that's the situation.

Can Grant hold-off Alabama long enough to see what happens at Kentucky?

If so, that's what I expect him to do.

If not, then he'll have to choose between Alabama and the possibility of Florida (or something else altogether) opening.

It's a tough call, no doubt.

But either way, Anthony Grant will soon be a very wealthy man.