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Count Geoff Calkins and Charlie Pierce among those will not be rooting for the Kentucky Wildcats to take home the national championship trophy.

Calkins, a columnist for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, wrote the following earlier this week:

Now that it's done, now that the NCAA Selection Committee has released its bracket, now that it's official that the Memphis Tigers will not be playing in the tournament this year, it's time that we, as a city of diverse people, come together to pull for one thing.

Kentucky, falling flat.

John Calipari, choking.

In the first round, if at all possible.

He later adds:

Calipari didn't just leave Memphis for a better job. He left for a better job and took the Memphis recruiting class with him. He wrote escape clauses into the players' letters of intent, he advised Memphis athletics director R.C. Johnson to keep quiet about the NCAA investigation, and then he used the star-studded recruiting class to land safely at Kentucky.

And the suck-up television analysts don't say anything about it. It's too messy, too unpleasant.

Pierce, a staff writer for the Boston Globe Magazine and a contributing writer for Esquire, is even tougher on Calipari in "The Sleaziest Coach in a Sleazy Game," a piece he penned for Slate.com. 

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For only the second time since 1999, a team from Arkansas has won an NCAA Tournament game. Coach K, you're going down!
 

A little more than half an hour ago, Pat Doney, sports anchor for KARK-TV, tweeted the following three items:

Sources tell me that fmr Bama head coach Mark Gottfried and Ok St asst James Dickey will be a part of Hog basketball coaching staff next year

Also hearing Rotnei Clarke is leaning toward coming back but it is NOT official yet. Clarke still weighing options, according to my sources.

The good news - I expect a decision from Rotnei as early as today. I'll get you the latest as I hear it.

Could we possibly see an assistant coaching staff of Rob Evans, Mark Gottfried and James Dickey? That would be pretty crazy.

Update (2:54 p.m. CDT): Robbie Neiswanger just tweeted the following: "Spoke to Gottfried a few minutes ago, who said it's not true: "I have absolutely no idea where that got started."

From Mark Lericos, sports anchor for KHOG-TV in northwest Arkansas: "There is a lot happening behind the scenes with Hog basketball. Some if it would blow your mind. not good."

And from Wally Hall: "Wow, things are moving and shaking late into the night. Nothing is certain right now for UA basketball. Nothing. Other than Rotnei returns."

Stay tuned.

Sitting in our inbox this morning was a scan of an ad that ran in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The advertisement urges Hog hoop fans to write U of A officials to voice whatever concerns they have about the state of the basketball program.

The ad was paid for by a "G. Cluck" of Niceville, Fla., and strikes a remarkably civil tone, saying, "This voicing of concerns is not intended to become a name calling contest or an attack upon anyone personally." At another point, the ad urges letter writers to "make this effort one of respect for all parties concerned!" Given the famously level-headed nature of the Razorback fanbase, we have no idea why Mr. Cluck felt it necessary to include such a request.

The entire ad is posted after the jump.

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It's a short hodge podge, but here goes:

• Pulling No Punches. AS360's Jim Harris seems, oh, just a wee bit frustrated with the state of the basketball program. A sample of the column that he published earlier this afternoon:

The program's slogan of "40 Minutes of Hell," which morphed into "40 Minutes of Pel" when John Pelphrey took over, is now "40 Minutes of Fail."

More of the same next year, folks. Pelphrey's not going anywhere, UA athletic director Jeff Long insists, and the coaching staff is all returning. The speculation for some time was that Rob Evans, the former Ole Miss head coach, was riding out this season and would retire. But seriously, if Evans were to be the only coach leaving this staff, that would be a disgrace - he's the only one of the group we're sure can coach.

And another:

For John Pelphrey to keep trotting out the "we're just not playing well" line to explain a six-game collapse shows just how in over his head he apparently is with this job.

Programming note: You'll get a chance to hear more of Jim's blunt opinions on our site next week when we publish a Q&A with him.

• Color Him Unimpressed. I hope John Pelphrey's family is steering clear of the Internet today. It's rough out there. Consider this tweet from noted SEC blogger and author Clay Travis, who's attending the SEC Tournament:

"Most disappointing? How apathetic the Arkansas fans are under Pelphrey. They used to be awesome at SEC Tourney. Now? Pelphrey has to go."

This morning, the Old Graybeard tweeted the following:

"After the game, former college coach came up and says he'd send Fortson packing today, that he divides the team."

Strong words. And so, we ask you the following (and, as always, please pipe up in the comments thread):

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

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The 2010 season has come to an end, as has Mike Nail's 29-year career as the Hogs' radio play-by-play man.

Thanks for the great calls, Mike. You will be missed. The 2010 season, on the other hand, not so much.

It's late here in the Eastern time zone, so we're going to sign off for the evening. We'll be back with some postseason analysis in the days ahead. Until then ...