News of my demise has been greatly exaggerated ...

Devoted readers of Sea of Blue may have noticed my conspicuous absence this week in updated posting. Thankfully, Tru has been doing yeoman's work in keeping you Cats fans chattering away as the season winds down.

The reasons for this are not that complicated, including a new job and -- most importantly -- a lack of anything new to add. I mean, how many ways can you really say, "They really need to win this game."

Tomorrow's matchup against Florida does, as Tru noted below, fit the mold of a Wildcats victory. Florida has little to play for, save NCAA seeding and pride and Senior Night (and maybe Junior Night, too, given the likely NBA exodus of the Florida stars).

While that seems plenty in certain ways, the Wildcats are still fighting for their life, and their coaches' jobs. Wednesday's win over a decimated Georgia is hardly the salve that a road win over Florida would be.

We'll detail some of our feelings more in-depth about the future of Tubby Smith at Kentucky early next week, when coverage dips in advance of the SEC tournament, but reality would seem to dictate that Smith is going nowhere. Changes are probably coming -- and none of this, mind you, is yoked to rumors, truth or anything else except my opinion -- among the staff, but the fallout from canning Smith seems just unbelievably high.

The only scenario that makes any real sense for the school is Billy Donovan, who has no contract after this season currently. Most anything else, when examined, smacks of potential disappointment.

And cutting Tubby loose to hire Tom Crean, Mike Brey or John Calipari seems like dumping your less exciting wife for your dumb secretary. Sure, the gettin' may be good for now, but then at some point you have to talk about things, and when you ask her what she thinks about Bush and she starts rattling off song titles rather than geopolitical issues, you're sunk. Likewise, the first time Crean loses a game you know Tubby would win, you're going to regret that itchy trigger finger.

At any rate, all ridiculous analogies aside, I think Smith deserves the heat and the benefit of a second chance. He's given a lot to the program, and has earned a shot to try and win with his big recruiting class as seniors.

A win over Florida would be a step in the right direction, both for this season and for any potential evaluation of his job status.